The information comes from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
QUICK FACTS:
- The United States government is considering assassinations against the leaders of Niger’s new military administration.
- The Nuger military took over the area in a coup in July.
- According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the White House is “not satisfied” with the state of leadership.
- The Russian agency claimed the U.S. government believes an assassination would be a better option than military action from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
- “Representatives of American special services are directly discussing with partners who could carry out killings,” the SVR said.
- Those who would carry out the assassinations would be individuals who received “special training from the Pentagon’s schools.”
- “It looks like the White House has decided to resort to old and, as they say, time-tested solutions, after facing what it perceives as a surprising and unpleasant geopolitical awakening of Africa,” the Russian agency stated.
WASHINGTON’S HISTORY OF ASSASSINATIONS:
- In the 1970s, the U.S. government attempted assassinations of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
- President Gerald Ford then banned government employees from political assassination attempts in 1976.
- President Jimmy Carter added to the ban in 1978, saying people “acting on behalf” of the government could not become involved in political assassinations.
- Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been raising theories about the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) role in President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
BACKGROUND:
- In July, American Faith reported that a Niger coup set fire to the ruling party’s headquarters.
- The army supported the coup, with Air Force Col. Major Amadou Abdramane saying on a televised broadcast, “This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance.”
- President Mohamed Bazoum said the event is part of an “anti-republican” movement.
- “We hope the army coming to power will resolve the security crisis. Today terrorism has uprooted so many villages,” one citizen said, lamenting that “our children have become widows and our grandchildren orphans.”