Trump says his 'great generals' were the ones who authorized tragic Niger mission

(Image credit: Screenshot/Youtube/CNN)

published 25 October 2017

President Trump said Wednesday that he did not specifically authorize the Green Beret-led mission in Niger that left four U.S. soldiers dead earlier this month.

So far, details on what happened during the tragic mission have been thin: Twelve members of a Special Operations Task Force were reportedly traveling back to their base in the capital of Niamey on Oct. 4 when they were ambushed by 50 militants likely belonging to an Islamic State-affiliated group, CNN reports. The U.S. task force requested support, which was slow to arrive. Three soldiers were killed in the attack; the fourth, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, was initially missing. His body was recovered later almost a mile away from the ambush site.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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