The Trump administration has ordered the withdrawal of most US troops from Somalia, a critical front in the fight against Al Qaeda and affiliated groups.
In a statement, the Pentagon said the US is repositioning its “presence and assets out of Somalia.”
“The President of the United States has ordered the Department of Defence and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021,” the statement said.
The Pentagon reiterated its commitment “to our African partners and enduring support through a whole-of-government approach”, but noted that “some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa.”
The US has around 700 troops in the country, a presence that has been maintained for over 13 years and is seen as critical to countering terrorist organisations. The forces also train an elite commando Somali unity to fight Al Qaeda and Al Shabab.
Additionally, China has expanded its influence in Somalia, investing in infrastructure plans and projects in agriculture, fishery and health.
Experts see Mr Trump’s withdrawal from Somalia as political, short-sighted and lacking strategy. “The US has a small footprint countering Al Shabab, the Al Qaeda affiliate most set on developing capabilities to attack, with no mission creep,” tweeted Katherine Zimmerman of the American Enterprise Institute.
Emily Estelle, a senior analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, sees the decision as potentially taking pressure off Al Shabab.
"The US deployment is keeping pressure on Al Shabab, an Al Qaeda affiliate that is determined to conduct international terror attacks," Ms Estelle told The National. She described the US mission in Somalia as "small and focused and particularly important at a time of great instability in Somalia and East Africa broadly."
Regarding the timing, Ms Estelle said it is tied to the Trump administration ending, but it is also part of the Pentagon’s re-evaluation of US posture in Africa. “The US deployment in the sub-Sahara, which supports a French counter-terrorism mission, is also being reviewed,” she added.
Cameron Hudson of the Atlantic Council described the move as “non-strategic”, especially with the rising threat from Al Shabab.
"It risks undoing whatever progress we have achieved in stabilising Somalia over the past decade or more and cedes ground to a terrorist force there that has attacked American nationals and interests in Kenya," Mr Hudson told The National.
“Coming at the same time that Ethiopia has already withdrawn many of its non-AMISOM (African Union Mission to Somalia) troops, which will only further weaken the central government’s authority in advance of federal elections early next year,” he added. Mr Hudson said the move more broadly put US interests in the Horn of Africa at risk.
According to The New York Times, US forces have trained and supported an elite 850-soldier Somali unit to fight Al Shabab and disrupt terror activities. The US designated Al Shabab as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2008 and has since carried out drone attacks against the group.
The announcement follows major changes that Mr Trump made at the Pentagon the past month, firing Defence Secretary Mark Esper and installing Acting Defence Secretary Chris Miller, who has now ordered partial withdrawals from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.
Mr Trump promised during his campaign in 2016 to bring troops home. With 47 days left in office, these decisions appear to target his base, as he flirts with another run in 2024. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to review the US defence posture after he takes office on January 20.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Third Test
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Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
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Tuesday fixtures:
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Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
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Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Semi-final fixtures
Portugal v Chile, 7pm, today
Germany v Mexico, 7pm, tomorrow
Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULT
Fifth ODI, at Headingley
England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
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Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
The%20Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELamborghini%20LM002%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205.2-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20450hp%20at%206%2C800rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%20at%204%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFive-speed%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%209%20seconds%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201986-93%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20vehicles%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20328%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue%20today%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24300%2C000%2B%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
