The president’s bellicose threats of going to war with one of the United States’ most crucial allies on the African continent took his aides completely by surprise.

Donald Trump has warned he will invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the West African country’s government didn’t do more to protect Christian civilians from attacks by Islamic extremists. It has since emerged that last weekend’s threats of military intervention followed after he’d watched a Fox News segment on the topic.

The Washington Post now reports the president’s threats blindsided “even those who had been pushing the issue,” and sparked “immediate concern” among bewildered officials at United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), which oversees U.S. military interests in the region.

Ranking members of that division advised

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