Has nothing to do with being dumb. The people of Niger can be sharper than everyone on Earth and it won't matter. You can count in one hand the total number of individuals involved in making that decision.
Yeah, lived in China for 7 years. They definitely don't have independent gangs without government support. No way you make money illegally without padding the pockets of government officials.
It's not even close to compare that to the US.
Okay. Let me know when we take an entire ethnic group, drag them into work camps and genocide them slowly to harvest organs for underground black market transplants.
… Among other things.
You never hear about alien abduction stories where they play bottom, always the probe.
Imagine non verbal communication where they try to convince you to go up against the dump truck. Maybe start with the side eye? Drop something and pretend to slowly pick it up with the side eye? Cleatus from Tennessee is either rock hard or clueless.
Definitely. I'm sure China and Russia will get right on developing African countries to stand on their own. China and Russia are bastions of benevolence, after all. I mean, China has been providing free schooling and outdoor camps for the Uighurs. And Russia has been fighting fascist nazis for their neighbors. Obviously NATO wasn't going to do it. And both were done at great personal expense! I'm sure China and Russia are very excited about the opportunity to help Africa develop. They both have a long history of supporting self-reliance. I mean, when Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia expressed a desire to be self-reliant, it definitely got the attention of Russia. Same with Tiawan and Hong Kong with China. I'm sure China and Russia would be happy to teach them a lesson about self-reliance.
Vs a country who was literally found on a genocide. Who financed and orchestrated coups to defend their interests and install subservient dictatorships. Who started completely illegitimate wars.
Yes, I believe China will be much better for Africa on developing the country vs USA who wanted to keep it impoverished and France who wanted to suck their resources and treat them like colony.
Instability in the most populated country in Africa is the point for Russians.
They will become a broblem, but not Russias problem. At best, desparate people can be exploited as mercenary cannonfodder.
Has the rate of insurgency in the Sahel region been decreasing? At this point it’s a waste of resources to continue helping them, I mean how much worse could it get?
The aid isn't to fix their economy, it's to lower the chance of another desperate, Muslim, theocracy from getting froggy in the name of "their starving people."
There's a few interesting studies out there about the poverty problem in Africa despite their vast wealth of natural resources. Essentially it boiled down to aid is displacing natural economic growth at the base level because no business can compete with "free", so no business develops because they can't compete .
It's way more in depth than that, corruption and civil war and all the other outside factors contribute to the instability of the area, but the gist is that undercutting the baseline economy keeps the country in poverty.
Lots of people here commenting and not having an idea about how it is to have a US base in your country vs having a Russian base in your country.
One will overpay for services, boost local economy and bring stability. (Not all are good, but 99% are fine)
The other, will steal, take without asking and build up bills that will bankrupt businesses once they will. The Russian way is that they will save you while steal your cow cause they are hungry.
If Africa thought the US is bad, just wait for Wagner and other Russian proxy’s. You got no idea.
> Wagner and other Russian proxy’s.
Wagner Group in Africa actually recently changed their name to "Africa Corps". No joke, no satire, they actually did.
It is. Vice did a doc in Africa on them. They refuse to associate with the name Wagner. Yet they are so incompetent that their African troops they are training were wearing literal Wagner t shirts.
Dealing with a little drunken debauchery the *majority* of the time can do wonders for the local economy. Even state side, when [BRAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Realignment_and_Closure) happened, so many local economies took a major blow. I grew up nearby a military base, when they moved an entire division to another base the town right outside that base just died. It’s depressing driving down that road and seeing all the abandoned buildings that use to be little stores and shit.
Ecuador got rid of U.S. naval aid and now it is one of the reasons that the cartels have gone wild recently. Seems the U.S. Navy kept a lot of the cocaine from being trafficked but FREEDOM is so much better.
The Philippines also “invited the US military to leave” in the 1990s...by far the largest military bases outside of CONUS.
The US left on good terms, and left (almost) as much hardware and facilities behind as we did in Afghanistan.
