New Somali President welcomes return of U.S troops
Somalia’s
newly elected president is welcoming word that U.S. special operation forces
will again be based in Somalia to help in the fight against the al-Shabab
terror group.
Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud thanked U.S. President Joe Biden in a tweet Tuesday, calling the
United States “a reliable partner in our quest to stability and fight against
terrorism.”
U.S. forces have been working for years with Somali forces in
their efforts to contain al-Shabab, described by U.S. military and intelligence
officials as the al-Qaida terror group’s wealthiest and most powerful
affiliate. But in December 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump ordered
about 750 U.S. forces in Somalia to withdraw, instead having them fly in for
periodic engagements.
The decision, however, became increasingly unpopular with
U.S. military officials, who complained of having to “commute” to work, and
with some Somali officials, who saw al-Shabab’s forces grow in the absence of a
persistent U.S. presence.
“This
was a wrong decision taken. Withdrawal was a hasty decision,” a senior adviser
to Mohamud told VOA, ahead of the official announcement on Tuesday.
“It
disrupted counterterrorism operations,” said the Somali adviser, who asked not
to be named because his position in the administration has not yet been made
public. “To reinstate and start with the new president is the right decision,
and it came at the right time.”
U.S.
officials, explaining the decision to deploy fewer than 500 troops to Somalia
as part of what they describe as a persistent presence, agreed that the cost in
waiting any longer would be high.
Al-Shabab
“has unfortunately only grown stronger” since the December 2020 decision to no
longer maintain an ongoing U.S. military presence in Somalia, a White House
official said Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to
discuss the new authorization.
Al-Shabab
“has increased the tempo of its attacks, including against U.S.
personnel," the official said. “We're concerned about the potential for
al-Shabab's upward battlefield and financial trajectory to generate more space
for the group to plan and ultimately to execute external attacks.”
Intelligence
gathered by various countries and shared with the United Nations’ terrorism
monitoring team earlier this year also suggests al-Shabab has grown more
powerful.
The
estimates, published in February, indicate the al-Qaida affiliate now has as
many as 12,000 fighters and can raise up to $10 million in revenue per month.
Taken
all together, U.S. officials said it became clear that a consistent U.S.
presence on the ground in Somalia was needed.
“This
is the best way for us to continue what has remained a very valuable
advise-and-assist and training mission,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby
told reporters Monday.
While
details are still being worked out, much of the U.S. focus is expected to be on
helping the Danab Brigade, Somalia’s elite counterterrorism forces, that
struggled even before the decision to withdraw U.S. forces in November 2020.
A
2020 report by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General
warned that despite some success, the Somali government had “not met milestones
for the development of its security forces” and that most units “continue to
rely on international support for operations.”
The lack of a persistent U.S. military presence on the ground
in Somalia, combined with a cautious approach by the Biden administration, has
also contributed to a decrease of U.S. airstrikes in support of Somali forces,
something senior Somali officials hope will change with the imminent deployment
of U.S. forces.
“Drone
strikes and targeting the senior al-Shabab fighters is very welcome,” the
Somali presidential adviser told VOA.
But
U.S. officials have so far been noncommittal when asked whether more airstrikes
are coming.
“I
think we’ll just let the mission play out here,” the Pentagon’s Kirby told
reporters. “I'm not going to be able to predict for you whether and how and to
what degree activities like airstrikes are going to increase or decrease going
forward.”
“The
mission is not one of combat operations for our troops. It's advise and
assist,” he added.
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