The Pentagon said Friday it was pulling out most U.S. troops from Somalia at the behest of President Donald Trump, continuing post-election pressure by Mr. Trump to reduce U.S. involvement in counterterrorism missions abroad.
Without giving details, the Pentagon said in a brief statement that U.S. forces in Somalia Most of the troops and property will be withdrawn by early 2021. Horn Africa currently has about 700 troops in the African nation, training and advising local forces in the extended fight against the al-Qaeda-linked, extremist group al-Shabab.
Trump has recently ordered Troops coming down in Afghanistan and Iraq, And he was expected to withdraw some or all of his troops from Somalia. Gen. Mark Mille, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that U.S. forces in Somalia The future composition of the military presence is still being debated.
Mille said the U.S.’s adjusted presence is “equivalent to a relatively small measure, low cost in terms of number of employees and in terms of money.” He did not provide any specifics but insisted that the U.S. Concerned about the threat posed by al-Shabab, which he called an “expansion of al-Qaeda,” the terrorist group that carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Afghanistan.
“They have little reach and they will give up leading behavioral operations not only against US interests in the region but also against the homeland,” he said. “So they need attention.” He described Somalia as a “dangerous place” for the American people, adding that a CIA officer had recently been killed.
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller paid a brief visit to Somalia last week and met with U.S. troops.
U.S. troops in Somalia on January 20. Depending on the remnants of the presidency, President-elect Joe Biden could oppose Trump’s draw or make other adjustments to reflect his anti-terrorism priorities. The U.S. military also has a presence in the neighborhood of Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Senior Airman Christine Savage / AP
Representative Jim Langevin, a Democrat from Rhode Island, called Trump’s pullback criticism in Somalia a “surrender to al-Qaeda and a gift from China.” Langevin is chairman of the Homeland Security Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
“When U.S. forces leave Somalia in response to today’s order, it becomes difficult to help diplomats and support personnel resolve the conflict without violence and loss of life,” Langevin said. “The abandonment of our partners in the wake of the upcoming elections in Somalia and the conflict in neighboring Ethiopia could not have come at a worse time.”
Langevin said China would use the opportunity to build its influence in Horn Africa.
The Pentagon has said the decline in Somalia does not end US counterterrorism efforts there.
“As a result of this decision, some forces may be redeployed outside East Africa,” he says. “Nevertheless, to allow border operations to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia by both the U.S. and allied forces, the remaining forces will be relocated from Somalia to neighboring countries.”
“The U.S. will retain the ability to conduct targeted counterterrorism operations in Somalia, and collect early warnings and indicators about threats to the homeland,” it added.
The nature of the threat posed by al-Shabab and the appropriate response from the US have become increasingly the subject of debate at the Pentagon, which is looking for opportunities to focus on China as a long-term challenge.
A report by the Defense Department’s Watchdog last week said the U.S. Africa Command had seen a “decisive shift” this year in its focus on attacking U.S. interests in al-Shabab’s territory. Africa Command said al-Shabab was Africa’s most “dangerous” and “imminent” threat.
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