It’s Time for Diplomacy, Not Threats, by Ted Snider

It’s time for diplomacy because nobody’s paying attention to U.S. threats anymore. From Ted Snider at antiwar.com:

Recently, there have been a number of indicators of the waning impact of  threats by the U.S. government. Attempts to advance the U.S. government’s foreign policy interests by making threats in Niger, at the International Criminal Court, and in China have recently all failed to bring about their desired outcome.

On March 16, 2024, the coup government of Niger terminated its military partnership with the United States. The decision was announced just days after a U.S. delegation traveled to Niger for discussions, which, reportedly, went very badly.

Alex Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati and a specialist in the politics of northwest Africa, says there are reports that American officials criticized Niger’s turn towards Russia. The State Department says that, while exchanging “views on how to chart a new path of cooperation forward,” the “U.S. delegation met with Nigerien officials, expressing concerns over Niger’s potential relationships with Russia.” In a March 18 briefing, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh referred to “direct conversations about some of our concerns, about some of their, you know, pursuing relationships with Russia.”

But the pressure was ineffective. Niger’s government did not kick Russia [Russia’s what? Diplomats? Troops?]out; instead Niger kicked out U.S. troops. The threats regarding relations with Russia outraged Niger. Niger’s military spokesman, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said, “Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships. Also, the government of Niger forcefully denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation towards the Nigerien government and people.”

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