Biden to return U.S. troops to Somalia

President Biden has approved a request from the Pentagon to reestablish a persistent presence of U.S. troops in Somalia, reversing a decision made late in the Trump administration. 

Fewer than 500 U.S. troops will have a permanent presence in Somalia, below the 750 troops the Trump administration withdrew in January 2021, according to a senior administration official. 

The threat of al Shabab, the largest affiliate of al Qaeda, played into the administration's decision to switch from rotational deployments to a more permanent presence in Somalia.