U.S. soldier in Niger ambush was bound and apparently executed, villagers say

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

By Sudarsan Raghavan November 10 at 6:36 PM

NIAMEY, Niger — The body of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four U.S. soldiers killed in an ambush by Islamist militants in Niger last month, was found with his arms tied and a gaping wound at the back of his head, according to two villagers, suggesting that he may have been captured and then executed.

Adamou Boubacar, a 23-year-old farmer and trader, said some children tending cattle found the remains of the soldier Oct. 6, two days after the attack outside the remote Niger village of Tongo Tongo, which also left five Nigerien soldiers dead. The kids notified him.

When Boubacar went to the location, a bushy area roughly a mile from the ambush site, he saw Johnson’s body lying face down, he said. The back of his head had been smashed by something, possibly a bullet, said Boubacar. The soldier’s wrists were bound with rope, he said, raising the possibility that the militants — whom the Pentagon suspects were affiliated with the Islamic State — seized Johnson during the firefight and held him captive.

The villagers’ accounts come as the Niger operation is under intense scrutiny in the United States, with lawmakers expressing concern that they have received insufficient or conflicting information about what happened. The Pentagon is conducting an investigation into the attack in Niger, where the U.S. military is helping the Nigerien government confront a threat by militants associated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/us-soldier-in-niger-ambush-was-bound-and-apparently-executed-villagers-say/2017/11/10/3aebba3e-c442-11e7-9922-4151f5ca6168_story.html

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That's just sad.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Just another

troubling cover up that has been exposed as a botched Trump Military operation.

[SummerSnow]

2. Wonder who Trump will blame this time?

[iluvtennis]

10. Recall the initial reports were that it was a private helicopter that did the mission to

get the soldiers (alive and dead out). It was reported that the private helicopter didn't follow protocol and do a head count before taking off and that's how Sgt La David Johnson got left behind. It was reported that the owner of the private copte was Eric Prince.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Read those same reports.

This will haunt Trump till he leaves. Might take a year,but,you know damn well when the Dems gain control. This will be addressed.

[iluvtennis]

14. Indeed as it should be.

[hlthe2b]

3. I feel so badly for his family... n/t

[onecaliberal]

4. :

[dae]

5. KnR

[bobbieinok]

6. I think many suspected something like this

The story of his body being found later was just a bit off.

And, sorry, but given T and Kelly's known racism....can't help wondering....

[Historic NY]

7. That disgusting piece of shit in Washington...

takes no responsibility and then torments the wife over and over. He needs to go.

[Justice]

8. Trump must have known this when he was being such a jerk.

[Arazi]

9. But of course he knew that being tortured by IS was what he signed up for

Oh and probs mutilated before execution, I'm sure he signed up for that shit. And abandoned in the field for 2 days. Yeah, everyone KNOWS they're signing up for THAT

I'm sure his widow is soooo comforted tonight knowing her husband's CIC completely "gets" it

[keithbvadu2]

12. Too bad the CinC cannot be court martialed for dereliction of duty.

Too bad the CinC cannot be court martialed for dereliction of duty.

Trump says he knows more then the generals.

All that spare time playing golf when he could have been planning missions and not killing soldiers by assigning less qualified underlings to the task of mission planning.

Our military requested more resources for Niger mission(s) but the Trump administration refused them.

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-trump-niger-20171019-story.html

[jeffreyi]

13. Left behind.

Shame.