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More than 1,000 U.S. service personnel are in Niger, which until聽Wednesday coup聽by mutinous soldiers had avoided the military takeovers that destabilized West African neighbors in recent years.The country had been seen as the last major pa stanley cup rtner standing against extremism in a Francophone region where anti-French sentiment had opened the way for the聽Russian private military group Wagner.READ MORE: Mutinous soldiers claim to have overthrown Nigers democratically elected presidentVari stanley cup ous Islamic extremist groups are active around Niger, which isn ;t to be confused with Nigeria, Africas most populous country. Niger lies just to the north, part of the sprawling region directly below the Sahara Desert that for years has faced a growing threat from various groups of Islamic extremists.Here what to know:What does this mean for regional security Signaling Nigers importance in the region where Wagner also operates, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken聽visited in March聽to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country a model of democracy. Now a critical question is whether Niger might pivot and engage Wagner as a counterterrorism partner like its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, which have kicked out French forces. France shifted more than 1,000 personnel to Niger after聽pulling out of Mali聽last year.Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a statement Thursday that wh stanley cup at happened in Niger is the fight of its people against the Vyya What s your favorite Ken Burns film
WASHINGTON AP The House on Thursday overwhelmingly backed a $601 billion defense authorization bill that spares planes, ships and military bases in an election-year nod to hometown interests.Ignoring a White House veto threat, Re yeezy publicans and Democrats united behind the popular measure that authorizes spending on weapons and personnel for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The vote was 325-98 for the legislation which now must be reconciled with a work-in-progress Senate version.The Pentagon had proposed retiring the Cold War-era U-2 spy plane and the A-10 Wartho adidas originals g close-air support aircraft as well as shuttering unnecessary bases.Spending on the military is being cut after more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and deficit-driven budget reductions are taking a toll.Working within spending limits, the Pentagon proposed retiring decades-old aircraft programs, including the A-10 Warthog, a close air support plane, and the U-2 spy plane of the Cold War era. The Defense Department also sought congressional approval to close military bases deemed unessential and slightly increase out-of-pocket costs for housing and health care.Not this year, stanley cup said Republicans and Democrats alike. They left popular personnel benefits untouched despite repeated warnings that the skyrocketing costs of Pentagon entitlement programs come at the expense of modernizing and training the military.It is not our job to accept the department budget as is, but if we are t |
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