The New York Times reported that the United States is facing failures with the spread of terrorism in West Africa, noting that groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS are expanding in the region, prompting Washington to order its forces to withdraw from several countries following military coups.

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The New York Times explained that the United States had sent troops and military aid to parts of West Africa in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, in order to assist French forces in stopping the spread of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

But after more than 10 years and hundreds of millions of dollars spent in security aid, regional counterterrorism efforts have largely failed.

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The groups that declared their alliance with Al-Qaeda and ISIS are making advances, and coups have occurred in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, leading their new leaders to order the departure of US and French forces.

With the United States pulling 1,000 of its troops from Niger and closing a $110 million military airbase there by September, US officials are scrambling to work with a new set of countries on the West African coast to combat violent extremist groups moving southward.

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Christopher P. Maier, a senior Pentagon official for special operations policy, said in an interview with the newspaper, “It is certainly frustrating. Our general desire to strengthen democratic governments and ensure healthy governance has not gone particularly well.”

He added that the US military had more success in training local counterterrorism forces, although some of them participated in recent military coups. He also added that it is frustrating when you continue this relationship and are then asked to leave.