Today, Les, Jamil, Morgan, and Andrew discuss President Trump’s latest statement that U.S. troops may be sent to Nigeria to confront what he described as terrorists targeting Christians. The post sparked immediate controversy, with some analysts noting the Administration may be conflating two distinct conflicts: sectarian violence between Fulani herders and Christian farmers, and the extremist insurgencies of Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa. President Tinubu has said he would welcome U.S. security assistance, but the situation on the ground—and Washington’s strategy—remain deeply unclear.

Is the Trump administration misdiagnosing Nigeria’s complex conflict? What would an American military intervention look like, especially after the U.S. was expelled from Niger and pulled back counterterrorism operations across the Sahel? And with terrorist groups resurging in West Africa and Russia’s Africa Corps expanding its footprint, can the U.S. afford to stay disengaged or is it about to overcorrect?

@lestermunson

@morganlroach

@jamil_n_jaffer

@andrewborene

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