The US can’t use its $110 million drone base in Niger
taskandpurpose.com
The US military cannot conduct drone operations from a base in Niger because the country’s military junta has closed its airspace.

Why was it there in the first place I wonder?

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
    195·
    1 year ago

    Why was it there in the first place I wonder?

    To surveil (and maybe to bomb) Islamic extremists that have a foothold in the region? The entire article is about why they’re there…

    • OurToothbrush@lemmy.mlOPM
      927·
      1 year ago

      Well that certainly seems like shitty counter insurgency. It doesn’t effect the material reasons that led to insurgents and creates more martyrs which increases recruitment and helps align the civilian population with the insurgency. The vietnamese knew this 50 years ago which is one of the reasons the US got its ass handed to it, has the US not learned it still?

      Outside of the tactic not being effective though, why is the US interested in doing counterinsurgency in the region?

      • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
        105·
        1 year ago

        I would imagine western intelligence is very useful in fighting Isis. It certainly has been a huge boon for Ukraine in their war. As for why the west is interested in stopping the spread of Islamic extremism in Africa, foreign safe harbors for extremists often end up being training grounds for terrorists that attack the west.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
      75·
      1 year ago

      If you read the article it will tell you all about why the US military is there

      • Nightwatch Admin@feddit.nlEnglish
        7·
        1 year ago

        The article doesn’t mention that Niger is also the prime supplier of Uranium for the French nuclear powerplants (and probably for more EU countries). Like it or not, that’s an important aspect of Western presence as well.

        • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          1 year ago

          You’re right, it is no doubt a factor. I will say I think this Niger coup along with the other coups that have happened in the region over the past decade are France reaping what it sowed in terms of their post colonial foreign policy in the region. France urging respect for the democratic government in Niger falls flat when they’ve supported coups in the region in the not so distant past.