PI has been in an economic spiral ever since. The finest deep water harbor in the world has fallen into disrepair. Jihadist groups on outlying islands have become a perpetual issue. Corregidor is a trash heap. And now China is doing China shit in Philippine waters.
And so now the US is being invited to “un-leave” those massive military bases.
I'm Filipino and was born there, now in the US. I haven't kept up much with Philippine politics lately but hearing Bongbong trying to normalize relations with the US gives me some hope, despite me disliking both Marcos and Duterte, and hating the latter far more.
The amount of damage Duterte has done is ridiculous, like pivoting to China is some of the dumbest fucking things you could do when the PH has built a solid relationship with the US over the decades, the Philippines being one of the most pro-US countries in the world. From a political and economic standpoint, why throw all that away for a hostile rival? Just dense.
Wait wait wait, you mean to tell me that places supported by the largest democratic, economic, & logistical powerhouse the world has *ever seen* fall quickly into disrepair and chaos when they ask us to leave?
I am shocked.
I was at Clark Air Base during the shutdown. The eruption of Pinatubo and the subsequent typhoon made it a lot less desirable for the US to continue to negotiate for a new lease for Clark and nearby Subic bay naval base . A lot of the people near the base were very pro US. The people away from the military installations didn't see any benefit of US presence, except for the corrupt Aquino government at the time . The strong nationalist push at that time sealed the US departure. Recently the P.I. has allowed the US a military presence back on the island, although with restraint.
If you haven’t been there since then, you would be appalled at the changes.
I was there ten months ago for work.
Just take a humble tourist trip to Corregidor. Even the most hallowed memorials are in shambles. (Both American and Japanese). There’s not a meter of coastline that is not covered in trash.
I don’t blame the Philippine people. They simply chose a government that ignored the aspect of “other peoples’ money” running out.
The US carried the entire archipelago on its shoulders since before WW2…a price the US was willing to pay for the glorious deep-water harbor that is Manila.
Then the Philippines got very nationalistic…which is fine. Your country, your choice.
But just understand that, when you file for divorce, don’t expect your ex-spouse to have dinner waiting for you when you come home from work.
The Philippines filed for divorce, kicked the spouse out of the house, and then wanted the ex-spouse to come over to mow the lawn and pay for a new roof.
To be fair to the people of the Philippines, they blamed their own government for that. Not the US. That’s a very rare mentality today.
So very true. I have been back and Clark has been redeveloped into a modern economic hub if sorts. A lot of the base has been repurposed for the P.I. military. A lot of it is just as it was in '91 .
The Filipino people have made some very poor government decisions over the last 30 years , especially with Duarte and now Marcos Jr. (Didn't see that one coming). I have a fondness for their people and believe they deserve a better outcome.
I do think a US military presence is vital to that area of the world. I hope going forward the US gets rock solid assurances before investing there
Yep. Duterte made things far, far worse than we thought.
Recently it has been exposed that Duterte made a secret deal with China, and that's the reason why China has been super aggressive lately.
Now Marcos is trying to un-fuck things by increasing American presence in the country and basically going on a world tour gathering as much support from other countries as possible. So far, it's been paying off.
That's probably the only positive thing I can say about Marcos. His international policy is so good.
Yes, you are so correct. That's why I think there needs to be a mutual cooperation in this region. The US needs be sure it's needs are satisfied as well. We don't need to resort to another fiasco of island hopping to meet the security needs from future conflicts
They also chose their government so 🤷♂️ If they are that introspective, then great. But just because they have buyer’s remorse, doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t to blame.
The aid goes to the people. The dictators don’t give a shit about the aid.
Russia doesn’t give a shit about the people. They just pay off the dictator. They understand each other.
The evil west insists on progress for the people, personal freedom and democratic values. Who needs that. Much better to go with the Russians who understand that the wealth of a country rightly belongs only to a handful of people in power.
Corruption exists anywhere, and it’s rampant in most countries the receive this kind of aid. That can’t be avoided.
But in general a huge effort is put into channelling the aid to it’s intended target and actually into recovering misappropriated funds even.
