[Pages H2838-H2839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

DETERIORATING CONDITIONS IN NIGER

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Gaetz) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record part II of the
interim report that I have prepared for the House of Representatives
titled: ``Unwelcome in Niger.''

[From the Office of Congressman Matt Gaetz]

Part II Interim Report--Unwelcome In Niger

SUMMARY

More than 1,000 U.S. service members currently stationed in
Niger, Africa, at Air Base 101 and Air Base 201 are in
danger. They are currently being treated as pawns by both the
U.S. government and the government of Niger (Conseil national
pour la sauvegarde de la patrie or the National Council for
the Safeguard of the Fatherland) as a diplomatic negotiation
regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Niger is
ongoing.
Currently, U.S. troops are being denied fresh rotations and
needed medications for chronic illnesses as diplomatic
overflights are stalled.
On information and belief, the Biden administration, and
particularly the U.S. State Department, are concealing the
dangerous conditions for U.S. troops in Niger to avoid the
embarrassing reveal that their Africa strategy has failed. It
has led to little more than collapsed governments, coups, and
orders to leave countries we once deemed a ``model'' for U.S.
cooperation, as Russia and China continue to advance their
interests.

BACKGROUND

On April 17, 2024, this office filed with the House an
initial report on troop conditions in Niger, Africa. A copy
of this report is attached hereto as Exhibit ``A.''
The report detailed an unfolding scandal, risking troop
welfare to avoid the diplomatic embarrassment as the Biden
administration has deployed an Africa strategy rife with
coups, failures, and functionally abandoned U.S. service
members. All with little to show for the billions of dollars
of U.S. taxpayer funds wasted in the continent.
The Report detailed specific concerns expressed by troops
in Niger, Africa, their belief that intelligence regarding
their condition was being suppressed by U.S. Embassy Niger,
and the Department of State's inability to negotiate
diplomatic overflights to achieve troop rotations and deliver
life-sustaining supplies, such as clean water and medicine
for chronic conditions.
The report further illuminated the presence of Russian
troops at Air Base 101, behind the wire. This is
unprecedented.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES WITHDRAWAL

On April 20, 2024, the Biden administration fessed up that
U.S. troops would be leaving Niger following the embarrassing
demand to do so by the government of Niger. Unfortunately,
this announcement has neither eased tensions nor facilitated
better well-being for U.S. troops. During the negations
surrounding the withdrawal, the U.S. government has not
successfully obtained permissions to resupply U.S.
installations in Niger, leaving our troops stuck and
functionally abandoned, unable to return home.

DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT, NIGER EMBASSY, WASHINGTON

On April 29, 2024, Congressman Matt Gaetz met with Charge
d'Affaires Idi Hassane at the Washington, D.C.-based Niger
Embassy.
Mr. Hassane assured Congressman Gaetz that all overflights
requested by the U.S.

[[Page H2839]]

government for troop rotations and medicine would be
approved. Congressman Gaetz memorialized this attestation by
letter, attached hereto as Exhibit ``B.''
Unfortunately, the Charge d'Affaires representations have
proven false. This office continued to receive reports from
service members and their families that overflights were not
occurring, that medicine was not being delivered, and that
negotiations were stalling. This induced subsequent demands
from this office to the government of Niger, through their
Charge d'Affaires, attached hereto as Exhibit ``C.''

CURRENT CONDITIONS OF U.S. TROOPS IN NIGER--LACK OF MEDICINE

The initial report detailed statements by several of the
USAF public-health leaders at Air Base 101. We reported then
that if additional supplies were not provided by May, several
key medicines would be unavailable. This has now come to
fruition. On May 2, 2024, one active-duty spouse wrote [``My
husband specifically is on cholesterol medication for his
heart and at this point in time he has run out of medication.
I mailed him a medication refill . . . that is currently
sitting in Germany because Niger still will not approve
flights.''] A copy of this spouse's correspondence is
attached hereto as Exhibit ``D.'' Lacking medicine has also
been a concern expressed by other family members, with
specificity (see below).
As stated by another service member in Niger:
Since two weeks ago we still have not received supplies, AB
101 is still short on blood and medications, here at 201 we
are mission parts that should have been here months ago. They
are struggling getting even MEdevac planes in for people that
need to be seen at a higher level of care . . . Why are we
still here?'' (See Exhibit ``E'')
And another:
``The situation here at Air Base 101 and 201 (I'm here at
201) is a failure on the United States Government.'' We keep
getting told ``talks are good'' well if they are going good,
why have no planes come in for our replacements? . . . We
have not a resupply mission here since March. The morale here
is terrible and it needs to be fixed ASAP!'' (Exhibit ``F'')

EXTORTION TO LEAVE

An FL-01 constituent and father of an active-duty service
member in Niger relayed to this office that local officials
are ``extorting passengers in order for them to bring luggage
through the airport.'' This account is confirmed by the
spouse of a military contractor currently stationed in Niger,
whose correspondence is attached as Exhibit ``G.''

