U.S. pursues quiet troop buildup in Somalia
Source: Politico
The Pentagon now has its largest military presence in the war-torn African nation since the deadly 'Black Hawk Down' battle in 1993.
By WESLEY MORGAN 11/19/2017 07:09 AM EST
The number of U.S. military forces in Somalia has more than doubled this year to over 500 people as the Pentagon has quietly posted hundreds of additional special operations personnel to advise local forces in pockets of Islamic militants around the country, according to current and former senior military officials.
It is the largest American military contingent in the war-torn nation since the the infamous 1993 "Black Hawk Down" battle when 18 U.S. soldiers died. It is is also the latest example of how the Pentagon’s operations in Africa have expanded with greater authority provided to field commanders.
The growing Somalia mission, coming more fully to light after four American troops were killed in an ambush in Niger last month, also includes two new military headquarters in the capital of Mogadishu and stepped-up airstrikes. It’s driven by a major shift in strategy from primarily relying on targeted strikes against terrorists to advising and supporting Somali troops in the field, the officials said.
The new operations also come as a peacekeeping mission spearheaded by the African Union is winding down. That is putting more pressure on the fledgling Somali security forces to confront al-Shabab, a terrorist army allied with Al Qaeda that plays the role of a quasi-government in significant parts of the country.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/19/troops-somalia-military-buildup-247668
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this trump tumor on the body of this planet......
Our involvement in Vietnam started very slowly in 1961...