Emerald Coast Times

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz has called for an investigative hearing on the impact of failed interagency foreign policy decisions on the safety of United States service members in Africa. In a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, Gaetz requested that Secretary of State Antony Blinken be called before the committee to address these concerns.

Gaetz's letter highlighted the overlap between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of State (DoS) and emphasized the need for oversight of DoS' Africa policy. He expressed concern over the jeopardization of the Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) program under Secretary Blinken, pointing out that these decisions have put service members in Africa at risk.

The Congressman specifically mentioned recent failures in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which have resulted in a loss of security access for U.S. forces in the region. Gaetz stressed the importance of ensuring that the Global Fragility Strategy (GFS) is not negatively impacted by these failures and called for a full committee hearing to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Gaetz's letter also requested the presence of key individuals, including Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, Assistant to the USAID Administrator for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization Robert Jenkins, and DoD Principal Director of Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy Joseph McMenamin, to testify about policies and strategies that have endangered the safety and security of U.S. service members in Africa.

The Congressman's efforts stem from a deep-rooted concern for national security and the well-being of U.S. service members, as highlighted by his statement: "The intended purpose of this investigative hearing is to ensure the GFS isn’t negatively impacted by DoS’ recent failures in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso that have led to a loss of security access for U.S. forces."

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