Today, Explained

Podbit · Today, Explained

Trump’s secret war

Explore episode Jul 6, 2026
News
Every bomb creates new fighters

Trump’s secret war · Jul 6, 2026 News

Two decades of US strikes haven't broken al-Shabaab — and may be fueling its growth. Every bomb that falls drives young Somalis toward the insurgency. Al-Shabaab today runs a parallel government and controls vast territory it didn't hold a decade ago.

Where this was said

US–Somalia Relations: Who Benefits from the Partnership?

At 11:11 · chapter starts 9:20

Gabobe explains the political architecture of US involvement: the Somali federal government welcomes American support because it is fighting a more powerful adversary. The US provides counterterrorism assistance, funds security services, and before the Trump-era dismantling of USAID, was the largest development funder in the country. But Gabobe draws a sharp distinction between supporting the Somali government and supporting the Somali people. Ordinary citizens do not benefit from the American presence; they bear its costs through airstrikes. Gabobe also offers a broader verdict: the international community has done more damage to Somalia than good, with decades of foreign interventions weakening local governance rather than building it.

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