The commission of inquiry elected by the Pentagon and meeting months ago to understand what had happened in Niger to four soldiers of the Special Forces, has finally drawn conclusions. According to the latest reports sent to Washington, Sergeant David Johnson would have fallen in combat along with his three comrades, so no sequestration or cold execution. The medical investigations and the NCIS have finally confirmed that the non-commissioned officer - who was not a Green Cap, but only assigned to the 3 ° SFG - was hit by 18 shots of which some shot by a M4 plausibly stolen by terrorists during the fight , while other projectiles would belong to a Soviet-made weapon.
According to the report drawn up by the commission, during the ambush the American sergeant immediately sought a safe position and then, together with two Nigerian soldiers, ventured to reach a vehicle and flee. The attempt, however, was not successful because the three had remained separated from the others, so without cover fire: it is for this reason that the corpse of Johnson was not found immediately, since it remained hidden by thick vegetation. The NCIS officers then remarked that several rounds and shells were found around the body of La David, a clear sign of the intensity of the combat; in addition, the corpse still wore the uniform, while amphibians and buffets had been stolen.
Although the dynamics of the death of the four operators have been clarified, some doubts remain as to what the mission of the Green Berets was in that area of Niger. The official version of the Pentagon is not yet clear, nevertheless it seems evident that the American and Nigerian soldiers intervened at the request of another patrol intent on following the traces of a "high value objective" belonging to the Islamic State. Johnson and his companions were in that sector after a reconnaissance in the area in search of information; at the time of the ambush the soldiers were refreshing themselves at Tongo Tongo and some of them villagers he would have warned the terrorists of their presence.
Although the truth about the cause of the death of Sergeant La David has finally emerged - with all due respect to the family - perplexities remain about how the Pentagon and the White House managed the whole affair. An ambiguous attitude, made of official statements and denials not to mention the "cold" phone call of President Trump to the widow of the fallen. The military involvement in Africa has appeared to the public and the American media as an extraordinary fact: a tangible sign of the thick fog that still surrounds certain issues concerning the Global War on Terror.
Also read: "The Nigerian affaire" is "The Nigerian affaire: developments"
(photo: US Army)
