Niger: So murky the FBI is now involved

U.S. military officials said Thursday that they are trying to piece together a timeline of what happened, while lawmakers impatient for information criticized the Pentagon and White House for a lack of transparency.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation into how a group of militants thought to be Islamists killed four American soldiers in Niger two weeks ago, a move that comes as U.S. officials face criticism over their struggle to answer questions about the incident.

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The FBI has the authority to take over the investigation but hasn’t yet done so, the officials said.

  WSJ

Which is not to say the FBI wouldn't also cover up whatever it is the Pentagon doesn't want to reveal, but it is an indicator of just how murky this mission was.  And the bottom line could simply well be that the only thing they're trying to cover up is incompetence and the negative aspect of hiring private contractors.

Questions about the operation, and the mission of the Green Berets in Niger, have been mounting. The questions center on whether the U.S. force had adequate resources and whether its mission was well-defined.

The U.S. troops in question depended on the French military for air support and used aircraft flown by contractors to evacuate the injured, Pentagon officials said.

I don't think any soldier anywhere should feel properly covered when private contractors are involved in their missions. Sgt. Johnson sure couldn't.

Sgt. Johnson’s personal tracker, an emergency homing beacon, went off soon after the patrol was ambushed, defense officials said. The tracker alerted U.S. forces to his position for hours before the battery ran out, the defense officials said.

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The Pentagon, which has provided few details because of the continuing investigation, said Thursday that a combination of French, Nigerien and U.S. forces had remained on the site of the ambush until Sgt. Johnson’s remains were found, saying he became “separated” from the patrol and hadn’t been left behind.

That becon didn't give them a clue?

“The U.S. military does not leave its troops behind, and I would just ask that you not question the actions of the troops who were caught in the firefight,” Mr. Mattis told reporters Thursday.

We can't question our troops' actions? This is what comes of having a retired general serving as Secretary of Defense, a position that's purposely set up to be held by a civilian.

The U.S. force also relied on intelligence from a demoralized Nigerien military in communities where villagers feared that providing the government with information could lead to a death sentence from militants, a Nigerien official said.

“These four soldiers being killed and most people not knowing what they were up to is a game changer,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I’m concerned that we’re not regularly briefed about operations.”

You think, Lindsey?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.