10-07-2017, 10:25 PM
*** 8-Oct-17 World View -- Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) blamed for deaths of US troops in Niger
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) blamed for deaths of US troops in Niger
****
![[Image: g171007b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g171007b.jpg)
Ambush of US soldiers occurred near Niamey, the capital city of Niger
Four US troops, along with five Nigerien soldiers, were killed on
Wednesday in an ambush in Niger near the border with Mali. This was
the first time that US forces have died in Niger.
The 12-member US team was leaving a meeting in unarmored pick-up
trucks, when they were lured into an ambush and began taking from
small arms, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
There were 50 attackers, believed to be part of a Mali jihadist group
linked to the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh).
The service members, including multiple Army Special Forces soldiers,
exited the vehicles, ran for cover, and began returning fire, killing
some of the attacking militants. In addition to the four deaths, two
service members were injured, and were evacuated to a hospital in
Germany.
Note: "Nigerien" refers to Niger, while "Nigerian" refers to Nigeria.
After the ambush, US officials realized that one of the US service
members were unaccounted for, and it was feared that he might have
been taken prisoner. A large-scale search-and-rescue operation
involving US, French and Nigerien troops was launched, and US Navy
SEALs were flown to a US military base in Sigonella, Sicily, in
anticipation of a possible rescue attempt. However, they never went
to Niger as the body of the fourth dead soldier was found on Friday.
No one has claimed responsibility for the ambush, but there are two
major choices, one linked to al-Qaeda and one linked to ISIS. The
first is the "Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims" (JNIM,
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim) that we described at length
several days ago. JNIM and its
al-Qaeda predecessors have conducted many other operations in Niger,
including kidnappings and suicide attacks.
However, the US military believes that this ambush was performed by
“Islamic State in the Greater Sahara” (ISGS), which is linked to ISIS.
Little is known about ISGS, since it's overshadowed by the al-Qaeda
linked jihadists, and competes with them. They have links to Boko
Haram in Nigeria, and their fighters are believed to be nomadic
people, such as the Tuaregs. CNN and SOFREP and Long War Journal and Washington Post
****
**** Jihadist ambush in Niger forces a review of military operations in Africa
****
In 2013, Barack Obama informed Congress that 100 troops would be
deployed to Niger. They set up a drone base near Niamey to assist the
French with surveillance and intelligence, and also began serving in a
train, advise and assist role with Nigerien forces. The U.S. had
already been providing the French with aerial refueling for its Mirage
and Rafale warplanes. Since then, that number has grown to 800
troops.
On September 24, the Pentagon and AfriCom said armed U.S. drones had
conducted several "precision strikes" on an ISIS training camp in
Libya, killing 17 militants.
Despite these attacks on ISIS targets, Wednesday's ambush apparently
caught the US military completely by surprise. Africom spokesman
Colonel Mark Cheadle said:
<QUOTE>"This was not expected. Had we anticipated this sort
of attack we would have absolutely devoted more resources to it to
reduce the risk and that's something we are looking at right
now. ...
It was not meant to be an engagement with the enemy. The threats
at the time were deemed to be unlikely, so there was no overhead
armed air cover during the engagement."<END QUOTE>
The American troops in Africa are there to train Nigerien troops in
anti-terrorism tactics to battle violent extremists, including
counterterrorism, intelligence and security techniques. But in this
case they were carrying out a joint patrol with Nigerien forces,
suggesting that they were taking part in military operations, and yet
were unprepared for the ambush.
Cheadle added that Africom was reevaluating its force protection
procedures for its advisory missions.
It's little reported, but the US military is increasing its
presence in Africa, with counterterrorism operations in mind.
The largest U.S. base on the continent is in
Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, which gives U.S. forces the ability
to launch airstrikes and special operations raids into nearby Yemen
and Somalia while also covering the critical Bab el-Mandeb waterway
that leads into the Red Sea.
There are bases in Somalia and Kenya, for the fight against
al-Shabaab. Tunisia has an American drone base that can strike
al-Qaeda and ISIS offshoots in Libya. There are American forces in
Chad and a drone facility in Cameroon, both helping the fight against
Boko Haram. US involvement in Africa is slated to grow. Military.com and NPR and Reuters and Foreign Policy
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mali, Niger, Tuaregs,
France, Mauritania, Chad, G5 Sahel Force,
Africom, Mark Cheadle,
Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims,
JNIM, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim,
ISGS, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) blamed for deaths of US troops in Niger
- Jihadist ambush in Niger forces a review of military operations in Africa
****
**** Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) blamed for deaths of US troops in Niger
****
Ambush of US soldiers occurred near Niamey, the capital city of Niger
Four US troops, along with five Nigerien soldiers, were killed on
Wednesday in an ambush in Niger near the border with Mali. This was
the first time that US forces have died in Niger.
