By a vote of 86-11, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected legislation Thursday night to bring home U.S. troops currently engaged in hostilities in Niger. It should not go unnoticed that Congress never voted to send troops to Niger in the first place.
So much senseless violence. So much death and destruction. Shouldn’t we at least avoid wars of choice? Shouldn’t we at least not go looking for trouble in every corner of the planet?
With the Middle East on fire, what sense does it make to have more than 1,000 U.S. troops in Niger? Does it make sense to station more than 1,000 troops in a country ruled by a military junta? Does it make sense to scour the dirt backroads of Africa droning potential villains?
Presidents of both parties have used the Sept. 11, 2001, authorization to justify wars in dozens of countries, from Afghanistan to Libya to Syria to Somalia to Yemen.
Niger is but one of the more than 20 countries the United States conducts military operations in, supposedly justified by the 9/11 authorization of military force.
The impetus for this war powers resolution is the July 26 coup in which members of Niger’s presidential guard, including some officers who were trained by the United States, removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum from power.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is an organization of 15 countries that declared its intention to intervene militarily if President Bazoum is not restored to power.
In September, Mali and Burkina