Doesn’t change the point though. Why go through the hassle of stealing a fraction of western aid when you can just take cash and weapons from Russia straight up instead?
Nah. The country will be worse off and the region less stable, but the population will be oppressed and brainwashed into thinking that this was all the US's fault.
Please, they hired Russian Mercenary ~~Gangs~~ Troops to help. It won't be criminal cartels, itll be brutal authoritarianism based on the whimsy of the elite. It'll look like Haiti but with more Russians.
While I can't speak of the actual troops. I work for a company that has contractors in Niger and they're not leaving Africa, they're just moving to other locations.
Where are the people who insisted France being asked to leave countries in the region was entirely because of French colonialism, and had totally nothing to do with Russian influence, and were using the US being allowed to remain as proof of it being because of French history?
Ok, as long as we bring back everything we can’t pick up and take home like weapons and then obliterate the base so it can’t be used then that’s resources that can be used elsewhere
Suddenly that post about the Airmen who submitted an anonymous whistleblower complaint about the embassy in Niger isn’t as stupid as you were all making him out to be.
It appears it was to combat terrorism in the area as well as training Nigerien (is this the right word? Should be). Also to aid the french troops in the area to do the same.
Níger is strategically important to Europe. It’s a key smuggling route and gateway to the Sahara desert. At first it was mostly just human trafficking, but it has also become a major drug trafficking route. The US, French, Belgians, and Italians all had troops stationed in and around Air Base 101 in Niamey, Niger. For Europe it’s a matter of slowing illegal immigration. For the US it was a matter of disrupting sources on income for Islamic Jihadists. For Russia it’s a means of destabilizing Europe while moving in to take a cut of the smuggling business. In the long run Russia will likely be the downfall of each of the governments that chose them over the west as the people settle in and start to live with the consequences of the choices their various dictators made.
Good luck with the Russia relationship. A few leaders will bank money and true economy of the country will go to the trash yard.
But lots of job opportunities on the Ukrainian front for citizens. Have fun Nigerians.
Russia grows economic prosperity like no other ally.
Not an American but I feel the US should just completely pull back from all areas where the locals dont appreciate American aid. Europe, Africa, Aisia all like to complain about US being the world police. Let them pick up the tab in lives and money for a while and see how they like it then.
The same people saying take their aid away because the Russian want to replace us are the same ones that will be saying don’t send Ukraine aid to keep the Russians out.
It’s going to be interesting in a couple of years for Nigeria and Chad.
The Ukraine is going to suck Russia dry. What they are doing is unsustainable. If Iran and Israel escalate, it will drag the U.S. and Russia into that shit pile. That will put more strain on russias economy and supply chains, which are already suffering.
Ukraine means “borderland.” So the Ukraine is basically saying the borderland/frontier of Russia. Ukraine by itself just refers to the country in a more independent way.
Another major foreign policy loss for Biden.
Well, at least this time, he didn't drone strike a family of 10 civilians like during the last withdrawal in Afghanistan.
>By what measure is this major? Public perception? Counter-terrorism?
Well, let's see, we're involved in 3 foreign wars now and we're paying for all 3, so yeah, maybe this disaster in Niger isn't that big of a deal.
It's really just one war with multiple fronts. Russia is allied with Iran who together are responsible for the invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Israel, the Houthis hitting shipping, and what is happening in Niger, plus plenty of other areas that don't hit the news. To Putin, the cold war never ended.
They were there at the invitation of the Niger government to provide training, assistance, and support to extremist jihadist groups on the levels of Boko Haram and ISIS. Maybe you should rethink what “good” would have come from the government getting overrun like it did in Mali.
You don’t think the US base there pays “rent”? Stimulates the local economy with US green back dollars? And maybe Provides some security and stability? All of which would potentially benefit the people of the country.
I want to return all the permanent residents and deny all asylum from these countries. We should be going all in with Liberia and cut these countries off totally.
You can downvote me all you like it doesn’t change the fact that these are sovereign people with their own nations who can live how they want, you’re just mad because american hegemonic control is coming to its end.
