Pentagon Deploys 101st Airborne Division to Somalia

US AFRICOM has confirmed a deployment of 40 soldiers from the 101st to Somalia at the governments request. Their primary mission will be logistics training for the Somali troops, and not necessarily ground combat.

While the U.S. military has long maintained a small, quiet presence in Somalia, with training efforts going back to about 2007, those efforts have begun to creep out of the shadows. In 2014, the military publicly acknowledged an ongoing effort to train Somali forces and lethal airstrikes that were once highly secretive started to be accompanied by news releases after the fact.

AFRICOM’s stepped up efforts are linked to a push to prepare Somali forces to carry on the mission against al-Shabab without the backing of Africa Union troops, who could be pulling out of the country in the coming years.
The African Union has said it expects to begin pulling out forces in 2018.
With expanded powers from the White House to carry out strikes, it is likely that AFRICOM could be stepping up operations in the months ahead.

"For operational security issues, we will not discuss specifics of military efforts nor speculate on potential future activities or operations,” Prichard said.

US sending dozens more troops to Somalia
Washington (CNN)The US is sending "dozens" of additional troops to Somalia to train and equip the Somali National Army and the forces participating in the African Union Mission in Somalia there.
A US military official told CNN that the new contingent would consist of about 40 soldiers.
In an email to CNN, Charles Chuck Prichard, a spokesperson for US Africa Command, confirmed the deployment Friday, saying that the deployment of "a few dozen troops from the 101st Airborne Division" came "at the request and in close coordination with" the government of Somalia.
The US troops will join the small number of US special operations forces already there providing counterterrorism support to local forces battling the local al Qaeda affiliate, al Shabaab. That advisory mission has been underway for several years.
The US military official added that there are approximately 50 counterterrorism advisers already in Somalia as part of the ongoing mission.

A recent background on modern American military ops in Somalia.


For a brief history of why US troops have been in Somalia for the last decade, which most ATS'ers are not even aware of, let alone Americans at large, search AboveTopSecret for Islamic Courts Union (ICU) . A quick synopsis from the time: The ICU were a band of several Islamic clans that united to bring relative peace and stability back to the country which it had lacked for well over a decade. Over the course of a few months they battled the extorting warlords and gained control of Mogadishu and some of the port towns. The isolated rural town and villages gladly and willingly joined their sphere of influence, tired of the warlords brutality and extortion.

Many civil services were restored, piracy was even curbed and prosecuted, and they asked to meet with the international community in a sincere effort to gain legitimacy and help the nation rebuild and prosper once more. This happened even though the CIA was delivering planeloads with pallets of cash to the warlords themselves to stop this popular movement. In any case, they were summarily ignored and Christian Ethiopia was ordered to invade from the North after an increase in military aide that year. When Ethiopia on its own struggled to move beyond the border region, the African Union was ordered to go in an destroy them. Finally what was left of them were driven to the Nigerian border and US special forces became involved. The moderate Islamic group that had briefly brought peace and prosperity to a nation of anarchy, seeking cooperation with the international community, and pleading for its assistance for half a year was effectively destroyed. The extortion and the warlords returned not long after. The rise of extremist radicals soon arrived as well, and thus, the mandate for a perpetual presence of American military force.

It should be noted that, the Islamic terrorism did not pop up in Somalia until the moderate Muslims were killed and destroyed by the Christian invaders. Also, never mentioned in today's media when referencing Somali instability is this relatively moderate group the ICU, what they did for the country, and the fact that after they were destroyed the extremist group of terrorists al-Shabab replaced them to keep Somalia in Anarchy.

This entire year is documented on ATS, and then Somalia was mostly forgotten by everyone, AGAIN. Yes, oil is the driving force here.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

First Syria, then North Korea and now Somalia?

How long will it takes before people are fed up by foreign interventions?

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Never, lots of people hate the people from those countries because of their religion, they are happy when bombs drop and troops invade.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: starwarsisreal

Never, lots of people hate the people from those countries because of their religion, they are happy when bombs drop and troops invade.

Yeah, Happy to watch and cheerlead from a distance.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: starwarsisreal

Never, lots of people hate the people from those countries because of their religion, they are happy when bombs drop and troops invade.

Religion? Many in all three of those countries are Christian.

Nationalism is what drives this. People think they're projecting freedom.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: starwarsisreal

Never, lots of people hate the people from those countries because of their religion, they are happy when bombs drop and troops invade.

Religion? Many in all three of those countries are Christian.

Nationalism is what drives this. People think they're projecting freedom.

Im thinking along the lines of those that call for the extermination of groups, they are not so concerned with details.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Does Mongolia have oil? Can we bomb them? They've had it way too easy and I heard they had pedos.

Let's take them out.

No country should get to relax and enjoy life. None.

Okay.. I like the fight the bad guys attitude, but US should deal with one at the time.

What a friggen hell hole to send US troops !

a reply to: 727Sky
Yea, well we been there since 2007. African Union mandate ends in 2018. Expect to see increasing numbers of American troops with possible NATO assistance get quietly deployed to the area throughout the year.

Ya gotta laugh.........

Expanded Powers of the White House ????

Who, prey tell, gave the White House Expanded powers?

Can the US military just do what it wants now.

Hey, We dont like Austria-lalia anymore.....there a MOAB with their name on it Go-damit!!

Yey USA RA Ra ra.....

Perhaps they can round up some boyz from da Hood.......they could "putz a cap in they Sumallys Assticles!!".

Keep up the Good Work Trumpster........Dont think for one minute you've disappointed your fans....by golly.

We can't fight terrorism in one county while they take others and reorganize.

Make sense to fight them worldwide. The message is clear. Wherever they are, we'll get them.

Pentagon Delays 101st Airborne Division to Somalia

originally posted by: 727Sky
What a friggen hell hole to send US troops !

Amen. Was never there, but have plenty of friends that had the 'privilege'.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: starwarsisreal

Never, lots of people hate the people from those countries because of their religion, they are happy when bombs drop and troops invade.

Religion? Many in all three of those countries are Christian.

Nationalism is what drives this. People think they're projecting freedom.

Im thinking along the lines of those that call for the extermination of groups, they are not so concerned with details.

Whoever "those" people are, they represent an extreme minority of the population.

i think it is begining too. i need to meet a friend. bye

Make sense to fight them worldwide

You mean you think it makes sense to fight the whole world.

Why the hell do we need to be in Somalia?

We should be spending the money on our own people instead.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

How many wars is tbe us trying to fight... nazi germany is coming to mind not the regime itself but its fatal mistake... the us is spreading its forces all over the world.. the empire is doomed to fall.

a reply to: Aeshma

well to be fair, NAZI Germany pretty much lacked all the surveillance technology and precision weapons that enhance an empires ability to maintain absolute global dominance of their rivals. Or near complete dominance of the global resource chain, ensuring there will never be a lack of raw materials for manufactured goods.

I think America is demonstrating its ability, as an empire, to actually take on the world, AND SUCCEED. Of course the empire is not America alone though, it is essentially Oceania from 1984 when NATO and Pacific vassals are factored in.

originally posted by: 727Sky
What a friggen hell hole to send US troops !

Lets hope we dont have another Blackhawk down situation.