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U.S. military secretly sent team of advisors to Somalia
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military secretly sent a small team of advisors to Somalia last month to assist with operations against militants, the first time U.S. troops have been stationed there since two helicopters were shot down and 18 American soldiers were killed in 1993. The three-man advisor detachment is based at the airport in Mogadishu.
The Americans also are helping Somalias fledgling security forces, which have struggled to assert control beyond Mogadishu and have often been the target of fierce attacks from the Shabab, an Islamic militant group with ties to Al Qaeda that ruled large parts of southern Somalia before being driven from power by the African force. Though the initial advisor presence is small, a senior Defense Department official said the U.S. was hoping to expand it in the coming year. This is something thats been in the works for a while, said the U.S. official, who was speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss details of the U.S. effort. Eventually, troops will be on six-month rotations, deploying from a U.S. base in nearby Djibouti, he said. The advisors liaise with Somali security forces and provide planning and advisory support to the African Union troops, according to a statement issued by the Pentagon. It was unclear whether U.S. Africa Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in Somalia, was planning to increase the equipment provided to the African troops and whether the U.S. would eventually take on a direct role in the stabilization effort. Concern about the Shabab has led the U.S. to pay close attention to Somalia, with drone flights from the base in Djibouti and periodic raids by special operations troops. Posted by: Steve White 2014-01-12 |
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