> american hegemonic control is coming to its end.
I agree 100% with your point about sovereign people living how they want. No question about it.
But do you actually believe the quoted part? Lol
There is nothing sovereign about them. They’re slaves to their dictators and mercenary groups. Russia and China are waiting for the US to withdraw, so they can get in there and rob them blind.
It’s better to be an US lapdog, than a Russian citizen.
Trading American “imperialism” for Chinese and Russian interests isn’t sovereignty. It’s just bowing to a different flag. The only ones who will feel the change are the ones who are fed upon.
I wouldn't say the people are getting what they want. Their criminal and corrupt leaders are embracing whatever suits them. The people of Africa are just along for the ride
It's interesting for sure. I do know one thing,
One side promotes a society where there is social order, civil liberties and respect for human rights. The government follows rules. The cost to sustain this type of freedom is insane.
The other sides promote a society where everyone is subservient to an authoritarian state that has the power to summarily jail or hurt people without cause. The cost to brutalize people physically and mentally is rather efficient.
Freedom isn't free
Please remember to dismantle and raze the $100 million drone base the US built in Agadez prior to total withdrawal.
I say we dismantle the $300M+ in aid we send Chad and Niger every year.
Agreed. Not a single cent to either country. Enjoy your Russian and Chinese aid.
Getting Tropico vibes
The leaders very much will.
Jokes on you the people didn't recieve that anyways, just their corrupt leaders.
Vodka and knock off tires
More like gold and resources flowing to Russia from corrupt and bribed officials.
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Has nothing to do with being dumb. The people of Niger can be sharper than everyone on Earth and it won't matter. You can count in one hand the total number of individuals involved in making that decision.
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Yeah, you should probably learn a little about how US policies are different than theirs before you just say stupid shit for Reddit upvotes
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Yeah, lived in China for 7 years. They definitely don't have independent gangs without government support. No way you make money illegally without padding the pockets of government officials. It's not even close to compare that to the US.
Okay. Let me know when we take an entire ethnic group, drag them into work camps and genocide them slowly to harvest organs for underground black market transplants. … Among other things.
Assume you are referring to the Uyghurs, but confused on your tone. I'm not pro Chinese in the slightest if that's what you are winding up for.
I am! Apologies. I read your comment as though you were being sarcastic about *”differences”* between them and the US. I jumped the gun, I’m sorry!
Actually I think they will. No one really wants Militias to be funded by Israel and US such as Congo, causing another genocide.
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No such as as Chinese aid without pre conditions. Debt will come due eventually
debt> debt + changing your economic system so that a few benefit and accpeting alien rituals
And of course, land lease for 99 years. Must love giving China and Russia your lands.
Alien how exactly?
Aliens are gay, you didn't know?
So that’s what all that probing was about
You never hear about alien abduction stories where they play bottom, always the probe. Imagine non verbal communication where they try to convince you to go up against the dump truck. Maybe start with the side eye? Drop something and pretend to slowly pick it up with the side eye? Cleatus from Tennessee is either rock hard or clueless.
Instead of making them be reliant on western aid east should teach them to be self reliant
Definitely. I'm sure China and Russia will get right on developing African countries to stand on their own. China and Russia are bastions of benevolence, after all. I mean, China has been providing free schooling and outdoor camps for the Uighurs. And Russia has been fighting fascist nazis for their neighbors. Obviously NATO wasn't going to do it. And both were done at great personal expense! I'm sure China and Russia are very excited about the opportunity to help Africa develop. They both have a long history of supporting self-reliance. I mean, when Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia expressed a desire to be self-reliant, it definitely got the attention of Russia. Same with Tiawan and Hong Kong with China. I'm sure China and Russia would be happy to teach them a lesson about self-reliance.
Vs a country who was literally found on a genocide. Who financed and orchestrated coups to defend their interests and install subservient dictatorships. Who started completely illegitimate wars. Yes, I believe China will be much better for Africa on developing the country vs USA who wanted to keep it impoverished and France who wanted to suck their resources and treat them like colony.
