Matt Gaetz Wants to Make the Pentagon Answer for Training Coup Leaders
By targeting the defense budget, Gaetz demands the military tell Congress about trainees who “broke bad.”
Nick Turse
Nick Turse is the editor of TomDispatch and a senior reporter for The Intercept, covering national security and foreign policy. He has reported from conflict zones from Libya and Somalia to Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo and is the author, most recently, of “Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan” and the New York Times bestseller “Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam.” Turse has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Harpers, among other publications. He has received a Ridenhour Prize for investigative reporting, a Military Reporters & Editors Association Award for Best Overseas Coverage, and a Deadline Club Award for Reporting by Independent Digital Media.
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![TOPSHOT - Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane (2nd R) is greeted by supporters upon his arrival at the Stade General Seyni Kountche in Niamey on August 6, 2023. Thousands of supporters of the military coup in Niger gathered at a Niamey stadium Sunday, when a deadline set by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to return the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to power is set to expire, according to AFP journalists. A delegation of members of the ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) arrived at the 30,000-seat stadium to cheers from supporters, many of whom were drapped in Russian flags and portraits of CNSP leaders. (Photo by AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by - has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane] instead of [Colonel-Major Amadou Adramane]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require." (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)](https://theintercept.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GettyImages-1581236163.jpg?fit=768%2C527)
When Is a Coup Not a Coup? When the U.S. Says So.
The Pentagon refuses to call the overthrow of Niger’s president a coup — a move that could affect military assistance and a U.S. drone base.
Niger Junta Appoints U.S.-Trained Military Officers to Key Jobs
The Pentagon claims “no correlation” between U.S. training and coups, but research suggests the opposite could be true.
At Least Five Members of Niger Junta Were Trained by U.S.
Washington is halting some aid to Niger even as it eyes greater support for Burkina Faso’s military coup-maker.
Niger Coup Leader Joins Long Line of U.S.-Trained Mutineers
Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, who trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, helped oust Niger’s democratically elected president.
Soldiers Mutiny in U.S.-Allied Niger
Is this the 11th coup by U.S.-trained troops in the region since 2008?
Wagner Group Disappeared and Executed Civilians in Mali
The Russia-linked mercenaries worked with Mali’s longtime U.S.-backed military to kill and loot with impunity, according to a new Human Rights Watch report.
Progressives Use Pentagon Budget to Protest Outrageous Anti-LGBTQ+ Law
The U.S. is about to give millions in security aid to Uganda, despite a new law that punishes gay sex with life in prison.
Climate Change and Conflict Are Wreaking Havoc in Somalia
A historic drought, floods, and a widening war with al-Shabab have displaced more than a million people this year.
Kissinger’s Killing Fields
Transcripts of Kissinger’s Calls Reveal His Culpability
They expose Nixon’s policymaking, Kissinger’s key role, and how so many Cambodians came to be killed by U.S. aircraft.