International security

 Cutting U.S. Defense Attachés from Embassies Abroad is a Bad Idea

The Trump administration’s decision to close U.S. defense attaché offices in several West African countries and downgrade the ranks of defense attachés representing the United States in eight key partner nations is a bad idea.

These steps — reportedly intended to save money and reduce the military’s overall number of generals and admirals — will reduce U.S. access to political and military leadership in countries where Washington needs more influence, not less. In West Africa, closing these offices will reduce U.S. insights into terrorist groups tied to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and make it easier for China to increase its influence throughout the region.

Defense attachés, who are based in U.S. embassies, represent the U.S. military’s interests to host governments. Serving as diplomats, intelligence officers, and military liaisons all in one, they establish critical relationships with the leaders and future leaders of local armed forces, report on their capabilities and resources, assess the potential for conflict, and coordinate U.S. military assistance intended to build partner capacity. Attachés also compile strategic intelligence about regional threats of interest to policymakers, including terrorism, thereby helping to inform U.S. national security policy. Without a defense attaché on the ground, defense policymakers and military commanders are mostly blind, deaf, and mute in that country.