(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Bloomberg
President Joe Biden has authorized the US military to send Special Operations troops back to Somalia on a 'persistent” basis to revive a counterterrorism mission that was ended during Donald Trump's administration, the White House announced.
Biden also gave the Defense Department authority to target about a dozen suspected leaders of the Somali al-Qaeda affiliate known as al-Shabaab, according to one U.S. official, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter before it was publicly announced.
Fewer than 500 US troops are expected to be sent to Somalia, mostly from postings elsewhere in East Africa, according to another official who briefed reporters Monday.
Al-Shabaab 'remains a threat, and in fact the threat is increasing,” Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. The U.S. has been sending forces into the country when needed, Kirby said, but 'the advise-and-assist mission works best” when 'you're on-site” and can work continually with local fighters.
Earlier: U.S. Forces to Begin Withdrawing From Somalia on Trump's Orders
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the 'small but persistent presence” was deemed necessary 'to maximize the safety and effectiveness of our force.”
The moves breathes new life into a two-decade-long global fight against terrorist groups that began following the Sept. 11, 2011 attacks. Biden campaigned for president on a promise to wind down what he called the US's 'forever wars” and last year pulled out forces from Afghanistan in a chaotic withdrawal that damaged his political standing.
The US had about 700 troops in Somalia before Trump ordered them out of the country in an effort to make good on his own pledge to bring soldiers home. US Africa Command relocated them to an undisclosed location in East Africa, from which they periodically re-entered Somalia to train and advise local forces fighting al-Shabaab.
MENAFN17052022000063011010ID1104226476
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.