Thanks to the reporting of Nick Turse at The Intercept, we know that at least 12 military coups in recent years in Africa alone have had something in common (apart from U.S.-made weapons). They have had U.S.-trained officers leading them.

Yet Congress isn't informed in any detail of these training operations or of which U.S.-trainees overthrow governments, and was recently lied to by Gen. Michael Langley, the head of the United States' "Africa Command" about the number of U.S. bases in Africa.

Where's the protest from Congress? Does it even want to know? Does it want to play a role in the biggest thing the U.S. government does, namely militarism?

The problem is larger than Africa and larger than training. Of the 50 nations viewed by the U.S. government as the most oppressive on Earth, the United States trains the militaries of 88% of them, arms 82% of them, and funds the militaries of 64% of them, while most people in or out of Congress would have trouble finding them all on a map.

Who is this helping?

Click here to tell Congress to end U.S. training of foreign militaries.

Turse reported:

"The Intercept has found that at least 15 officers who benefited from U.S. security assistance have been involved in 12 coups in West Africa and the greater Sahel during the war on terror. The list includes military personnel from Burkina Faso (2014, 2015, and twice in 2022); Chad (2021); Gambia (2014); Guinea (2021); Mali (2012, 2020, 2021); Mauritania (2008); and Niger (2023). At least five leaders of the Niger coup in late July received American training, according to a U.S. official. They, in turn, appointed five U.S.-trained members of the Nigerien security forces to serve as governors, according to the State Department. While testifying before the House Armed Services Committee this spring, Gen. Michael Langley, the head of U.S. Africa Command, was grilled by Gaetz about the percentage of U.S.-trained troops who have conducted coups. When asked what datasets with this information were available, Langley responded, 'Congressman, we may have that information. I don’t at this time.'"

Click here to produce that information.

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-- The RootsAction.org team

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