The Story of the Four Men Killed in Niger Is Just Beginning

[applegrove]

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a13043672/four-men-killed-niger/

BY ROBERT BATEMAN at Esquire

"SNIP.........


Before we begin, these are the names of the fallen: Staff Sergeants Bryan Black, Dustin Wright, Jeremiah Johnson, and Sergeant La David Johnson. This much we know. Don't let President Trump's response to the situation overshadow their service and their honor.

The four men died on October 6 in the country of Niger, which is just north of Nigeria, south of Algeria, and southwest of Libya. The place where they died was some 120 miles north of the capital of Niamey. All four were assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group but serving at the time under the command of the “Unified Command” known as AFRICOM. It appears that they were killed in a one-sided engagement with the “Islamic State of the Greater Sahara,” which claims to be affiliated with ISIS, but there are doubts about the legitimacy of the connection.

According to a military spokesperson who spoke to me on background, there were between eight and 12 American soldiers on this particular operation, and they were moving with roughly 40-50 Nigerien soldiers. I say moving because, although it was not stated in any previous reporting, this was clearly a close ambush of a densely packed convoy.

Not only were Black, Wright, Johnson, and Johnson killed, but two other American soldiers were seriously wounded. The spokesperson confirmed to me that they have been evacuated to the Army hospital at Landstuhl, Germany. Both are suffering from gunshot wounds, not shrapnel from IEDs or a mine. When pressed, he as much as confirmed that situation when he acknowledged that the vehicles were unarmored. In other words, this was not an ambush of a foot patrol along a dusty path or on a jungle trail, these troops were hit by complete surprise when their convoy was taken under fire along a road.



.........SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. One thing for sure, Democrats will not have 10 investigations into this. Maybe one or two. But not

10 like Benghazi.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Leon Panetta told Wolf Blitzer on CNN

that he hopes that this doesn't become as "politicized" as that did. Of course we know that it won't since the parties involved are reversed and the Dems always take the "high road". I am torn on this issue...do we play by their dirty GOP rules/playbook? It is a proven 100% winner for their party and they have gotten away with it and benefited enormously by cheating and lying for 30 years.

[applegrove]

3. I know. I know. I think it is best to not be naive but to take the high road. Dems need to do a

better job at highlighting how corrupt the Republicans really are. They do it in legal ways. Dems are getting that message out. I do believe.

[California_Republic]

4. I agree high road is good but I still hear the ringing

In my ears of Republican friends yelling: “ Hillary lied, troops died”.

Let’s get to the bottom of this

[applegrove]

5. Look for the Rachel Maddow threads below. Apparently Chad pulled back its

Last edited Thu Oct 19, 2017, 10:52 PM - Edit history (1)

great soldiers from Niger because of Trump's travel ban on them.

[Initech]

6. The big difference: the republicans have Fox News and AM hate radio at their disposal.

We don't. And the republicans hate being proven wrong.