Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

10 questions from a veteran Special Operator about that night in Niger

How did this happen?

Nigerien soldiers receive a counter-IED class as part of Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, Feb. 28, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kulani Lakanaria)
Nigerien soldiers receive a counter-IED class as part of Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, Feb. 28, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kulani Lakanaria)
Nigerien soldiers receive a counter-IED class as part of Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, Feb. 28, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kulani Lakanaria)

 

 

By Col. Keith Nightingale, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Best Defense office of firefight affairs

  1. What was the SF Captain leader doing/saying/asking during this event?
  2. Was he “in control” of the perimeter and actions? (over an hour between the first engagement and its conclusion — that’s a long time)
  3. What were the Niger forces doing? Was this a fully integrated defense or separate?
  4. What sort of accountability steps did the Captain take when they departed — e.g., was he aware that 4 KIA’s were left behind?
  5. What did the immediate Higher do/report up the tape, and when?
  6. How was the attacked element disposed on the ground? (2 of the 4 KIA are support/non 18 MOS) And where were the 4 KIA in relation to the element as a whole?
  7. Was an armed drone within reasonable striking distance?
  8. Why wasn’t the unit given a recon drone if it was on a snatch mission of some import?
  9. What is the standard emergency reaction force in the region in the event of an emergency, if any?
  10. Was Sgt. La David Johnson’s body within what would have been the defensive perimeter or was he moved by the bad guys/captured or there by his own initiative? 

Col. (Ret.) Keith Nightingale commanded four infantry companies, three battalions, and two brigades. These units included two tours in Vietnam, the Grenada invasion, and several classified counterterrorist operations, among them the Iran rescue attempt. He was a founding member of the 1-75th Rangers as well as one of the original members of what is now Joint Special Operations Command. He is a member of the Ranger Hall of Fame.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism

How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen in a suit and tie and in profile, walks outside the venue at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Behind him is a sculptural tree in a larger planter that appears to be leaning away from him.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen in a suit and tie and in profile, walks outside the venue at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Behind him is a sculptural tree in a larger planter that appears to be leaning away from him.

The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy

Beijing’s representatives are always scared they could be the next to vanish.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.

The End of America’s Middle East

The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.