The 12-member US team was leaving a meeting in unarmored pick-up
trucks, when they were lured into an ambush and began taking from
small arms, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
There were 50 attackers, believed to be part of a Mali jihadist group
linked to the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh).
The service members, including multiple Army Special Forces soldiers,
exited the vehicles, ran for cover, and began returning fire, killing
some of the attacking militants. In addition to the four deaths, two
service members were injured, and were evacuated to a hospital in
Germany.
Note: "Nigerien" refers to Niger, while "Nigerian" refers to Nigeria.
After the ambush, US officials realized that one of the US service
members were unaccounted for, and it was feared that he might have
been taken prisoner. A large-scale search-and-rescue operation
involving US, French and Nigerien troops was launched, and US Navy
SEALs were flown to a US military base in Sigonella, Sicily, in
anticipation of a possible rescue attempt. However, they never went
to Niger as the body of the fourth dead soldier was found on Friday.
No one has claimed responsibility for the ambush, but there are two
major choices, one linked to al-Qaeda and one linked to ISIS. The
first is the "Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims" (JNIM,
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim) that we described at length
several days ago. JNIM and its
al-Qaeda predecessors have conducted many other operations in Niger,
including kidnappings and suicide attacks.
However, the US military believes that this ambush was performed by
“Islamic State in the Greater Sahara” (ISGS), which is linked to ISIS.
Little is known about ISGS, since it's overshadowed by the al-Qaeda
linked jihadists, and competes with them. They have links to Boko
Haram in Nigeria, and their fighters are believed to be nomadic
people, such as the Tuaregs. CNN and SOFREP and Long War Journal and Washington Post
****
**** Jihadist ambush in Niger forces a review of military operations in Africa
****
In 2013, Barack Obama informed Congress that 100 troops would be
deployed to Niger. They set up a drone base near Niamey to assist the
French with surveillance and intelligence, and also began serving in a
train, advise and assist role with Nigerien forces. The U.S. had
already been providing the French with aerial refueling for its Mirage
and Rafale warplanes. Since then, that number has grown to 800
troops.
On September 24, the Pentagon and AfriCom said armed U.S. drones had
conducted several "precision strikes" on an ISIS training camp in
Libya, killing 17 militants.
Despite these attacks on ISIS targets, Wednesday's ambush apparently
caught the US military completely by surprise. Africom spokesman
Colonel Mark Cheadle said:
<QUOTE>"This was not expected. Had we anticipated this sort
of attack we would have absolutely devoted more resources to it to
reduce the risk and that's something we are looking at right
now. ...
It was not meant to be an engagement with the enemy. The threats
at the time were deemed to be unlikely, so there was no overhead
armed air cover during the engagement."<END QUOTE>
The American troops in Africa are there to train Nigerien troops in
anti-terrorism tactics to battle violent extremists, including
counterterrorism, intelligence and security techniques. But in this
case they were carrying out a joint patrol with Nigerien forces,
suggesting that they were taking part in military operations, and yet
were unprepared for the ambush.
Cheadle added that Africom was reevaluating its force protection
procedures for its advisory missions.
It's little reported, but the US military is increasing its
presence in Africa, with counterterrorism operations in mind.
The largest U.S. base on the continent is in
Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, which gives U.S. forces the ability
to launch airstrikes and special operations raids into nearby Yemen
and Somalia while also covering the critical Bab el-Mandeb waterway
that leads into the Red Sea.
There are bases in Somalia and Kenya, for the fight against
al-Shabaab. Tunisia has an American drone base that can strike
al-Qaeda and ISIS offshoots in Libya. There are American forces in
Chad and a drone facility in Cameroon, both helping the fight against
Boko Haram. US involvement in Africa is slated to grow. Military.com and NPR and Reuters and Foreign Policy
Related Articles
- Jihadist attacks in Mali surge with rise of al-Qaeda linked JNIM (04-Oct-2017)
- France's new president Macron commits troops to Mali 'as long as necessary' (20-May-2017)
- US sends dozens of troops to Somalia, first time since Black Hawk Down (15-Apr-2017)
- Did France kick a hornet's nest with military intervention in Mali? (18-Jan-2013)
- Mali hotel terror attack highlights al-Qaeda's strength in Africa (21-Nov-2015)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mali, Niger, Tuaregs,
France, Mauritania, Chad, G5 Sahel Force,
Africom, Mark Cheadle,
Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims,
JNIM, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim,
ISGS, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