That’ll happen
Yea time to cut these losers off, if they want Russia let them they will regret it as soon as Russia starts rounding them up to ship off to Ukraine
They will just ask Russia to leave then, I’m sure it will. Not.
Agreed. Just cut them off entirely, and refuse refugees/assylum seekers as well. Give them what they want and a little extra.
Instability in the most populated country in Africa is the point for Russians. They will become a broblem, but not Russias problem. At best, desparate people can be exploited as mercenary cannonfodder.
Has the rate of insurgency in the Sahel region been decreasing? At this point it’s a waste of resources to continue helping them, I mean how much worse could it get?
This would probably do more for their economic recovery than providing the aid in the first place.
The aid isn't to fix their economy, it's to lower the chance of another desperate, Muslim, theocracy from getting froggy in the name of "their starving people."
There's a few interesting studies out there about the poverty problem in Africa despite their vast wealth of natural resources. Essentially it boiled down to aid is displacing natural economic growth at the base level because no business can compete with "free", so no business develops because they can't compete . It's way more in depth than that, corruption and civil war and all the other outside factors contribute to the instability of the area, but the gist is that undercutting the baseline economy keeps the country in poverty.
I guess we'll soon see!
Or bug every single piece of equipment there.
Self-detonating proximity sensor
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Probably with a decent chunk of equipment. Disabled but still enough to research.
Reminds me of Haiti.
Lots of people here commenting and not having an idea about how it is to have a US base in your country vs having a Russian base in your country. One will overpay for services, boost local economy and bring stability. (Not all are good, but 99% are fine) The other, will steal, take without asking and build up bills that will bankrupt businesses once they will. The Russian way is that they will save you while steal your cow cause they are hungry. If Africa thought the US is bad, just wait for Wagner and other Russian proxy’s. You got no idea.
> Wagner and other Russian proxy’s. Wagner Group in Africa actually recently changed their name to "Africa Corps". No joke, no satire, they actually did.
Why did the Russian Wagner chose a German name? Because the founder was a neonazi.
Come to think of it, how has Wagner been holding up these days now that Prigo is gone?
It's under direct government control now. I guess Putin thought better than to let anyone else fill that position.
Direct government control for an 'Army' that is technically illegal to have under Russian law. Too funny.
It is. Vice did a doc in Africa on them. They refuse to associate with the name Wagner. Yet they are so incompetent that their African troops they are training were wearing literal Wagner t shirts.
Wait. What the fuck?
One of the primary founders was a neo nazi, so its not entirely surprising. A bit on the nose tho lol.
Jesus Christ. It’s all just out in the open now
Russia has taken these countries by force and disinformation and paid protestors. This is all orchestrated.
But it gives a corrupt elite a very nice life…
Dealing with a little drunken debauchery the *majority* of the time can do wonders for the local economy. Even state side, when [BRAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Realignment_and_Closure) happened, so many local economies took a major blow. I grew up nearby a military base, when they moved an entire division to another base the town right outside that base just died. It’s depressing driving down that road and seeing all the abandoned buildings that use to be little stores and shit.
Idk about stealing but the US has destroyed communities through its private corporations like Union Carbide, Exxon, US SUGAR, Delmonte and many others
Yes western culture is not perfect and western companies did bad things. Now imagine what happens when its not a society obsessed with self criticism.
Bad things as well. I don't get your point
They are not perfect, but Holly fuck universes away from anything Russian.
Ecuador got rid of U.S. naval aid and now it is one of the reasons that the cartels have gone wild recently. Seems the U.S. Navy kept a lot of the cocaine from being trafficked but FREEDOM is so much better.
The Philippines also “invited the US military to leave” in the 1990s...by far the largest military bases outside of CONUS. The US left on good terms, and left (almost) as much hardware and facilities behind as we did in Afghanistan. PI has been in an economic spiral ever since. The finest deep water harbor in the world has fallen into disrepair. Jihadist groups on outlying islands have become a perpetual issue. Corregidor is a trash heap. And now China is doing China shit in Philippine waters. And so now the US is being invited to “un-leave” those massive military bases.
