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Secret U.S. Troops Stationed in Somalia Since Last Fall
The U.S. military has stationed a small unit in Mogadishu since last fall, despite a public policy that has shied away from placing ground forces in Somalia since the much-publicized "Black Hawk Down" incident.A cell of U.S. troops, numbering fewer than two dozen, has helped advise and coordinate operations with African troops while operating out of a base in the Somali capital. The Washington Post first reported the story Friday afternoon. For a long period, American troops haven't spent more than a few hours or a night in Somalia, a defense official tells U.S. News. This newly unveiled unit known as a military coordination cell, or MCC began preparing for its mission in October and deployed to Somalia in December. Members chiefly support the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Mission in Somalia and Somali security forces, and do not themselves carry out any direct-action missions. "Their mission is just to facilitate communication, not go out and pull any triggers," the official says. Posted by: Beavis 2014-01-11 |
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