Free Republic

A Somali pirate from Minnesota has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in holding an American journalist hostage for nearly three years. What we know In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Abdi Yusuf Hassan, of Minneapolis, and Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed, of Somalia, received a 30-year prison sentence for hostage taking, terrorism and firearm offenses related to the 977-day captivity of American freelance journalist Michael Scott Moore. Officials said Hassan and Mohamed played "significant roles in Moore’s captivity" and abused their positions within the Somali government. Hassan served as the Minister of Interior...

President Biden has signed an order authorizing the military to once again deploy hundreds of Special Operations forces inside Somalia — largely reversing the decision by President Donald J. Trump to withdraw nearly all 700 ground troops who had been stationed there, according to four officials familiar with the matter. In addition, Mr. Biden has approved a Pentagon request for standing authority to target about a dozen suspected leaders of Al Shabab, the Somali terrorist group that is affiliated with Al Qaeda, three of the officials said. Since Mr. Biden took office, airstrikes have largely been limited to those meant...

Mogadishu — At today's Consultative Meeting for Ending the Transition in Mogadishu, Mohamed Ahmed Alin, President of the Galmudug State of Somalia and Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud ("Farole"), President of the Puntland State of Somalia, committed to a peaceful settlement of their recent dispute and in particular, adopted a four point plan to ensure that hostilities do not re-occur. This important agreement was enacted in the presence of Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament, Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, and a number of Ministers and high ranking Somali officials. "I am most...