RUSSIANS ON BASE

The initial report alleged that Russian troops were allowed
onto U.S. installations in Niger. This is unprecedented and
dangerous. Reuters has now confirmed this claim, see Exhibit
``H.'' This continues to be a source of safety concern for
our troops and their families.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Biden Administration must immediately resupply U.S.
troops in Niger. Our service members, contractors and their
families must not be allowed to be used as leverage by the
government of Niger or anyone else during a military
retrograde. Moreover, the Biden administration should not
spasm into a hasty retrograde which would leave hundreds of
millions of dollars in U.S. military material in the hands of
terrorists, militants, or Russians. The Biden administration
must fly in the needed water, medication supplies and troop
rotations, under fighter escort if necessary. If this does
not occur, the Biden administration has rendered these brave
Americans hostages of a hostile foreign regime.
Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, the link to the full report can be found
here: <a href='https://gaetz.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/gaetz.house.gov/files/
evo-media-document/Part%20II%20Interim%20Report%20-
%20Unwelcome%20in%20Niger.pdf'>https://gaetz.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/gaetz.house.gov/files/
evo-media-document/Part%20II%20Interim%20Report%20-
%20Unwelcome%20in%20Niger.pdf</a>.
I rise to warn this body of the deteriorating conditions in the
African country of Niger and to give rise to the concern of
servicemembers and contractors.
More than a thousand of them right now are functionally being held
hostage in Niger. They are being used as pawns during a negotiation
that has left America at the bended knee of Third World criminals and
thugs as our troops seek medicine, freshwater, and troop rotations.
How did we get here, with more than 1,100 Americans endangered right
now in Niger? It started back in March 2023. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken went to Niger and proclaimed that it was a model of resilience,
a platform for great democracy. It would be where America would execute
its Africa strategy.
One year later, almost to the day, there was a coup in Niger. Guess
who overthrew the government that we said was the great model of
resilience? The people we trained. We trained the coup leaders to go
throw out the democratically elected Government of Niger.
I know this will surprise you, but after that occurred, they say they
want our bases, which U.S. taxpayers have poured more than a billion
dollars into, gone. They want our servicemembers gone.
I came to this floor after hearing from some of my constituents who
are stationed in Niger. After the overthrow of the government, there
weren't resupply flights. They said: Congressman, we are going to be
out of medicine in May if we don't get this sorted out.

{time} 1215

Three days after I filed part I of the report that I am supplementing
today, the Biden administration announced that we will be leaving
Niger--a welcome sign, I am sure--but the leaving didn't actually
happen. We have people who are now more than 200 days into a 180-day
rotation.
While the negotiation regarding retrograde and withdrawal are
ongoing, the government in Niger is using the well-being and health of
our servicemembers as leverage to get what they want out of our
government. Our troops aren't getting medicine for malaria,
cholesterol, blood pressure, and other chronic conditions.
I have received letters from the wives and fathers of the people who
are in Niger now, and they say: We know that our family members are
being extorted by the local governments. When they try to leave, it is
hundreds of dollars to even bring a bag through the airport. We know
that Russians are behind the wire.
Do you know what a real U.S. President would do? They would say that
C-130s are on their way to Niger today with the water, medicine, and
food that our troops need, that they will have a full fighter pilot
escort there.
If the Government of Niger or any other third-world thug tries to
even turn on their air defense systems, we should show those leaders
and those thugs what the target package looks like on their houses and
their family members.
It should not be Americans who are suffering because President Biden
and Secretary Blinken are so embarrassed that their strategy in Africa
failed that they are willing to let Americans' conditions deteriorate.
They are willing to let our military spouses and family members
wonder what is going to happen to their loved ones with their blood
pressure rising and no blood pressure medication or be concerned about
what will happen now that we are in May and there is not sufficient
malaria medication. We should always keep our people's well-being at
the forefront of our minds.
Today, we should be resupplying our troops in Niger, Africa, and we
should dare these thugs and criminals to mess with us while we are
doing that. This is a total embarrassment, and saving politicians and
people like Biden and Blinken from embarrassment is not worth putting
U.S. troops at risk.
I will stay on this. I will stay on our government and the Government
of Niger to ensure that our military members and their families are
appropriately treated, and their concerns are elevated to the highest
levels of this House.

____________________