I am writing today to implore you to take immediate action to safely return the over 1,000 US troops stranded in Niger.
I have grave concerns over the profound lack of supplies including food, water, and medication. Timely troop rotation is not occurring; communication is not forthcoming to the personnel on the ground. Their lives are in limbo in the blisteringly hot Sahel with no mission, no resources, and no hope for a safe return date.
With the arrival of Russian troops at Airbase 101, how much more urgent does the situation need to be? There is no diplomatic path forward; negotiations have repeatedly failed to yield anything but increased hostility. Almost a full month has passed since it was announced that the troops would be withdrawn and still there is no movement. I can only imagine the desperation these young men and women must feel knowing that, at worst, their health and safety has been willfully jeopardized for no clear reason and, at best, they are pawns in a failed game of diplomacy. I look to you, my elected official, to sound the alarm and to initiate action to get these troops home now.
I trust that you will take immediate action to bring home the troops from US Air Bases 101 and 201 in Niger, and I thank you in advance.
