MILITARY/TERRORISM: “The United States military said on Monday [7-3-17] that it had carried out a drone strike in Somalia against the Shabab, the Qaeda-linked insurgent group, in the second such strike since President Trump relaxed targeting rules for counterterrorism operations in that country in March.
The strike, which took place about 2:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, came three months after Mr. Trump cleared the way for offensive strikes, even without a specific self-defense rationale, in Somalia, a chaotic nation in the Horn of Africa.
‘We are currently assessing the results of the operation, and will provide additional information as appropriate,’ Maj. Audricia Harris, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an email on Monday.
American officials have said in recent weeks that the military would carry out strikes against elements of the Shabab that plotted attacks, trained militants, stored munitions or other supplies, or other targets that supported and sustained the militancy.”
-Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Carries Out Drone Strike Against Shabab Militants in Somalia,” The New York Times online, July 3, 2017