500 US troops in Somalia
Stars & Stripes reports that there are 500 US troops in Somalia – nearly an entire light infantry battalion – but the Pentagon refuses to acknowledge that there’s an escalation to the build-up;
“I would not associate that with a buildup, as you’re calling it,” Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told reporters Thursday in Washington. “I think it’s just the flow of forces in and out as different organizations come in that might be sized a little differently.”
McKenzie said the boost in attacks was simply a matter of hitting targets as they emerge. “So there’s no particular rhythm to it, except that as they become available and as we’re able to process them and vet them, we strike them,” he said.
Still, the sudden surge of servicemembers into Somalia over the past several months and the rapid spike in airstrikes — 28 so far this year — is a reversal from the past, when there were no regular troops in the country and airstrikes were extremely rare.
S&S also reminds us that the pan-African forces there are planning on reducing their presence by about 20,000 personnel.
For 10 years, the African Union Mission in Somalia helped ensure relative stability in the war-torn country, pushing al-Shabab out of the capital of Mogadishu and numerous other strongholds. But al-Shabad were never defeated, and with the African Union’s pullout out set to begin in coming weeks, the U.S. and its partners have little time to degrade the militants before the multinational fighting force leaves. When the union’s drawdown will be completed in 2020, Somalia’s fledgling army will be in charge of the fight.
While I agree that the US needs to be able to confront the Al-Qaeda militants, I’d hate to see 20,000 US troops in Somalia.
Category: Terror War
Please please please don’t send any of these Somazzie personnel from their “fledgling army” to stateside bases to receive advanced training; that worked really well with the Afghani trainees, the few who didn’t actually run away and disappeared into the woodwork to become deserter/illegal aliens. Besides, we have already got too many Somazzies here, thanks to Slick Willy bringing them in by the hundreds of thousands during the late ’90s and whose progeny at this very minute are becoming jihadi terrs…
Don’t worry. They get trained in Africa.
According to S&S some of those leading the training are from Djibouti.
Warm. Fuzzy. /s
“thanks to Slick Willy bringing them in by the hundreds of thousands during the late ’90s”
Lewiston Maine. Textile mills and shoe shops along the Androscoggin populated by French Canadians of the St. Lawrence river
settlers. That was before the Somalis.
Now the mills and shops are gone.
Place is a third world shithole.
This is not making me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Not at all at all.
Why are we there? What is our “interest” (I think that’s the current term the idiots use) in a failed country? Why not leave them to their own kat fueled devices? Oh, and no “immigrants” from there, either.
Yeah, I know, it’s the “heritage”of Bill Clinton. As Mencken observed, one day the electorate will vote in a moron. (paraphrase). Boy, was he a prophet. Several times over, no less.
A twofold response to the General’s statement:1) bullshit, and 2) fucking Bullshit.
Looking at it from another angle: OpSec
The Somalis know, and any country with any decent intelligence service knows. The only ones who don’t know are the American people. I guess we don’t have a “need to know” how many of our troops are there, or why.
Makes me curious as to how many other places we have troops, how many, and why.
Re-reading above and then again at S&S, this jumps out at me:
“a reversal from the past, when there were no regular troops in the country and airstrikes were extremely rare.”
Wasn’t there some Nobel Prize Weiner in charge in the recent past? Are they saying that the policies followed under the guidance of such an august and honored figure were insufficient for the purposes of peace?
Inquiring minds
Insufficient – a word… put so lightly, Graybeard, and with such reserve in it.
Aside from squelching the Pirates of the Gulf of Aden, I’m not sure myself why we are there, but may these and all those with them make it home alive and safe.
I believe China just built a base up the coast a bit in Djibouti, and a number of recruiters for the Great Pedophile’s cult are active in the area.
Before the Aloha Snackbar crowd gets too strong there is a good time to make joining them less-than-attractive to their potential recruits.
I’m all for defeating terrorists wherever we find them. But if the African fighting forces are pulling out and not defending their own soil, I hope we don’t end up with out troops replacing them.
Note the carefully parsed “…no regular troops in the country…” comment.
Ummm-Kay.
Cycle in and out from surrounding territories
-or-
irregular troops
-or-
some combination.
I think the statements are very carefully parsed to not allow the opposition any idea of just what they are dealing with.
Or the American people.
Sometimes “The American People” do not need to know, so that an American soldier can do his job with less likelihood of the opposition knowing what he is up to.
I have skin in that game. If it keeps the enemy in the dark until our warriors can make it a permanent lights-out, I’m down with it.
or just “reserves”
Blue UN patches anyone?
“Still, the sudden surge of servicemembers into Somalia over the past several months and the rapid spike in airstrikes — 28 so far this year”
Saw an article that the U.S. Army is being tasked w/ ramping up Hellfire missile production by 50%. Looks like it’s become the weapon of choice when 3rd world degenerates need a trip to paradise. Reportedly there has been so much demand by the US & 20 allied militaries for Hellfires that existing supplies of the missile is close to being depleted.
I got to spend three months there as part of a Radio Battalion Det. Mogadishu was not a place I regarded or regard with any affection at all. The people there refuse to let go of the tribal affiliations and ways of thought, and until they do, they are just a big ass mob of losers.
They are also a big adz mob of potential recruits for Al-Q & Co.
sounds like the herd needs thinning… or is that Raaaaccisssss?
500 US troops…..is that enough to form a double-arm interval across the entire country, march from one end to the other, shooting everything in front of them? Inquiring minds……