Biden reverses Trump's order, redeploying Special Forces to Somalia

Joe Biden
(Image credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

President Biden has approved a Pentagon request to deploy hundreds of Special Operations forces to Somalia, reversing former President Donald Trump's 2020 decision to withdraw all 700 ground troops stationed there, The New York Times reported Monday.

Before Trump left office in January 2021, he'd ordered most American troops to exit the East African nation, with the Pentagon explaining at the time that the troops would be "repositioned … into neighboring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia." Since then, American commanders have voiced their concerns, saying that the short-term training missions are no longer working as effectively.

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Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US

Anahi Valenzuela has worked as an editorial assistant at The Week since 2022, where she assists with magazine content and covers the week's best photos. She started her career as a media producer at The Daily Californian and a writer for College Magazine.