NEW: @POTUS approves request to "reestablish a small, persistent US military presence in #Somalia" a senior administration official confirms to reporters
NEW: Senior administration official decries decision by ex President Trump to withdraw US troops from #Somalia
"Since then #AlShabaab...has unfortunately only grown stronger. It has increased the tempo of its attacks, including against US personnel"
"Since then #AlShabaab...has unfortunately only grown stronger. It has increased the tempo of its attacks, including against US personnel"
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1334982620254498826?s=20&t=eAAZuqNzwgqaw2dJaixyIQ
#alShabaab remains #alQaida's "largest, wealthiest & deadly affiliate" per a senior administration official
The decision to withdraw from #Somalia never seemed to sit well w/@USAfricaCommand
From July 2021:
From July 2021:
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1409893447843074050?s=20&t=eAAZuqNzwgqaw2dJaixyIQ
From March 2022:
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1503733918738100229?s=20&t=eAAZuqNzwgqaw2dJaixyIQ
More from March 2022:
"What we're doing is not providing sufficient pressure & the best we can do is maintain a secure bases we return to...We can't really get at #alShabaab" " per @USAfricaCommand's Gen Townsend
"What we're doing is not providing sufficient pressure & the best we can do is maintain a secure bases we return to...We can't really get at #alShabaab" " per @USAfricaCommand's Gen Townsend
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1503751676326559758?s=20&t=eAAZuqNzwgqaw2dJaixyIQ
US troops to be based in #Somalia "will involve repositioning troops already stationed in neighboring countries" per the senior administration official
"This will not change the scope of the mission that our special operators have conducted in Somalia"
"This will not change the scope of the mission that our special operators have conducted in Somalia"
Implementing decision to base some US troops back in #Somalia "will be done in consultation with the Somali gvt, indeed with the gvt that is emerging from an overall successful & important election process that occurred over the weekend" per the senior administration official
Move to send US troops back to #Somalia part of "aligning our global counterterrorism efforts with where the threat to Americans is most acute" per the senior administration official
"#alShabaab in Somalia simply has to be among our highest priorities on that score"
"#alShabaab in Somalia simply has to be among our highest priorities on that score"
"#alShabaab has taken advantage of Somali instability & fractious politics...it exerts influence essentially throughout the country of #Somalia" per the senior administration official
"We're concerned about the potential for #alShabaab's upward battlefield & financial trajectory to generate more space for the group to plan & ultimately to execute external attacks" per senior administration official
NEW: US senior administration says new contingent of US forces to be based out of #Somalia will be under 500
Adds it will "take a little bit of time to reach that full implementation stage"
Adds it will "take a little bit of time to reach that full implementation stage"
Some of what @FBI Director Christopher Wray had to say in September 2021
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1440318143977517059?s=20&t=LfSgguhdVLNzXJbzWcNgtg
Per intelligence shared w/@UN's terror monitoring team, as of early this year #alShabaab had 7,000 & 12,000 fighters in #Somalia - up from earlier US estimates of 5,000-10,000
Same UN reports indicated Shabaab is able to collect $2 million - $10 million in revenue per month
Same UN reports indicated Shabaab is able to collect $2 million - $10 million in revenue per month
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