The Case for the U.S. Mission in Niger

If there is anything to be gained from President Donald Trump's disgraceful attack on the credibility of the widow of a U.S. Special Forces soldier killed in Niger, it's that Americans are finally becoming aware of the expanding U.S. mission against extremist violence now spreading across the Sahel region of Africa.

As Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford explained Monday, the role of the U.S. military over the last decade has been critical: helping local nations defeat a variety of armed threats. These include affiliates of al-Qaeda and Islamic State, local extremist groups such as Boko Haram, traffickers in migrants and arms, criminal syndicates, and tribal rebels. These groups have different aims but often work together. Their impact extends beyond Africa, to the wars of the Middle East and the immigration politics of Europe. And with the Islamic State nearly wiped out in Iraq and Syria, it will likely shift much of its focus to Africa.