Biden to deploy U.S. troops to Somalia, reversing Trump’s ordered withdrawal
PBS NewsHourNov 26, 2021
The Facts
A US airstrike on Sun. is said to have killed two members of the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia. The attack was reportedly the first major US military operation in the country since Pres. Biden reinstated troops in May.
According to US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the attack was carried out in coordination with the Somali government in response to an Al-Shabab attack on "partner forces."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The US conducted this strike alongside its regional ally Somalia to combat terrorists that are actively trying to overthrow a democratically-elected government. As shown by the lack of civilian casualties, the US takes minimizing non-combatant deaths seriously and is working in tandem with Somali partners to ensure the safety of their civilian population.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US has been bombing Somalian soil for three decades now, and what good has come from Washington's intervention in this vulnerable East African state? Any "national security" threat posed by Somali militants has been the result of US meddling, and it's time America stopped fighting there completely.
