{President Donald Trump has boosted the US military’s authority to step up air strikes in the fight against Islamist insurgents in Somalia, the Defence Department said Thursday.}<\/p>\n
According to a Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the new leeway accorded to the military will mean they no longer will have to justify a decision to launch air strikes, potentially leading to more aggressive bombardments.<\/p>\n
The expanded powers also will give greater autonomy in decision-making on air strikes to the head of US forces in Africa, General Thomas Waldhauser.<\/p>\n
“The president has approved a Department of Defence proposal to provide additional precision fires in support” of the African Union Mission in Somalia and Somali security forces operations,” said Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, in a statement.<\/p>\n
The forces are fighting to defeat Al-Shabaab militants, a jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda that was forced out of the capital in 2011 by African Union troops but still controls parts of the country.<\/p>\n
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\n“The additional support provided by this authority will help deny Al-Shabaab safe havens from which it could attack US citizens or US interests in the region,” Davis said.<\/p>\n
The decision is in line with the Republican Trump administration’s policy to expand the authority of the military, particularly in authorizing more aggressive air strikes in certain countries.<\/p>\n
The military had accused the previous Democratic administration of president Barack Obama of micromanaging combat operations.<\/p>\n
Obama notably kept tight control over armed drone strikes, which his successor is pursuing in Somalia and Yemen.<\/p>\n
Source:AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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