Senators were shocked to learn the US has 1,000 troops in Africa
— but the Pentagon just said the total is actually over 6,000
How can they not know? The expansion of US Forces Africa under President Obama has been a matter of public record for some time now.
The press conference comes after several US senators including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Sen. John McCain had all expressed surprise that the US had a large number of troops in Niger and 6,000 across all of Africa.
"I didn't know there was 1,000 troops in Niger," Graham said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "This is an endless war without boundaries and no limitation on time and geography ... You've got to tell us more."
Dunford described the US presence in Niger and other African countries as advisory and meant to help local allies defeat extremist militants, namely Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram. He said the number of American troops currently in Niger is the largest amount present in any single African country.
From @ Senators were shocked to learn the US has 1,000 troops in Africa — but the Pentagon just said the total is actually over 6,000
— but the Pentagon just said the total is actually over 6,000
How can they not know? The expansion of US Forces Africa under President Obama has been a matter of public record for some time now.
The press conference comes after several US senators including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Sen. John McCain had all expressed surprise that the US had a large number of troops in Niger and 6,000 across all of Africa.
"I didn't know there was 1,000 troops in Niger," Graham said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "This is an endless war without boundaries and no limitation on time and geography ... You've got to tell us more."
Dunford described the US presence in Niger and other African countries as advisory and meant to help local allies defeat extremist militants, namely Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram. He said the number of American troops currently in Niger is the largest amount present in any single African country.
From @ Senators were shocked to learn the US has 1,000 troops in Africa — but the Pentagon just said the total is actually over 6,000