{"id":14065,"date":"2018-03-06T15:37:52","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T15:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:42:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:42:25","slug":"probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/","title":{"rendered":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 A military investigation into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/2018\/01\/13\/islamic-state-group-offshoot-claims-attack-on-us-soldiers-in-niger\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">the Niger attack that killed four American service members<\/a> concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initial information suggested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/24\/africom-is-investigating-isis-claims-that-it-has-video-of-the-4-us-soldiers-killed-in-niger\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">the Army Special Forces team<\/a> set out on its October mission to meet local Nigerien leaders, only to be redirected to assist a second unit hunting for Doundou Chefou, a militant suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an American aid worker. Officials say it now appears the team went after Chefou from the onset, without outlining that intent to higher-level commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, commanders couldn\u2019t accurately assess the mission\u2019s risk, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of the investigation before they\u2019re publicly released. The finding will likely increase scrutiny on U.S. military activity in Africa, particularly the role of special operations forces who\u2019ve been advising and working with local troops on the continent for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/03\/06\/africom-4-star-faces-questions-on-us-troops-killed-in-niger-ambush\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584818681.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">AFRICOM 4-star faces questions on US troops killed in Niger ambush<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Marine general who heads combat operations in Africa faced questions from lawmakers about the investigation into the deaths of four soldiers in an October ambush in Niger.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien troops were killed Oct. 4 about 120 miles (200 kilometers) north of Niamey, Niger\u2019s capital, when they were attacked by as many as 100 Islamic State-linked militants traveling by vehicle and carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Two other American soldiers and eight Nigerien forces were wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation finds no single point of failure leading to the attack, which occurred after the soldiers learned Chefou had left the area, checked his last known location and started for home. It also draws no conclusion about whether villagers in Tongo Tongo, where the team stopped for water and supplies, alerted IS militants to American forces in the area. Still, questions remain about whether higher-level commanders \u2014 if given the chance \u2014 would have approved or adjusted the mission, or provided additional resources that could have helped repel the ambush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, wouldn\u2019t comment on the investigation, beyond saying it\u2019s now complete and being reviewed by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other U.S. officials said the final report could have consequences for U.S. military operations in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"504\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Niger.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Niger.png.png 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Niger.png.png?resize=300,126 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Niger.png.png?resize=768,323 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Niger.png.png?resize=1024,430 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, from left, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, Sgt. La David Johnson and Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright were killed in Niger when a joint patrol of American and Niger forces was ambushed on Oct. 4. (U.S. Army via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the Africa Command\u2019s leader, is expected to recommend greater oversight to ensure proper mission approval and risk assessment, they said. Waldhauser isn\u2019t expected to scale back missions in Africa or remove commanders\u2019 authorities to make decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Waldhauser said that once Mattis signs off on the report, the families of the four fallen soldiers will be briefed on the results and then senior leaders will talk to Congress about it. He said he did not know when that would be, but suggested it could be several weeks away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also said that troops serving in Niger do not currently get additional danger pay, as forces in other combat zones receive. He said he requested it \u201ca while back\u201d but is waiting for the Office of Management and Budget to finish reviewing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ambush incident is likely to trigger discussions about improved security measures, too, including heavier armored vehicles, better communications and improved individual trackers to make it easier to find missing troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Top Africa Command officials, led by its chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier Jr., have spent months trying to unravel the complex incident, conducting dozens of interviews across the U.S., Europe and Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"627\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584818681.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584818681.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584818681.jpg.jpg?resize=300,184 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584818681.jpg.jpg?resize=768,470 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser takes his seat before testifying at a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, about &#8220;National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activities in Africa.&#8221; (Carolyn Kaster\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. and Nigerien officials say the troops received intelligence about Chefou\u2019s location and acted on what was likely considered a fleeting chance to get him, or at least gather valuable intelligence on the American hostage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear where Chefou was believed to be. But before arriving at that location, the U.S.-Nigerien team learned he had left. The troops traveled on to the site to collect any remaining information there. A second U.S. commando team assigned to the mission was unable to go because of weather problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One Nigerien official said the troops that reached the destination found food and a motorcycle. They destroyed the motorcycle. The team then headed home, the official said, but stopped in Tongo Tongo to get supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. investigation notes the team stayed at Tongo Tongo longer than normal, but says there is no compelling evidence to conclude a villager or anyone else deliberately delayed their departure or betrayed them by alerting militants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Nigerien official said Abou Walid Sahraoui, an IS leader in the region, heard the team had visited the site of Chefou\u2019s last known location. He then dispatched about 20 fighters to pursue the U.S. and Nigerien troops. A larger group of militants followed later, said the official, who also would only discuss the matter on condition of anonymity. U.S. officials couldn\u2019t corroborate that information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after leaving Tongo Tongo, U.S. and Nigerien forces were attacked and eventually overrun by the IS ambush. Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida, became separated from the others as he fought and ran for cover in the brush. He was gunned down, but his body wasn\u2019t found until two days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other three Americans killed were Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia. Black and Wright were Army Special Forces. Johnson and Johnson weren\u2019t Green Berets; the others were.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/05\/leaked-isis-propaganda-video-allegedly-shows-deaths-of-us-troops-in-niger-ambush\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"143\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-05-at-08.23.29.png.png?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Leaked ISIS propaganda video allegedly shows deaths of US troops in Niger ambush<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Islamic State released a propaganda video Sunday that allegedly depicts the Oct. 4 ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo, Niger, that killed four U.S. soldiers.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. troops called for help using the code \u201cBroken Arrow,\u201d which signals they were in imminent danger, officials said. They then followed procedures and shut down their radios to prevent the enemies from using them. As a result, they couldn\u2019t communicate quickly with French aircraft sent in to rescue them. Some footage of the gruesome battle, taken off one of the U.S. soldier\u2019s helmet cameras, surfaced in recent days in an IS propaganda video posted online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials said the procedural breakdown meant the overall mission lacked the higher-level command approval necessary to go after a senior militant. Such missions require approval by senior Special Operations Command officers who would\u2019ve been in Chad or at Africa Command\u2019s headquarters in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reporting failure meant those commanders lacked a complete picture of what the unit was doing, so concluded the mission was unlikely to encounter enemy forces. Had the unit gotten proper oversight and approvals, officials said, it might have been better equipped or included additional personnel more capable of sustaining a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali, contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":30217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[16,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1322],"class_list":["post-14065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3Q7WKRJE5JAE5DKVJ2YRJN4IDI","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1207,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval - Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/2018\\\/03\\\/06\\\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/pentagon-congress\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"pentagon-congress\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval - Air Force TImes","description":"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval","og_description":"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00","author":"Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval","datePublished":"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/"},"wordCount":1207,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["News","Pentagon &amp; Congress"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/","name":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2018-03-06T15:37:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:42:25+00:00","description":"A military investigation into the Niger attack that killed four American service members concludes the team didn\u2019t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture a high-level Islamic State militant, several U.S. officials familiar with the report said. It doesn\u2019t point to that failure as a cause of the deadly ambush.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/03\/06\/probe-finds-deadly-niger-mission-lacked-proper-approval\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Pentagon &amp; Congress","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/","ad_zone":"pentagon-congress"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Probe finds deadly Niger mission lacked proper approval"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18065584848528.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14065"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89123,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14065\/revisions\/89123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14065"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=14065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}