Donald Trump Orders Most US Troops to Leave Somalia; Democrats criticize the pushback

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Washington: The Pentagon has said it is withdrawing most US troops from Somalia on the orders of President Donald Trump, continuing a post-election push by Trump to reduce US involvement in counterterrorism missions abroad.

Without providing details, the Pentagon said in a brief statement Friday that “most” of US troops and assets in Somalia will be withdrawn by early 2021. There are currently about 700 troops in that Horn of Africa nation, training and advising local forces. in a prolonged fight against the extremist group al-Shabab, affiliated with al-Qaida.

Trump recently ordered troop reductions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was expected to withdraw some or all of the troops from Somalia. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said on Wednesday that the future structure of the US military presence in Somalia was still up for debate.

The tight US presence, Milley said, would amount to “a relatively small footprint, a relatively low cost in terms of staffing and in terms of money.” He did not provide details, but stressed that the United States remains concerned about the threat posed by al-Shabab, which he called “an extension of al-Qaida,” the extremist group that planned the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States since Afghanistan. .

“They have some scope and could, if left unattended, conduct operations not only against US interests in the region but also against the homeland,” he said. “That is why they require attention.” Noting that Somalia remains a dangerous place for Americans, he said that a CIA officer was killed there recently.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller paid a brief visit to Somalia last week and met with US troops.

Depending on what’s left of the American presence in Somalia when he takes office on January 20, President-elect Joe Biden could reverse Trump’s downsizing or make other adjustments to reflect his counterterrorism priorities. The US military also has a presence in neighboring Djibouti in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, chief of the US Africa Command, said in a written statement that the US contingent in Somalia “will decrease significantly,” but did not provide details. “US forces will remain in the region and our tasks and commitment to partners will remain unchanged,” he said.

“This action is not a withdrawal and an end to our efforts, but a repositioning to continue our efforts in East Africa,” he added.

Representative Jim Langevin, a Democrat from Rhode Island, criticized Trump’s pushback in Somalia as a “surrender to al-Qaida and a gift from China.” Langevin is chair of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

“When US forces leave Somalia in response to today’s order, it becomes more difficult for diplomats and humanitarian workers to help people resolve conflicts without violence and without loss of life,” Langevin said. “With the upcoming elections in Somalia and the conflict in neighboring Ethiopia, the abandonment of our partners could not come at a worse time.”

Langevin said China will seize the opportunity to develop its influence in the Horn of Africa.

The Pentagon said the downsizing in Somalia does not mark the end of US counterterrorism efforts there.

“As a result of this decision, some forces may be reassigned out of East Africa,” he said. “However, the remaining forces will be relocated from Somalia to neighboring countries to allow cross-border operations by US and associated forces to keep up the pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia.”

He added: “The United States will retain the ability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia and collect early alerts and indicators on threats to the homeland.”

The nature of the threat posed by al-Shabab and the appropriate response by the United States has been a subject of growing debate at the Pentagon, which has been seeking opportunities to shift its focus to China as a greater long-term challenge.

A Defense Department report last week said that the US Africa Command has seen a “definite change” this year in al-Shabab’s approach to attacking US interests in the region. Africa Command says al-Shabab is the most “dangerous” and “imminent” threat in Africa.