House Rejects Rep. Gaetz’s Bill to Withdraw US Troops From Somalia

The House just rejected a bill from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) that would have required President Joe Biden to withdraw most U.S. troops from Somalia. The vote took place on April 27, and opponents of the legislation argued that it would hurt national security by making it harder to fight al-Shabaab, a terrorist group designated by the United States over a decade ago.

But Gaetz and other lawmakers claim that 900 U.S. troops in Somalia on an uncertain mission will never bring peace. During a floor discussion, Gaetz said that to accept Biden’s decision to send soldiers back to Somalia, one would have to believe that 900 U.S. troops are what is going to save a country of 17 million from a hardened group of 7,000. “I think that strains not only logic but our understanding of the history of Somalia,” he added.

Despite Gaetz’s arguments, the House rejected the legislation, H.Con.Res.30, in a vote of 102-321.

Coup Concerns

Gaetz has also raised concerns about U.S.-trained Somali soldiers staging coups across Africa. In March, he questioned U.S. Africa Command Gen. Michael Langley, USMC, about why taxpayers should continue paying for this endeavor, citing claims that certain U.S.-trained soldiers had led many coups and coup attempts.

“The American people have extremely low confidence in our military leaders and their ability to assess their own efficacy,” Gaetz said when he introduced his resolution. “How do they expect Americans to believe their justification for occupying Somalia when they can’t even determine who in their own training programs will lead a violent coup afterward?”

Terror Group Aligned With al-Qaeda

Violence in Somalia has continued to be an issue of concern, with al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab seeking to establish an Islamic state through force. On Feb. 21, ten people were killed in an attack claimed by al-Shabab in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu. The group said it was targeting military officials and militia fighters engaging in an offensive against it. Somalia’s communications ministry announced that ten people were murdered but did not specify who was targeted. The four terrorists engaged in the attack were slain by security personnel.

More recently, the nation’s military repulsed an attack by the jihadist terrorists in a remote region on April 22, according to The Associated Press.

Why the African Union is Better Positioned to Help Somalia

Gaetz argued that the future of Somalia must be determined by Somalia, and that to the extent that foreign influences could be helpful, the African Union is far better positioned to build a stronger sense of national identity and national unity among clans that have been warring in Somalia for generations than U.S. troops.

Why the House Rejected the Bill

Opponents of the legislation argued that it would hurt national security by making it harder to fight al-Shabaab, a terrorist group designated by the United States over a decade ago.

• The bill would have required President Joe Biden to withdraw most U.S. troops from Somalia.
• 900 U.S. troops in Somalia on an uncertain mission will never bring peace, according to Gaetz and other lawmakers.
• The House rejected the legislation, H.Con.Res.30, in a vote of 102-321.