The head of the U.S. Africa command says he has yet to receive any new authority to launch offensive strikes against terrorists in his part of the world, which includes Libya and Somalia.
But as Gen. Thomas Waldhauser awaits expected approval from President Trump, he is also promising to be judicious in the use of force.
“We are not going to turn Somalia into a free-fire zone,” Waldhauser said at a Pentagon briefing Friday. “It’s very important and very helpful for us to have a little more flexibility, a little bit more timeliness, in terms of decision-making process.”
U.S. forces operating in Somalia can conduct airstrikes under the rules that allow for collective self-defense. That is when the U.S. is assisting or accompanying partner forces, who then come under fire, can protect those troops. But U.S. commanders such as Waldhauser don’t have the authority to order offensive strikes without first obtaining White House approval.
The Trump administration is considering new rules that will “take the gloves off” and allow commanders to act more quickly.
“The White House has not approved anything on this yet,” Waldhauser said. “But I think it’s fair to say if we get some type of approval, eventually that gives us authorities [and] more flexibility, we’ll have the ability to operate quicker.”
But Waldhauser said the U.S. military has a “very strong requirement” to use that authority in a way that continues to minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage.
“We have to make sure that the levels of certainty that have been there previously, that those are not changed,” he said.
The U.S. conducted airstrikes against the ISIS stronghold of Sirte, a city on Libya’s northern coast, from August through December on a series of “temporary” authorities that kept getting renewed by President Obama as the bombing dragged on.
After four months, ISIS was routed with the help of forces aligned with Libya’s unity government and its remaining fighters fled to the desert.
The remnants of the ISIS force were bombed in January by a pair of U.S. B-2 stealth bombers that flew round trip from Missouri, on a mission that again required White House approval.
But Waldhauser said in war the commanders on the ground are often in the best position to make judgment calls, especially in populated urban areas.
“I really only had to make about four or five decisions at my level, with regards to when or when not to strike a target,” Waldhauser said. “In an urban environment like Sirte, in order to prosecute these targets, you’ve got to power down the decision-making authority, in order to be responsive.”
Waldhauser confirmed that U.S. special operations troops were in Sirte for that offensive in order to direct the airstrikes in a way that minimized civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.
And Waldhauser said an undisclosed number of U.S. troops remains in Libya.
“We have some people on the ground,” he said, “and we plan to maintain a force to maintain the ability to develop intelligence.”
Waldhauser put the number of ISIS fighters in Libya at 100 to 200, but said they appear afraid to gather in large groups, are staying off communications, and show no desire to occupy real estate.
Asked whether U.S. troops involved in the Libya campaign should be entitled to tax-free combat pay, Waldhauser said he had put in for that for his forces.
“We have dropped bombs for four months. I don’t know how you don’t call that a combat zone,” he said.
