Monday, January 13, 2014

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Press TV: 'American Troops Deployed in Somalia Not Surprising'

American troops secretly deployed in Somalia 'not surprising'

Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:32AM GMT

To listen to the statement delivered by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, to Press TV just click on the website below:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/01/12/345120/us-troops-in-somalia-not-surprising/

The deployment of US troops in Somalia as “trainers and advisers” is not surprising as the entire African Union mission to the country is run by Washington, an analyst says.

“The entire African Union mission to Somalia is largely financed, trained and coordinated by the United States, so it’s not surprising that the Obama administration would admit that they had military advisors inside the country,” editor of Pan-African News Wire Abayomi Azikiwe told Press TV on Saturday.

“What is going on is that they’re trying to contain the political and security situation inside the country. They want to repress al-Shabab, the Islamic resistance organization, inside Somalia,” he added.

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the US military “secretly deployed a small number of trainers and advisers to Somalia in October.”

According to the report, a cell of American military personnel has been in the Somali capital of Mogadishu to advise and coordinate operations with African troops.

The Obama administration in recent years has become more directly involved in the African nation.

US drones conduct surveillance missions and airstrikes from Somalia’s skies. Special Operations forces have also set foot on Somali territory on rare occasions to carry out counter-terrorism raids and hostage rescues.

“They have drone stations operating in Somalia,” Azikiwe said. “They have a CIA station as well in Mogadishu, Somalia… so it’s not anything unusual that they would admit that they had military advisors inside Somalia.”

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