Trump takes swipe at Biden, says US will support Somalia against Houthis
President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the Houthis by saying it was time for them to hide now that he has removed "dangerous red tape" from the Biden administration, allowing U.S. troops to protect Somalia against terrorists.
"Time for the terrorists to hide, but it won’t do them any good. Our Warfighters, the Greatest the World has ever seen, will find them, and bring them to a swift Justice," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "I just got rid of Joe Biden’s dangerous red tape, and empowered our Warfighters, once again, just like I did against our fight with ISIS, who were completely obliterated in three weeks under General Daniel Caine, our new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"We will support the Somali People, who should not allow the Houthis to embed (which they are trying to do!), to end terrorism, and bring prosperity to their Country," the president added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department on the matter and is waiting to hear back.
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For years, the U.S. has helped Somali forces with airstrikes and other support against the al-Shabab extremist group and an affiliate of the Islamic State, or ISIS.
Last month, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud drafted a letter to Trump offering the U.S. exclusive access to air bases and seaports, which reignited tensions between the government of Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, the Associated Press reported.
In the letter, Somalia offered "exclusive operational control" over the Berbera and Baledogle air bases and the ports of Berbera and Bosaso to "bolster American engagement in the region."
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The letter was dated March 16 and leaked on social media during the last week of March. In it, the Somali leader spoke of "ensuring uninterrupted military and logistical access while preventing external competitors from establishing a presence in this critical corridor."
The letter was confirmed as "an authentic draft" by a senior official in Somalia’s foreign ministry, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give press interviews.
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The official was not sure if the final letter, which made the same offer, was sent.
One of the ports, Berbera, is in a key city located in Somaliland, whose long assertion as an independent state has not received international recognition.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government. It maintains its own government, security forces and currency and has held elections.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.