U.S. Army soldiers and Marines conduct sling load operations on Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti, July 14, 2008. (Credit: defense.gov)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
WASHINGTON DC – PENTAGON – President Biden on Monday authorized the Department of Defense to re-deploy U.S. troops into Horn of Africa nation Somalia to battle al-Shabab. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of nearly all US troops from Somalia during his final days in office. In March, ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Armed Services Committee Sen. Jim Inhofe called on the Pentagon to consider re-deploying U.S. troops to Somalia to counter the sharp rise in extremist activity by al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab terrorist group. The US had about 700 troops in the country helping local forces battle al-Shabab and Islamic State militants.
“The president has authorized the Department of Defense to return a small, persistent U.S. military presence to Somalia,. his decision was based on a request from [Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III] and included advice from senior commanders and, of course, concern for the safety of our troops who have incurred additional risk by deploying in and out of Somalia on an episodic basis for the past 16 months.”
-Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby
Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon in Washington DC.
In March, Sen. Inhofe questioned witnesses at the annual posture hearing for United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Republican Senator Inhofe strongly advocates for an “enduring” U.S. troop presence in Somalia. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command, also testified during the March Senate Armed Armed Services Committee posture hearings on security challenges in Africa. At the hearing , Sen. Inhofe told Gen. Townsend that he had opposed Trump’s move to pull out US troops in Somalia. The Senator then reminded Gen. Townsend that he called Al-Shabab a primary enemy in Somalia and “the largest and most kinetically active al Qaeda network in the world.” Kirby told reporters Monday during a press briefing that the Department recognizes that al-Shabab has increased in strength and “so poses a heightened threat.”
U.S. Forces Will Not Be Directly Involved in Conflict in Somalia – Pentagon
Kirby explained that the mission for U.S. forces involved in Somalia will be the same — “they will provide advise-and-assist support but will not be directly involved in conflict.” The Pentagon press secretary added:
“Those forces, as they have been, will continue to be used in training, advising and equipping partner forces to give them the tools that they need to disrupt, degrade and monitor al-Shabab. Our forces are not now, nor will they be, directly engaged in combat operations. The purpose here is to enable a more effective fight against al-Shabab by local forces.”
U.S. forces based in East Africa and Djibouti had been commuting back and forth into Somalia in “over-the-horizon” operations with no permanent presence there. “The advise-and-assist mission, as we’ve seen in many places around the world, is best done when you’re on site, and you can develop those relationships and keep those conversations going and stay as relevant as possible,” Kirby said. “When you’re coming and going, that … contact is a little bit harder to work.”
Kirby added that just moving into and out of the country, rather than staying in place, increased the risk to U.S. troops.
