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WASHINGTON – Senators emerged from a classified briefing about the deadly ambush in Niger with different opinions about whether the attack that killed four U.S. soldiers could have been averted.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says “on the initial assessment there were not significant steps that could have been taken to prevent this assault.”
But Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pointed to a major shortfall in intelligence and overhead reconnaissance support for U.S. forces in Africa as a potential factor in an attack that caught many lawmakers off guard.
The briefing by senior Pentagon officials took place Thursday in a secure room in the Capitol.
Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committee chairman, has demanded Defense Secretary Jim Mattis keep the panel informed about the ambush and other military operations.
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