Papers Please, Chad Edition

As the investigation into the deaths of four Green Berets in Niger begins, there is a focus on moves earlier this year by pathological liar and sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump that may have led to the conflict that caused their deaths.

The fight in the nations of Mali, Niger and Chad against jihadist organizations like Boko Haram has been ongoing for years. Of the nations we're allied with in the region, Chad is the best equipped to engage the common enemy: their army and special forces, trained by French and U.S. military, is a seasoned and well-equipped force that's had considerable success in the fight. Chadian troops were deployed to Niger to clean out pockets of Boko Haram forces when Rump announced the latest Muslim travel ban that included our ally Chad. Apparently, the ban was justified by Chad's shortage of the specialty paper that its passports are printed on, making them forgery resistant.

When the ban was imposed, Chad pulled its forces out of Niger, requiring more direct use of U.S. special forces in the area where our four Green Berets were ambushed. Former U.S. officials and diplomats were stunned at Rump's decision to place Chad on the Muslim travel ban list, given its key role in counterterrorism in the region.

It's little wonder that Rump declined to release a statement earlier this month regarding the ambush in Niger: the trail leads back to his reckless, incompetent, and deadly decision to place Chad on the Muslim travel ban list.