A US Army Special Forces weapons sergeant observes a Niger army soldier during marksmanship training as part of Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, February 28, 2017. US Army/Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Klutts
David Litt, Foreign Policy: Here's why the United States is in Niger
* Four U.S soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger in early October.
* For years, the United States has aided Niger in creating a stable democracy after the country asked for assistance.
* The United States also keeps a strategic base in Niger because the Sahara Desert is a popular hideout for extremist groups.
Many Americans had no idea that the United States had soldiers in Niger, let alone why, until four were killed in an ambush earlier this month.
Part of the answer is that U.S. special operations forces have typically been operating in 70 to 80 countries worldwide for two decades. Their task has been mainly to build capacity in the security forces of partner nations, in order to promote both stability and broadly accepted norms in democratic societies. The special operations presence in Niger is only a few years old, and has been tied to U.S. efforts to defeat violent extremists operating with impunity, especially to the north in Mali and to the south in Nigeria.
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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. U.S. forces are going to be in Niger for a very long time.
