On Monday, Biden authorized the deployment of fewer than 500 troops to the East African nation to "reestablish a small, persistent U.S military presence in Somalia" in order to better target al-Shabab and its leaders, a senior administration official told reporters. The U.S. is "aligning our global counterterrorism efforts with where the threat to Americans is most acute," the White House official told reporters. The White House decision Monday to send troops back in was welcomed by the former commander of Somalia's elite U.S.-trained Danab Brigade. Neither the Pentagon nor the White House would say how long U.S. troops will be in Somalia. "While there is risk, it is manageable," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Source: Ethiopian News May 17, 2022 03:12 UTC