米軍、ニジェール撤退

　砂漠地帯に総計1000名規模の偵察部隊を配備していたところ、ニジェール政府がロシアに傾斜、軍事協力を進め、西側世界との断絶を進めるなか、遂に撤退を要請されたと。

BBC US agrees to pull troops out of Niger 2 hours ago
By Natasha Booty

　ドローンで砂漠地帯を偵察、イスラミックステート勢力を捕捉しようという情報部隊である。かなり重要な情報源だとは思われるが、それを捨てるご意向。

「All US soldiers are set to leave Niger, ending their role in the fight against Islamist insurgents.

Military leaders in the West African nation have sought closer ties with Russia since seizing power in a coup last year.

On Friday the US also announced than it had agreed to close down its drone base near Agadez, in the Sahara desert.

Niger is in Africa's Sahel region, which is considered the new global epicentre of the Islamic State group.

The US has relied on Niger as its primary base for monitoring regional jihadist activity.」

「An American delegation is to head within days to Niger's capital, Niamey, to arrange an orderly withdrawal of its more than 1,000 troops.」

　すでにロシアの軍事顧問団―訓練官たちが到着し始めている。

「Dozens of Russian military instructors have arrived in Niger in recent weeks, bringing with them a state-of-the-art air defence system, according to state media reports.」

　この決断の成果は…どうだろうねえ、悪い方に傾くと思うけどねえ…。