This Niger mess

[peggysue2]

32. Rachel Maddow

Spent her first segment talking about the screw-up in Niger, how Chad (which shares a long border with Niger) was placed on the banned entrance list despite the fact they have been a US ally and one of the most effective fighting forces against the Boka Haram lunatics in Niger. Homeland Security required all countries to submit new passports with certain security features included in the design. Chad missed the deadline because (wait for it) . . . they ran out of passport paper. They submitted a facsimile to Homeland Security. Not good enough. The country was therefore placed on the ban list because of the passport snafu and the fact that they've had a history of terrorist groups they've been fighting. Effectively.

Due to the Administration's passport rejection which lead to the country being banned, Chad packed up its men and arms, left Niger and went back to Chad. Within a very short window of time, our men were surrounded and killed.

Boom!

No wonder Trump wasn't eager to bring up the Niger incident, caused by gross incompetence and bureaucratic nonsense.

This is what happens when you have people making critical decisions without knowledge or background or s sense of regional history. The story was (according to Maddow) reported by the Associated Press. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other details yet to be revealed.