Biden Approves Plan to Redeploy Several Hundred Ground Forces Into Somalia (NYT)

[WarGamer]

I sure hope Russia doesn't see this as an opportunity to arm al Shabab with man portable anti-air/anti-armor weapons... that would suck.

They wouldn't do that, right?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-approves-plan-to-redeploy-several-hundred-ground-forces-into-somalia/ar-AAXlbyi

[David__77]

1. Bad news.

Two of the brightest spots of his presidency are the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and keeping the United States out of you are in Europe.

[lapfog_1]

2. so Trump decided to withdraw our forces

and Biden is putting them back... so you are worried about Putin?

Putin has enough to worry about in his own backyard...

[WarGamer]

3. Why are we in Somalia?

I'll wait.

[lapfog_1]

4. because Islamic terrorists are generally bad for us

no matter where they are.

Or should we just concede all of Africa and the middle east and parts of europe and asia to the Islamic terrorist forces and let the "taliban" ( or local version ) rule everywhere.

Ignoring the rest of the world (America first doctrine) generally doesn't work out for us.

[WarGamer]

6. Do you know HOW al shabab was defeated a few years ago?

By the Kenyans with logistic and intel support from the US (not ground troops).

(fact)

[lapfog_1]

8. Well, I will trust that Biden and his national security team

are making the right choices here.

I will point out that Somalia is not Kenya and difference scenarios require different responses.

[WarGamer]

10. Kenya went INTO Somalia last time and pushed al shabab out of Mogadishu

It was an internationally supported operation.

KENYAN soldiers, taking care of their neighborhood.

Like Ukrainians, taking care of THEIR neighborhood with the help of the West.

[Celerity]

9. Looks to me like getting involved in most of the post WWII conflicts and coups didn't work out

well for the US either.

[Celerity]

5. I see little upside and a shit tonne of possible downside to this. nt

[WarGamer]

7. I'd be shocked if putin hasn't already sent weapons there, anticipating this.

He'd love payback on the US...

[Celerity]

11. Blackhawk Down redux and we will get flayed alive.

[Igirl]

20. Why does it matter

I’ve been regionally. What are they going to shoot at from Ethiopia to threaten America? Literally nothing. Ethiopia and Yemen are isolated. Offshore there are already special forces. There is nothing.

I am very apposed to this. Sending our troops to another wasted country to risk their lives does not do anything for our party either.

[WarGamer]

12. remember the Tongo Tongo ambush in Niger?

Similar IS affiliated group

[Celerity]

13. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)

https://ecfr.eu/special/sahel_mapping/isgs

[WarGamer]

14. charming guys...

[Celerity]

15. amazing coincidence, as we were having this colloquy, an advert for Save The Children came on, and

its was about........... western Niger.

[WarGamer]

16. sigh... the world is such a messed up place.

[Celerity]

17. yes, yes it is

[Tetrachloride]

18. Newly elected President in Somalia