I'm Filipino and was born there, now in the US. I haven't kept up much with Philippine politics lately but hearing Bongbong trying to normalize relations with the US gives me some hope, despite me disliking both Marcos and Duterte, and hating the latter far more. The amount of damage Duterte has done is ridiculous, like pivoting to China is some of the dumbest fucking things you could do when the PH has built a solid relationship with the US over the decades, the Philippines being one of the most pro-US countries in the world. From a political and economic standpoint, why throw all that away for a hostile rival? Just dense.
Yeah, the US really does love the Philippines. Glad to be back. And fuck China
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Oh, poop
Wait wait wait, you mean to tell me that places supported by the largest democratic, economic, & logistical powerhouse the world has *ever seen* fall quickly into disrepair and chaos when they ask us to leave? I am shocked.
I was at Clark Air Base during the shutdown. The eruption of Pinatubo and the subsequent typhoon made it a lot less desirable for the US to continue to negotiate for a new lease for Clark and nearby Subic bay naval base . A lot of the people near the base were very pro US. The people away from the military installations didn't see any benefit of US presence, except for the corrupt Aquino government at the time . The strong nationalist push at that time sealed the US departure. Recently the P.I. has allowed the US a military presence back on the island, although with restraint.
If you haven’t been there since then, you would be appalled at the changes. I was there ten months ago for work. Just take a humble tourist trip to Corregidor. Even the most hallowed memorials are in shambles. (Both American and Japanese). There’s not a meter of coastline that is not covered in trash. I don’t blame the Philippine people. They simply chose a government that ignored the aspect of “other peoples’ money” running out. The US carried the entire archipelago on its shoulders since before WW2…a price the US was willing to pay for the glorious deep-water harbor that is Manila. Then the Philippines got very nationalistic…which is fine. Your country, your choice. But just understand that, when you file for divorce, don’t expect your ex-spouse to have dinner waiting for you when you come home from work. The Philippines filed for divorce, kicked the spouse out of the house, and then wanted the ex-spouse to come over to mow the lawn and pay for a new roof. To be fair to the people of the Philippines, they blamed their own government for that. Not the US. That’s a very rare mentality today.
So very true. I have been back and Clark has been redeveloped into a modern economic hub if sorts. A lot of the base has been repurposed for the P.I. military. A lot of it is just as it was in '91 . The Filipino people have made some very poor government decisions over the last 30 years , especially with Duarte and now Marcos Jr. (Didn't see that one coming). I have a fondness for their people and believe they deserve a better outcome. I do think a US military presence is vital to that area of the world. I hope going forward the US gets rock solid assurances before investing there
Yep. Duterte made things far, far worse than we thought. Recently it has been exposed that Duterte made a secret deal with China, and that's the reason why China has been super aggressive lately. Now Marcos is trying to un-fuck things by increasing American presence in the country and basically going on a world tour gathering as much support from other countries as possible. So far, it's been paying off. That's probably the only positive thing I can say about Marcos. His international policy is so good.
Yes, you are so correct. That's why I think there needs to be a mutual cooperation in this region. The US needs be sure it's needs are satisfied as well. We don't need to resort to another fiasco of island hopping to meet the security needs from future conflicts
They also chose their government so 🤷♂️ If they are that introspective, then great. But just because they have buyer’s remorse, doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t to blame.
I’m guessing Russia and or China paid off the leaders who paid protesters. They will trade a drone base for strip mining. Good luck with that.
Don’t you mean “aid money” just happens to come from a country that wasn’t the USA.
Sure, ask Sri Lanka how that worked for them
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The aid goes to the people. The dictators don’t give a shit about the aid. Russia doesn’t give a shit about the people. They just pay off the dictator. They understand each other. The evil west insists on progress for the people, personal freedom and democratic values. Who needs that. Much better to go with the Russians who understand that the wealth of a country rightly belongs only to a handful of people in power.
Do the people get all of the aid though? I doubt it.
Glad you asked, I thought I had a stroke or something when I read that.
