Questions mount for Pentagon over deadly Niger ambush

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Pressure is mounting on the White House and the Pentagon over a clash between US troops and suspected jihadists in Niger which resulted in the deaths of four American servicemen and four Nigerien soldiers.

US lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon for a lack of clarity over the October 4 ambush, while President Donald Trump has been criticized over his handling of its aftermath.

The body of one US serviceman was not recovered for nearly 48 hours, and few details have been released about the circumstances of the incident which is reported to have involved ISIL militants.

Mattis meets McCain

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Congress on Friday to reassure Senator John McCain amid suggestions the veteran lawmaker might subpoena the Pentagon for more information about the Niger ambush.

Senator John McCain speaks to reporters as he arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, US on October 18, 2017. /Reuters Photo‍

McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, has repeatedly called for details from the Pentagon, including why the body of one slain soldier was not immediately evacuated.

"I felt that we were not getting sufficient amount of information and we are clearing a lot of that up now," McCain, standing alongside Mattis at the senator's congressional office, told reporters.

‘We do not leave troops behind’

Mattis said on Thursday that the body of Sergeant La David Johnson was "found later" by non-US forces, amid reports that a private contractor played a role in the evacuation and questions as to how Johnson became separated from the group and when he was killed.

A combination photo of US Army Special Forces Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson (L to R), US Special Forces Sgt. Bryan Black, US Special Forces Sgt. Dustin Wright and US Special Forces Sgt. La David Johnson, all killed in Niger on October 4, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"The US military does not leave its troops behind, and I would just ask that you not question the actions of the troops who were caught in the firefight and question whether or not they did everything they could in order to bring everyone out at once," Mattis added.

Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told reporters on Thursday that US, French and Nigerien forces "never left the battlefield" until Johnson was found.

Pentagon investigation

The Pentagon has initiated an investigation into the deadly encounter. "The president, the Department of Defense, and frankly the entire country and government want to know exactly what happened," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, US on October 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"We won't rest until we get some answers," she added. "And when the time is appropriate, we'll talk about the details of the investigation."

US-France cooperation

The US military was not expecting hostile action when its troops came under attack as they conducted training operations with Nigerien forces, prompting questions as to why a threat was not identified. It fell to French forces conducting anti-jihadist operations in the region to provide air support after the ambush.

During a meeting in Washington on Friday, Mattis thanked his French counterpart Florence Parly for France's assistance.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis (L) welcomes Florence Parly, France's minister of the Armed Forces, to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, US on October 20, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Trump has faced criticism for not immediately publicly addressing the attack, then falsely claiming Barack Obama and other former US leaders did not call the families of fallen soldiers.

The US president has also denied telling Johnson’s widow that her dead husband “knew what he signed up for” in a condolence call. Both Myeshia Johnson’s mother and Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who listened in on the call, insist Trump did make the remark.

Chad counterterrorism

The attack came less than a month after Trump placed travel restrictions on citizens from Chad, a Niger neighbor with extensive history of counterterrorism cooperation, entering the United States.

US President Donald Trump has been criticized over his handling of the aftermath of the ambush. /Reuters Photo

At the time of the ambush, Chad was in the midst of a months-long withdrawal of hundreds of its troops from Niger, where they were part of the coalition fighting Boko Haram extremists.

Parly told reporters she had discussed Chad with US officials: "We mentioned the fact Chad is an important, effective ally engaged in this area of the Sahel and that therefore we must help Chad answer all the questions that have been posed by the US administration.”

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Source(s): AFP