President Trump reportedly told his advisers that he wants to withdraw troops from Somalia.
The Pentagon has begun drawing up plans on the matter for the president, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
There are about 700 United States troops in Somalia, according to the Congressional Research Service. Most are special forces sent to train Somalia’s army.
The nation is still plagued by terrorist attacks from al Qaeda-linked al Shabab.
“If the U.S. significantly withdraws its military footprint in Somalia, the government’s already tenuous hold on security in the country will be significantly weakened,” Colin Thomas-Jensen told Bloomberg.
Thomas-Jensen is a senior adviser with WestExec Advisors and a former Africa policy adviser to Samantha Power, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
“Al Shabab will look to take advantage,” he added.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment on the matter but did not receive one.
The president has repeatedly assured people that he would bring home troops from the Middle East. Trump announced on Oct. 8 that he expected U.S. troops would be coming home from Afghanistan by Christmas.
“We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas,” he tweeted.
Reporting indicates that this announcement might have come as a surprise to senior military officials, and it is unclear whether all troops will actually be pulled out by that deadline.
