Gen. Michael Langley, the head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), was grilled by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Thursday about African soldiers who received US military training and went on to carry out coups.
Langley insisted only a “very small number” of Africans who receive US training later go on to be involved in coups against civilian governments and said the programs focus on “core values.”
When asked by Gaetz if the US shares “core values” with Guinea coup leader Col. Mamady Doumbouy, Langley replied, “Absolutely … In our curriculum, we do.” Doumboy and his forces carried out a coup in 2021 while US Green Berets were in the country training them, and he still leads Guinea to this day.
Gaetz also referenced a January 2022 coup in Burkina Faso, which was led by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damib, who had a long history of participating in US training exercises. Later that year, in September 2022, Damib was ousted in another coup led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore. When asked by journalist Nick Turse if Traore also received US training, the Pentagon said it didn’t know.
Writing for Responsible Statecraft, Turse said since 2008, US-trained soldiers in Africa have “attempted at least nine coups (and succeeded in at least eight) across five West African countries, including Burkina Faso (three times), Guinea, Mali (three times), Mauritania, and the Gambia.”
Langley insisted that the “core values” AFRICOM’s training focuses on include “respect for civilian governance” and said the command will “continue with our persistence in assuring that they harbor democratic norms, democratic values, apolitical.” Gaetz said those values aren’t sticking.
“Just a moment ago, you said we shared core values with Colonel Doumbouya. You said that just moments ago in response to my question, and his core value seems to be leading a coup. So I don’t think it has stuck. I think we should at least know how many countries we train the coup plotters,” he said.
By core values, they mean keep China and Russia out of Africa while at the same time sell weapons, keep Africa unstable and in ruins. Colonialism has a new business card and it has the logo Core Value, Inc.
AFRICOM and the US: Perfect together?… https://media0.giphy.com/media/fpXxIjftmkk9y/giphy.gif
I am not sure what the GIF says.
I just like it.
Thanks for posting this wonderful video, antiwar.com.
I am guessing I might not have seen it otherwise.
Wow!!!
Matt Gaetz is (apparently) channeling Ron Paul in foreign affairs.
Holy crap, did he do a FABULOUS job in this video, imo.
I LOVE it!
And I was NOT a Matt Gaetz fan.
He seemed like a boob to me.
I guess I was wrong.
actually he was caught red-handed transporting an underage girl (“she’s my girlfriend yo”) across state lines. a crime for which you or i would do serious federal time and be put on the sexual predator list for the rest of our lives.
but of course being a federal congressman he gets to simply say “oops my bad” and then go home to his own bed.
He seems slimy. But, he was not charged. And I assume innocence until proven guilty. Also, I do not believe in being convicted through the media.
Besides, I assume 95% of politicians are scum. They can snort coke off of the cleavage of prostitutes…just so long as they do a decent job.
And if Gaetz keeps doing this good of a job on foreign affairs? He can have drug-filled, sex orgies (if all are consenting adults) every week…for all I care.
just keep in mind that you or i would still be in jail
You were right, he is a boob. But who cares? I’ll take anyone pushing back, boob or not.
Ditto.
When you are drowning?
Even your worst enemy throwing you a rope is welcome.
Ron Paul is alive, which precludes him being channeled.
There are numerous definitions for ‘channeling’.
Not just the one you are referring to.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/channel
Are you related to the guy I just blocked?
No.
Always preoccupied with war and regime change. All the while, the Chinese are basically buying up the entire world.
“AFRICOM Says African Coup Leaders Share ‘Core Values’ With US Military The leader of AFRICOM was questioned by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) about African coup leaders who have received US training”
Yes, real Africans know that America is full of Bat Guano and so they squeeze all they can out of the morons in America.
After which, they join China and Russia in Realpolitik.
Curious as to how these American wind up puppets define core values.
I believe most of the world either threatened by the bullies in wash dc or bombed and murdered by us military/cia would have a different interpretation.
This was Matt Gaetz on a political stunt. He knew the answers to the questions he was asking and he knows that when the US provides training and equipment to a partner nation for numerous reasons such as pre deployment training prior to participating in peacekeeping missions, foreign internal defense, law enforcement, counter terrorism etc. This training happens only if invited by the partner nation. Also, every recipient of training whether is an individual or a unit, undergo what is called a Leahy Vetting process (background check) to determine if these individuals or units have been involved in violations of human rights, have ties to anti government organizations or has shown signs of trying to engage in illegal activities. Even their parents are investigated and if there is just an allegation of the above, the participant or unit gets removed from training however, the system is not perfect and it cannot control some individuals from going rogue later in life. The benefits of exporting security to countries in need of law and order, significantly outweighs the risks of a few going rogue.
“The benefits of exporting security to countries in need of law and order, significantly outweighs the risks of a few going rogue.”
Man, you have to be one of the most gullible people on the planet!
Ah yes, the core American values of toppling sovereign governments and spreading the seeds of chaos.
Not a Gaetz fan by any means (he probably only want troops out of Africa to start a war with China…) but he’s got a point.