The lack of help called into question whether the American military is providing enough resources for troops undertaking dangerous missions in Africa. The vast remote stretches in which American Special Forces operate are inherently dangerous because of their inaccessibility and are conducive to ambushes, said Brig. Gen. Donald C. Bolduc, who until June commanded Special Operations forces on the continent. “It is one of the primary considerations for each geographic combatant commander.”He added, “Whenever possible, we seek to achieve that goal.”But the military’s Africa Command asked lawmakers broadly for more help months before the attack in Niger, a West African nation nearly twice the size of Texas. “You’re never going to have the golden hour in Africa; it’s not possible,” General Bolduc said in a telephone interview.

Source: New York Times October 10, 2017 20:19 UTC