Pentagon Not Trying to Delay Key Niger Ambush Report, Shanahan Says by Kyle Rempfer - Military Times
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told reporters Monday that he’s not trying to delay the release of a report on the October 2017 Niger ambush, which is expected to include decisions on reprimands and awards.
“To the families, I’m not trying to delay a report," Shanahan, who came into the defense secretary role in January, said.
“When I undertook the role, I wanted time to review the investigation," he added. “Really this is just an expedited way for me to make sure I have enough time to understand the reports and the details, so I expect this to go very, very quickly."
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis convened a review on the ambush that was supposed to include recommendations for awards and punishments. However, when that review was brought to Shanahan after he assumed control over the Pentagon, he did not find it satisfactory.
Rumors have circulated in Washington, D.C., that the final punishments would single out junior officers, but leave senior leadership untouched for the failures that led to the deaths of four U.S. soldiers, including two Army Green Berets…