Because the U.S. government refuses to understand Islam or the jihad imperative, it keeps on making the same mistakes over and over again. This boast regarding Somalia is akin to the “surges” in Iraq and Afghanistan ten or so years ago. The Americans thought they would push the jihadis back, and that would neutralize the threat, as they would give up after incurring such heavy losses. But the jihadis never, ever give up, as The History of Jihad demonstrates in abundance. They know the infidels have a short attention span, and will themselves grow tired of the adventure in a few years. Then they’ll advance again, a la the Taliban.
There should be no U.S. troops in Somalia. They’re achieving nothing except lining the pockets of the military-industrial complex.
“Al-Shabab Has Lost Third of its Territory, US Ambassador Says,” by Harun Maruf, VOA News, March 28, 2023:
The U.S. ambassador to Somalia said the Somali government’s military operations against al-Shabab have cost the militants one third of their territory.
“Somali-led offensives have restored Somalia’s sovereignty to 1/3 of the territory formerly misruled by al-Shabaab,” Larry André told VOA Somali in an email. “Ending al-Shabab’s oppression is one step further toward Somalia’s full revival.”
Since January, the United States donated weapons to the Somali national forces to support operations against al-Shabab. The U.S. also trains an elite Somali army unit known as Danab, which means “lightning” and has been leading the offensive against al-Shabab.
The Somali government this week reported that the military operations have inflicted heavy losses on the militant group during the past six months.
In a statement on March 25, Ministry of Information said that 3,000 al-Shabab militants were killed and 3,700 more were injured in the first phase of military operations between August of last year and January. The government also said 70 towns and villages have been liberated from al-Shabab.
Meanwhile, the militant group has claimed that the first phase of military operations by the Somali government and local fighters has failed.
In an interview with al-Shabab-affiliated radio, the militant group’s spokesman, Ali Mohamoud Rage, who is also known as Ali Dhere, accused the U.S. of mobilizing forces against the group.
He said the original plan was to eliminate al-Shabab within six months.
“The first phase of the operation concocted by the infidels has turned futile,” he said….
“Officials Warn Against Underestimating Al-Shabab and IS in Somalia,” by Harun Maruf, VOA News, March 14, 2023:
Somali officials are warning the federal and regional governments of Somalia not to underestimate the strength of militant groups al-Shabab and Islamic State as authorities plan new military operations against them.
Despite recent successes in dislodging al-Shabab from vast countryside areas in central Somalia, the militant group hit back, setting off deadly explosions and raiding military bases and installations, killing dozens.
In the latest attack Tuesday, an al-Shabab suicide car bomb targeted a building housing regional officials who have been planning mobilizations against al-Shabab in the town of Bardhere, Gedo region. The attack killed four soldiers and injured nine others.
On March 7, al-Shabab raided a military base at Janaa Cabdalle village, killing at least five soldiers.
Somali officials warn that al-Shabab’s militia strength is “intact,” and they argue recent operations did not substantially weaken the group’s strength.
“I believe on one hand they have been slightly wounded, but their strength remains intact,” said two-time former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. “They have been making tactical retreats lately, but their force cannot be underestimated.”
Mohamed Abdi Tall, the governor of Bakool region, which is planning to join the second phase of the offensive, says the group is particularly entrenched in the southern Jubaland and Southwest regions….
Jean says
They think that even if Al Shabaab loses all of its territory, it will lose influence. Wrong, Al Shabaab is deeply rooted in Somali society. The Taliban also didn’t have any territory yet they still held influence across Afghanistan, and well, we all know how that ended.
somehistory says
since al shabab has been coming to the U.S. for at least 13 years, they have regained their *third*…as it is now in MN. They have their own “house rep” there, too.
Sherry C Miller says
@somehistory – I was thinking that while I was reading the article! And herself has been strangely quiet about the situation.
somehistory says
thank you, sherry C Miller. She never seems to talk about somaila, for some reason, but wants the feds to go easy on her compatriots who commit crimes in the U.S.
Ray Jarman says
It seems we forget so quickly that the raid on a hotel where government officials were eating last week that killed a large number?
gravenimage says
US boasts about rolling back territory of Somali jihadis as Somali government warns against underestimating them
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Jihad is not going to end in Somalia any time soon–no more than it did in Afghanistan. There are too many pious Muslims there.
We should have learned this in Somalia with the events of “Black Hawk Down” back in the early 1990s. What were we doing there? *Food deliveries*. Still Jihadists don’t want the “filthy Infidels” there.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Somalia has a government? That is the real hidden news in this story
OLD GUY says
The war with Islam will continue until Islam rules the world or Islam is eradicated.
Sherry C Miller says
@OLD GUY – until the Western World understands what Islam and Jihad is all about, Islam will keep gaining ground. Look at Sweden.
notoislam says
If our govewrnment does not wake up we will be just like Sweden totally under the SHARIAH. This thought is sickening and shows us that the USA is controlled by greedy crooks -Democrats and the GOP/
John Smith says
They are extremely well organised, and everyone of them knows their part and what they are doing. If we non-muslims continue on the path we are on, islam will eventually engulf us all.