MSNBC: Niger Ambush of Green Berets May Have Been a ‘Setup’

MATTHEWS General Joseph Dunford ░░░░░░░░ reporters on the investigation ░░░░░░░░ this month s attack ░░░░░░░░ promised transparency for the ░░░░░░░░ and the country clip ░░░░░░░░ DUNFORD On the 4th ░░░░░░░░ October U S and ░░░░░░░░ forces began moving back ░░░░░░░░ En route to their ░░░░░░░░ base the patrol came ░░░░░░░░ attack from approximately 50 ░░░░░░░░ using small arms fire ░░░░░░░░ propelled grenades and technical ░░░░░░░░ The only thing I ░░░░░░░░ asking for today is ░░░░░░░░ bit of patience to ░░░░░░░░ sure what we provide ░░░░░░░░ you when we provide ░░░░░░░░ is factual With regard ░░░░░░░░ being transparent I think ░░░░░░░░ do owe the families ░░░░░░░░ the American people transparency ░░░░░░░░ incidents like this And ░░░░░░░░ intend to deliver just ░░░░░░░░ clip ends MATTHEWS NBC ░░░░░░░░ has some new reporting ░░░░░░░░ this investigation Right now ░░░░░░░░ more I m joined ░░░░░░░░ national security reporter Ken ░░░░░░░░ Ken thank you What ░░░░░░░░ we know now about ░░░░░░░░ fight in the jungle ░░░░░░░░ Chris my colleagues have ░░░░░░░░ asking questions all day ░░░░░░░░ the heck happened here ░░░░░░░░ did they get into ░░░░░░░░ situation And what we ░░░░░░░░ learning the prevailing theory ░░░░░░░░ this was a setup ░░░░░░░░ team of Green Berets ░░░░░░░░ on a reconnaissance mission ░░░░░░░░ the general said They ░░░░░░░░ overnight and in the ░░░░░░░░ they visited a village ░░░░░░░░ apparently was infiltrated with ░░░░░░░░ supporters And the bad ░░░░░░░░ were made aware of ░░░░░░░░ presence and essentially ambushed ░░░░░░░░ on the way out ░░░░░░░░ were in light vehicles ░░░░░░░░ were not anticipating a ░░░░░░░░ So they engage in ░░░░░░░░ firefight They moved a ░░░░░░░░ down the road to ░░░░░░░░ location The fighting got ░░░░░░░░ intense And it wasn ░░░░░░░░ an hour elapsed before ░░░░░░░░ called for help And ░░░░░░░░ they finally called for ░░░░░░░░ it was another hour ░░░░░░░░ French Mirage jets arrived ░░░░░░░░ the scene and sort ░░░░░░░░ flew low over the ░░░░░░░░ and our sources are ░░░░░░░░ us dispersed the enemy ░░░░░░░░ But this raises a ░░░░░░░░ of questions about why ░░░░░░░░ guys were in this ░░░░░░░░ where they supposedly thought ░░░░░░░░ wasn t going to ░░░░░░░░ a conflict how these ░░░░░░░░ were able to amass ░░░░░░░░ the U S Military ░░░░░░░░ about it Chris MATTHEWS ░░░░░░░░ there were how many ░░░░░░░░ attacking them 50 Is ░░░░░░░░ right DILANIAN That s ░░░░░░░░ General Dunford confirmed today ░░░░░░░░ the number of enemy ░░░░░░░░ 50 They had technicals ░░░░░░░░ are sort of pickup ░░░░░░░░ with heavy weapons RPGs ░░░░░░░░ mortars MATTHEWS Explain to ░░░░░░░░ in the situation where ░░░░░░░░ re in the jungle ░░░░░░░░ a government set of ░░░░░░░░ why it was a ░░░░░░░░ shock that they would ░░░░░░░░ attacked by an enemy ░░░░░░░░ they were pursuing They ░░░░░░░░ going out there doing ░░░░░░░░ on an enemy I ░░░░░░░░ not knocking anything but ░░░░░░░░ m just wondering why ░░░░░░░░ is considered a surprise ░░░░░░░░ You have just raised ░░░░░░░░ fundamental question that we ░░░░░░░░ all asking right It ░░░░░░░░ kind of a balance ░░░░░░░░ are in this region ░░░░░░░░ there are ISIS militants ░░░░░░░░ But these are Green ░░░░░░░░ These are not the ░░░░░░░░ operations forces that target ░░░░░░░░ that go on these ░░░░░░░░ knocking missions These guys ░░░░░░░░ about visiting villages offering ░░░░░░░░ gathering intelligence So we ░░░░░░░░ t understand and the ░░░░░░░░ has not answered how ░░░░░░░░ was that these guys ░░░░░░░░ into this engagement why ░░░░░░░░ was no overhead surveillance ░░░░░░░░ to realize that this ░░░░░░░░ these militants were assembling ░░░░░░░░ a fight Why they ░░░░░░░░ t realize this village ░░░░░░░░ compromised if in fact ░░░░░░░░ was compromised These are ░░░░░░░░ questions that the investigation ░░░░░░░░ trying to answer Chris ░░░░░░░░ We ve still got ░░░░░░░░ get some more By ░░░░░░░░ way what is HVT ░░░░░░░░ High value target The ░░░░░░░░ they go after militants ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Ken Dilanian ░░░░░░░░ for that report A ░░░░░░░░ NBC break tonight.”