Team’s aim: Get truth of Niger slays

‘BROKENHEARTED’

A PENTAGON TEAM heading to Niger will try to discover some of the most basic information about what led to the deaths of four Army soldiers more than two weeks ago.

Defense Secretary James Mattis addressed the tragedy on Thursday, promising that a full investigation is underway and justifying the soldiers presence northern African nation.

“We do not have a ll the accurate information yet,” but “war is war and these terrorists are conducting war on innocent people,” Mattis (photo) said. “(T)here’s a reason we have U.S. Army soldiers there and not the Peace Corp because we carry guns and so it’s a reality, part of the danger that our troops face in these counterterrorist campaigns but remember, we do these kinds of missions by, with and through allies.”

Critics, including Sen. John McCain(R-Ariz.) have called on the administration to be more forthcoming with information about the circumstances surrounding the attack, which has been blamed on a group of 50 ISIS fighters who ambushed the American troops.

“Any time we commit our troops anywhere, it’s based on answering a simple first question and that is: (Is) the well-being of the American people sufficiently enhanced by putting our troops there that we put our troops in a position to die,” Mattis said.

McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, said he might not wait for the department to finish its own investigation before seeking those details, telling CNN that it may require a subpoena.

“That’s not how the system works,” he said. “We’re coequal branches of government. We should be informed at all times.”

Africa Command investigators are reportedly headed to Niger to collect clues about how and why the 12-man Army team was ambushed during an exercise near the border with Mali. in the