Daily Sketch: For the Sake of the Fallen, Sgt. La David Johnson
For October 24, 2017
Casual news-watchers might think the controversy over the attack in Niger started this week. The attack, however, occurred at the beginning of October. President Trump lit up the airwaves this week with his own brand of controversy, over-correcting in response to a journalist’s question about the four fallen soldiers.
Amid questions about a slow response and few public comments about the loss of life, President Trump embellished his account of contacting the families with the erroneous claim that he was doing something other presidents rarely did. It was unnecessary and kicked off a whole series of events that explain why Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Chief of Staff John Kelly and widow Myeishia Johnson have been stuck in never-ending rotation on CNN ever since.
This timeline might help you find your way beyond that cycle. There are plenty of questions to ask about the event itself, how it happened and what it means for U.S. forces in Africa.
If you only read one thing…
A thorough account from the NY Times points to the Pentagon’s investigation of the incident. At stake in the questions outlined here is whether or not the troops were “simply” ambushed. This scenario would require looking deeper into the military intelligence available in the region and how resources were deployed as a result.
The alternate story is that the troops went off mission, making their own decision to give chase to Islamic insurgents who had appeared nearby on motorbikes. Soldiers involved have given conflicting accounts and there appears to be reason to suspect that village leaders participated in delaying the soldiers’ departure.
The Atlantic’s “What the Hell Happened in Niger?” lays out the questions that should be getting more attention:
This is the backdrop against which a series of difficult questions emerges. There is deep confusion over exactly what went wrong, including why U.S. troops were traveling in unarmored vehicles, how Johnson was separated from the group, how he died, and why it took so long to find him. As public scrutiny of the incident intensifies, so too do the many stories about what may have taken place.
These are the words to remember:
The bond between Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Sgt. La David Johnson goes back even further than any of the above. A former educator, Wilson founded the “5000 Role Models of Excellence Project” to break dangerous cycles for young minority boys. The program pairs at-risk youth with professional adult volunteers.
The program now reaches a long list of Miami-Dade schools where a network of young people are learning about Sgt. Johnson’s sacrifice:
He was an excellent example of what a role model can do…
He gave the ultimate sacrifice. He was a true role model in the spirit of America.
Officer Greg Williams
You can contribute to the scholarship fund established in Sgt. La David Johnson’s memory via GoFundMe.
The signal to amplify:
There are reports that President Trump was surprised to learn how many U.S. troops were deployed across the globe. Thanks to a report from Pew Research this summer, you can see that most troops are deployed to Europe or the Middle East and that our overseas presence is at a 60-year low. In the six shades of controversy accompanying this story, you may have missed the basic facts about our involvement in Niger.
150 U.S. troops arrived in Niger in 2013 to assist the French military who had intervened to fight against an Al Qaeda affiliated group and other tribal groups who had taken over the northern part of that country. The U.S. mission in Niger has grown since then.
***Politicolor is currently prototyping a daily guide to help concerned citizens focus on the questions that deserve their attention. It’s harder than it should be. If you found this sketch to helpful, a clap would make our day.
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