Remind Me Why We Have Troops in #Niger? | naked capitalism
▻https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2017/10/remind-troops-niger.html
Conclusion
So far as I can tell, there are only two reasons for us to have a military presence in Niger:
1) To help France hang on to its uranium supply, a vital national interest for them, and
2) The self-licking ice cream of the Global War on Terror, or whatever we’re calling it these days.
Since the political class seems to be lusting for war — whether with Russia or in North Korea — a war in Niger would have much to recommend it, since the only nuclear powers involved would be the United States and France (since its hard to see that China would have vital national interests involved; Niger’s uranium would constitute some fraction of one-third of China’s uranium supply).
If the United States runs true to form (and at this point we have form) a war in Niger would:
0) Never be declared;
1) Last for many years;
2) Not produce a victory (if victory be defined as parades and politicians claiming victory);
3) Be extremely expensive;
4) Cause enormous civilian suffering and many refugees;
5) Destabilize West Africa;
6) Strengthen the mercenary elements of the military-industrial complex;
7) Produce blowback, should adversaries once again focus, as Bin-Laden did, on the “far enemy.” In this regard, it would be interesting to see the social effects if the blowback operatives were Africans, and not from the Middle East, as were Bin Laden’s.
What could go wrong?
