Why are we in Somalia? Did Congress vote on sending troops there? Has there been a declaration of war against Somalia? If not, the 500 troops need to return to CONUS immediately.
Somalia is a fertile training ground for the militants who end up in the Minneapolis area or as pirates. It benefits the US to have them nipped in the bud.
This is an amazing intractable proxy war; ala Vietnam.
On the surface it should be an easy win for the big boys and yet the enemy seems to have endless arms and support and they hold their own.
After the 'Blackhawk Down' episode, I believe the US military takes this personally.
They'd love to see them crushed but it's just not happening.
If troops aren't removed goals and strategies need to be re-evaluated.
See AUMY, 09/14/2001
The AUMF has also been cited by a wide variety of US officials as justification for continuing US military actions all over the world. Often the phrases “Al-Qaeda and associated forces” or “affiliated forces” have been used by these officials. However, that phrase does not appear in the AUMF.
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, published May 11, 2016, at that time the 2001 AUMF had been cited 37 times in connection with actions in 14 countries and on the high seas.
The report stated that “Of the 37 occurrences, 18 were made during the Bush Administration, and 18 have been made during the Obama Administration.” The countries that were mentioned in the report included Afghanistan, Cuba (Guantanamo Bay), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Philippines, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.