(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., revealed more shocking details Monday about the nightmarish situation U.S. troops are facing in Niger, where the country’s government seeks to expel the American military.
The situation in Niger stems from the country’s government declaring last month that the U.S. military presence there is “illegal.” Another African country, Chad, recently made a similar declaration. The Biden administration initially signaled that it will leave Niger—which would mean it would have to abandoned a $100 million drone warfare base—but has since backtracked.
Gaetz’s “interim report” on Monday confirms his prior statements in Congress last month, when he claimed that troops in Niger are experiencing shortages of water, medicine and other supplies.
More than 1,000 U.S. service members are functionally being held as HOSTAGES in Niger. They are being used as pawns in negotiations that have left America at the bended knee of third-world criminals and thugs! Today I’m filing Part II of my Interim Report “Unwelcome in Niger.”… https://t.co/QBeASiqJii pic.twitter.com/nwBDtZrZUO
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 6, 2024
Attached to the interim report are letters from active-duty servicemembers in Niger, as well as their family members.
One letter is from the spouse of an active-duty troop, who told Gaetz that her husband has run out of his cholesterol medication.
“My husband specifically is on cholesterol medication for his heart and at this point in time he has run out of medication,” she said. “I mailed him a medication refill … that is currently sitting in Germany because Niger still will not approve flights.”
Another letter, from someone stationed at Air Base 101 in Niger—where Russians are cohabitating with U.S. troops—said his unit is short on “blood and medications.” “Why are we still here?” the servicemember asked.
Yet another letter, this one from another U.S. troop at Air Base 101, made similar remarks.
“Why have no planes come in for our replacements? …We have not a resupply mission here since March. The morale here is terrible and it needs to be fixed ASAP!” the whistleblower said.
Gaetz called for the Biden administration to immediately resupply U.S. troops in Niger.
“Our service members, contractors, and their families must not be allowed to be used as leverage by the government of Niger or anyone else during a military retrograde. Moreover, the Biden administration should not spasm into a hasty retrograde which would leave hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military material in the hands of terrorists, militants, or Russians,” he said.
“The Biden administration must fly in the needed water, medication supplies and troop rotations, under fighter escort if necessary.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