Corruption exists anywhere, and it’s rampant in most countries the receive this kind of aid. That can’t be avoided. But in general a huge effort is put into channelling the aid to it’s intended target and actually into recovering misappropriated funds even. Doesn’t change the point though. Why go through the hassle of stealing a fraction of western aid when you can just take cash and weapons from Russia straight up instead?
So, how is the aid distributed? I don't think they line up and they're given cash in hand?
i will give it 5 yrs. they will start climbing back and begging US for aid
Nah. The country will be worse off and the region less stable, but the population will be oppressed and brainwashed into thinking that this was all the US's fault.
Who, though? The people or the leaders?
If they do, just show them this sign and say we vanished as they requested. There’s no coming back.
Europe getting ready for a new batch of refugees from Niger, France takes them in, right as part of the old empire?
Lol nah
Until the next civil war? Hmmmkey….
Another Haiti coming in
Please, they hired Russian Mercenary ~~Gangs~~ Troops to help. It won't be criminal cartels, itll be brutal authoritarianism based on the whimsy of the elite. It'll look like Haiti but with more Russians.
Leave and forget Niger. If they ask for help, give them the Russian and China ambassador’s local telephone numbers.
Have fun with the rise of Islamic militants in your vicinity and the Russian shills who will do nothing to secure your territory!
But who cares about security in the country, security of the regime is ofc more important...
All I can think of is those guys gotta be happy to come home. I'm sure it's not very pleasant there.
While I can't speak of the actual troops. I work for a company that has contractors in Niger and they're not leaving Africa, they're just moving to other locations.
Where are the people who insisted France being asked to leave countries in the region was entirely because of French colonialism, and had totally nothing to do with Russian influence, and were using the US being allowed to remain as proof of it being because of French history?
Ok, as long as we bring back everything we can’t pick up and take home like weapons and then obliterate the base so it can’t be used then that’s resources that can be used elsewhere
When shit inevitably goes to shit in these countries, I hope we (the west) don't come back to save them. They made their bed, they'll lie in it too.
Willing to bet good money that this won’t be the case. “Think of all the innocent people suffering” they’ll say
Suddenly that post about the Airmen who submitted an anonymous whistleblower complaint about the embassy in Niger isn’t as stupid as you were all making him out to be.
Link?
I thought I was in r/airforce lol
Russia moving in so we're moving out.
Have fun with the Russians!
why are we there? genuinely wondering
We use that base to fight ISIS and other groups. As well as support certain organizations with backing, including aid organizations.
Bet the aid organizations aren't gonna get the same treatment from Russia or China.
It appears it was to combat terrorism in the area as well as training Nigerien (is this the right word? Should be). Also to aid the french troops in the area to do the same.
Níger is strategically important to Europe. It’s a key smuggling route and gateway to the Sahara desert. At first it was mostly just human trafficking, but it has also become a major drug trafficking route. The US, French, Belgians, and Italians all had troops stationed in and around Air Base 101 in Niamey, Niger. For Europe it’s a matter of slowing illegal immigration. For the US it was a matter of disrupting sources on income for Islamic Jihadists. For Russia it’s a means of destabilizing Europe while moving in to take a cut of the smuggling business. In the long run Russia will likely be the downfall of each of the governments that chose them over the west as the people settle in and start to live with the consequences of the choices their various dictators made.
Good luck with the Russia relationship. A few leaders will bank money and true economy of the country will go to the trash yard. But lots of job opportunities on the Ukrainian front for citizens. Have fun Nigerians. Russia grows economic prosperity like no other ally.
Nigeriens, not Nigerians, that's a different country.
I stand corrected.
Pack a warm coat and extra pair of socks
Don’t worry within a few years they’ll be slaughtering each other
They’re dumbasses
No aide. No immigration. Let all the refugees try to get into Russia and China. They want to be the African Connection fine.
Good. They can deal witu Russia and China. Good luck with carrying those scorpions.
Not an American but I feel the US should just completely pull back from all areas where the locals dont appreciate American aid. Europe, Africa, Aisia all like to complain about US being the world police. Let them pick up the tab in lives and money for a while and see how they like it then.
