The Truth About Niger: New at Reason

Predictably, the news media spent most of last week examining words Donald Trump may or may not have spoken to the widow of an American Green Beret killed in Niger, in northwest Africa. Not only was this coverage tedious, it was largely pointless, writes Sheldon Richman—we already know Trump is a clumsy boor, and we also know that lots of people are ready to pounce on him for any sort of gaffe. But it was useful to those who wish to distract Americans from what really needs attention: the U.S. government’s perpetual war.

The media’s efforts should have been devoted to exploring—really exploring—why Green Berets (and drones) are in Niger at all, argues Richman. But that subject is apparently of little interest to media companies that see themselves merely as cheerleaders for the American Empire. They have no wish to expose their audiences to the idea that jihadists would be no threat to Americans who were left to mind their own business. And apparently the American people also must be shielded from anyone who might point out that the jihadist activity in Niger and neighboring Mali is directly related to the U.S. and NATO bombing of Libya, which enabled al-Qaeda and other Muslim militants to overthrow the secular regime of Col. Muammar Qaddafi.

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