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Transcript/ScriptUS-SOMALIA
HEADLINE: Biden Approves ‘Small, Persistent’ US Military Presence in Somalia
TEASER: US to deploy some 500 troops to Somalia for counterterrorism operation, reversing Trump-era decision to withdraw
PUBLISHED: Monday, 5/16/2022 at 10:41 p.m.
BYLINE: Anita Powell
CONTRIBUTOR: Jeff Seldin
DATELINE: Washington
PRODUCER: Barry Unger
SCRIPT EDITORS: Holly Franko, Sharon Shahid
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP, AFP ZOOM (WITH LICENSE)
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT: 02:32
VID APPROVED BY: Salem Solomon
TYPE: TVPKG/RADIO
EDITOR NOTES: Radio track included.))
((INTRO))
[[U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized a deployment of some 500 troops to the East African nation of Somalia to conduct operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab insurgent group. This reversal of a Trump-era decision to withdraw the troops comes as the nation’s parliament elects a new president. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House.]]
((Sequence of presidential election: AP-4379872))
((NARRATOR))
Somalia’s new president will soon see the return of U.S. forces to the Horn of Africa nation. The 500 elite troops are tasked with pushing back al-Shabab, a violent extremist group that has destabilized Somalia for more than 15 years.
((Establish Karine walking in – MRT please clip))
Monday’s decision reversed the Trump administration’s 2020 withdrawal of all 700 troops then in the country.
[[Radio: New White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre]]
((SOT, MRT will clip))
((Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary))
“The decision to reintroduce a small but persistent presence was made first and foremost to maximize the safety and effectiveness of our force and enable them to provide better support of our partners. Additionally, our partners can benefit from our more consistent support and engagement in addressing the threat posed by al-Shabab
involved by having a small, persistent U.S. military presence. And while there is risk, it is manageable.”
((AFP OLD footage of Camp Lemonnier, which is a French-US base, AFP-V000_VID871816_EN))
((NARRATOR))
White House officials said the troops would come from nearby bases on the continent. Officials did not say where U.S. troops would be positioned, who their targets may be, or how long troops would be in Somalia.
((A restaurant bombed recently by Shabab AFP-V000_328R7V4; March attack aftermath in Mog by Shabaab: AFP-V045_326T6JM and AFP-V000_326T8U9))
U.S. military and counterterrorism officials describe al-Shabab as al-Qaida’s largest, wealthiest and deadliest affiliate. They’ve recently grown in size and become more aggressive, killing at least 30 Burundian soldiers during an attack on an African Union base in southern Somalia earlier this month.
((Some not-horrible shots of life in Mogadishu, AFP-V000_329X9AL; AFP-V000_1LT2TM))
The U.S. public has long been wary of involvement in Somalia, after the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu resulted in the killing of 18 U.S. service members. The Pentagon defended the decision.
((Radio: Pentagon press secretary John Kirby))
((SOT, English, MRT15;15;34;13 MRT Kirby al shabaab remains a threat))
((Pentagon press secretary John Kirby))
((John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary))
“The point is al-Shabab remains a threat and that threat we assess, not only continues but is increasing. And we believe this is the best way for us to continue what has remained a very valuable advise-and-assist and training mission, is just this is a better way to do it.”
((More sequence of elections: AP-4379862 and AP-un003062))
((NARRATOR))
It is not clear whether Somalia’s new president, who was elected on Sunday, made this request. Somali security analysts say the move is welcome, especially if the U.S. resumes airstrikes against al-Shabab — but also say that the military solution is not the only one.
[[Radio: Samira Gaid is executive director of the Hiraal Institute think tank]]
((SOT, English, ZOOM, from 2:48 in file))
((Samira Gaid, Hiraal Institute Executive Director)) ((Zoom))
“The airstrikes were keeping al-Shabab at bay, but once those airstrikes stopped, we saw a resurgence of the group. // The airstrikes and offensive operations are not the solution. The solution is really a Somali government that really works on this in a coordinated manner that’s societal-wide. The problem in Somalia is a political problem. It's political settlements needed within the elite. It's a clan problem. All of these things need to be resolved. The grievances that push our youth to join al-Shabab need to be resolved.”
((Sequence of attack near villa Somalia, AFP-V000_9ZD8KK))
It seems no one is safe. In February a suicide bomber targeted the presidential villa, killing at least six people and wounding more than a dozen.
((Anita Powell, VOA News, The White House))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D.C.
Embargo DateMay 16, 2022 17:14 EDT
Byline
((Anita Powell, VOA News, The White House))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