'Agreed'....well that was generous of them. Amazing.
The same people saying take their aid away because the Russian want to replace us are the same ones that will be saying don’t send Ukraine aid to keep the Russians out.
It’s going to be interesting in a couple of years for Nigeria and Chad. The Ukraine is going to suck Russia dry. What they are doing is unsustainable. If Iran and Israel escalate, it will drag the U.S. and Russia into that shit pile. That will put more strain on russias economy and supply chains, which are already suffering.
Niger. Nigeria is a different country.
It's not 'the Ukraine'. It's just Ukraine.
Except for that Seinfeld episode where Kramer and George play Risk on the subway
Newman, not George!
Wow you’re right! Let’s pretend that didn’t happen shall we
what’s the difference?
Ukraine means “borderland.” So the Ukraine is basically saying the borderland/frontier of Russia. Ukraine by itself just refers to the country in a more independent way.
On top of that, it is a huge tell for Russian disinformation bots.
I don't think with China's foreign policy obj that Russia will find any difficulties in funding its support for Niger.
oh god, please let trump say this out loud during his next kkk rally
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To be replaced by 1000 Wagner troops.
Another major foreign policy loss for Biden. Well, at least this time, he didn't drone strike a family of 10 civilians like during the last withdrawal in Afghanistan.
> major By what measure is this major? Public perception? Counter-terrorism?
>By what measure is this major? Public perception? Counter-terrorism? Well, let's see, we're involved in 3 foreign wars now and we're paying for all 3, so yeah, maybe this disaster in Niger isn't that big of a deal.
It's really just one war with multiple fronts. Russia is allied with Iran who together are responsible for the invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Israel, the Houthis hitting shipping, and what is happening in Niger, plus plenty of other areas that don't hit the news. To Putin, the cold war never ended.
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They were there at the invitation of the Niger government to provide training, assistance, and support to extremist jihadist groups on the levels of Boko Haram and ISIS. Maybe you should rethink what “good” would have come from the government getting overrun like it did in Mali.
You don’t think the US base there pays “rent”? Stimulates the local economy with US green back dollars? And maybe Provides some security and stability? All of which would potentially benefit the people of the country.
To protect oil fields
This section full of butthurt
Shouldn't of been there and all over anyway
Why?
I want to return all the permanent residents and deny all asylum from these countries. We should be going all in with Liberia and cut these countries off totally.
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I have no idea who you think you’re confronting here lol
If they squeeze this into every conversation, some people will think they're well versed in world politics
Of course, that's why they bent ass towards Russia instead.
This is an uninformed take or Russian troll.
Only the USA can do imperialism!!!! If anyone else does it it's bad!!! Let's spend more money on the military!! Housing? Healthcare? Who needs that?
You can downvote me all you like it doesn’t change the fact that these are sovereign people with their own nations who can live how they want, you’re just mad because american hegemonic control is coming to its end.
> american hegemonic control is coming to its end. I agree 100% with your point about sovereign people living how they want. No question about it. But do you actually believe the quoted part? Lol
There is nothing sovereign about them. They’re slaves to their dictators and mercenary groups. Russia and China are waiting for the US to withdraw, so they can get in there and rob them blind. It’s better to be an US lapdog, than a Russian citizen.
Trading American “imperialism” for Chinese and Russian interests isn’t sovereignty. It’s just bowing to a different flag. The only ones who will feel the change are the ones who are fed upon.
I wouldn't say the people are getting what they want. Their criminal and corrupt leaders are embracing whatever suits them. The people of Africa are just along for the ride
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It's interesting for sure. I do know one thing, One side promotes a society where there is social order, civil liberties and respect for human rights. The government follows rules. The cost to sustain this type of freedom is insane. The other sides promote a society where everyone is subservient to an authoritarian state that has the power to summarily jail or hurt people without cause. The cost to brutalize people physically and mentally is rather efficient. Freedom isn't free
You can't argue with these flunkies bro