THORNBERRY ON NIGER INVESTIGATION

Apr 26, 2018
Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following remarks on the Niger investigation and report:  

“There are a number of important oversight issues related to the ambush of US forces in Niger and America’s military posture in Africa.  The Committee has a copy of the classified Niger investigation and will hold a briefing with AFRICOM officials as soon as possible.   However, it is deeply troubling that individuals with access to the report chose to leak details of the investigation before families of the fallen could be fully briefed.  To me, that is an unconscionable breach of faith with the families of our warfighters and perhaps a violation of law. The families who lost loved ones to this tragedy have suffered enough.  They deserve the space to process the findings of this investigation before it is debated in the media.  No one, whether in the legislative branch of the executive branch of government, has the right to take that space from them.  I have directed the Staff Director of the House Armed Services Committee to begin an inquiry to ensure that the leak did not come from our Committee, and I urge the Chairmen of the other committees with access to the report to do the same.”