Matt Gaetz: “I thank our vice chair for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link for a document styled, ``Unwelcome in…”

“I thank our vice chair for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link for a document styled, ``Unwelcome in Niger: The Interim Report from Congressman Matt Gaetz on the Crisis in Niger.'' Https://gaetz.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/ gaetz.house. gov/files/evo-media-document/Rep.%20Gaetz%27 s%20Niger%20 Report%20-%20Unwelcome%20 in%20Niger%204.17.24__compressed% 20%281%29.pdf. Dear Congressman Johnson: I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the actions taken by the U.S. Embassy in Niger, particularly involving the Ambassador, Kathleen A. FitzGibbon and the Senior Defense Official/Defense Attache (SDO/DATT). Colonel Nora J. Nelson-Richter. The recent events have raised serious questions about the conduct and decision- making of these officials, and I believe Congress must address these issues. As a service member deployed to Niger, Africa, I have noticed that the Embassy, and more specifically the SDO/DATT, intentionally suppressed intelligence information from the ground force collection elements to maintain the facade of a great country-to-country relationship. They failed to be transparent with U.S. service members deployed to this country. They gave a pretense that ``things are being worked'' and ``that is above our level,'' all the while Diplomatic Overflight Clearances for U.S. Military aircraft were purposefully not being approved by the country's Military Government as a political bargaining chip to entice the U.S.…”