I am dismayed to read of the daily accounts of the US government’s abuse of Niger’s government in order to cover our own diplomatic maneuvers in justifying the invasion of Iraq.

One might be able to rationalize this abuse of diplomatic relations if Niger was an “outlaw” country. But to the contrary, Niger is, as one might expect from the Bush administration, an easy target in spite of their good relations with the USA.

The Niger Republic is the second poorest country in the world. It is surrounded by countries of extreme poverty and turmoil such as Mali, Chad, Libya, Algeria and Nigeria. It is a Moslem country which has to date avoided the excesses of revolutionary fervor we Americans have come to expect from this part of the world. It is one of the few countries where the Peace Corps has been able to provide some 41 years of continuous service. It is a country that is building democratic institutions in spite of the US’s failure to open an office of the Agency for International Development which would provide funding and assistance to this friend of America.

As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I am dismayed at our government’s abuse of a friend who deserves and badly needs our support. Is this going to be another friend that we loose? Why not turn around this sorry situation by making a long over due commitment to establishing an office for AID in Niger.

In spite of all our wealth and communication resources and the efforts of many
Americans who have dedicated years of service to the people of Niger, this administration has taken to new heights the art of being “The Ugly American”.

Larry Koff
Former Peace Corps Volunteer, Niger Republic 1964-1966