American troops are in Niger partly because US ignored call from wise African general

by J Michael Waller / The Daily Caller / October 27, 2017

“American troops are in Niger because the US didn’t listen to a wise African leader who wanted to stomp out regional jihadists before they became a real problem.

“If the United States had accepted an offer of strategic partnership six years ago, it is unlikely that American troops would have been sent to Niger. That is because the impoverished, landlocked country would have been helped by its oil-rich neighbor to the south, Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government deserves its bad international reputation. But back in 2010, Nigeria’s otherwise dithering president, Goodluck Jonathan, had a forward-looking national security adviser. That man, a retired general and military intelligence chief named Owoye Andrew Azazi, developed a workable, proven plan to prevent jihadist networks in the region from taking root. I know because I worked with General Azazi at the time.”

Click here for the rest of Dr Waller’s article in The Daily Caller.