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Saturday 20 January 2018
Russia exhorts Trump on ‘Russo-phobic’ intrigues US-backed Somalia

commandos kill 4
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — paign is being investigated But Lavrov said he is con- agenda. al-Shabab militants
Russia’s top diplomat ex- by an FBI special counsel vinced Americans will Asked about the new U.S.
horted President Donald for possibly colluding with eventually tire of playing military priorities of coun-
Trump on Friday to counter Russia to interfere in the the “Russo-phobic card” tering China’s rapidly ex- By ABDI GULED
what he called “Russo-pho- 2016 presidential election. and recognize it’s in their panding military and an Associated Press
bic” intrigues against him in He said any improvement interest to improve ties be- increasingly aggressive MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)
the United States in order in U.S.-Russian relations de- tween Washington and Russia, he said, “It is regret- — Somali and U.S. com-
to improve ties between pends in part on “the pre- Moscow. table that instead of hav- mandos stormed a camp
Washington and Moscow. paredness and capability Lavrov said in a wide-rang- ing normal dialogue ... the for al-Shabab extremist
Foreign Minister Sergey Lav- of Mr. Trump to counter the ing news conference that U.S. is trying to prove their fighters in an overnight
rov didn’t offer a specific domestic intrigues which this is especially important leadership through such raid, killing at least four of
course of action for Trump, are directed first and fore- given the international se- confrontational strategies the fighters and rescuing
whose presidential cam- most against him per se.” curity issues on the global and concepts.”q dozens of child conscripts,
a Somali intelligence of-
Mattis: US competitive warfighting edge has eroded ficial said Friday. The offi-
cial, who spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity because
By LOLITA C. BALDOR he was not authorized to
Associated Press speak to the media, said
WASHINGTON (AP) — special forces raided the
Countering China’s rapidly camp in Jame’o village
expanding military and an in Middle Shabelle re-
increasingly aggressive gion. A local commander
Russia are now the U.S. was among those killed,
military’s top national secu- he said. A second official
rity priorities, outpacing the confirmed the raid, which
threat of terrorism, Defense was carried out with the
Secretary Jim Mattis said support of helicopters that
Friday. He said competi- later evacuated the young
tion with those adversaries recruits. Human Rights
has threatened America’s Watch earlier in the week
military advantage around accused al-Shabab of the
the world. forced recruitment of hun-
Laying out a broad new dreds of children in recent
strategy for the Defense months. The recruitment of
Department, Mattis warned children is a long-standing
that all aspects of the mili- practice of the al-Qaida-
tary’s competitive warfight- linked group which faces
ing edge have eroded. growing military pressure
He said building a force across south and central
that can deter war with Defense Secretary James Mattis speaks about the National Defense Review, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, Somalia. Thirty boys were
established and emerg- in Washington. China’s expanding military and an increasingly aggressive Russia are among the rescued in the overnight
ing military powers in Mos- U.S. military’s top national security priorities, the Pentagon said Friday. raid, Somalia’s informa-
cow and Beijing, and U.S. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) tion minister, Abdirahman
enemies such as North ous administrations than than you’re willing to sacri- about Russia, given Mos- Omar Osman, told The As-
Korea and Iran will require President Donald Trump’s fice for. We’re all going to cow’s takeover of Ukrai- sociated Press. “Al-Shabab
increased investment to “America First” ideas. That have to put our shoulder to nian territory, involvement bas once again demon-
make the military more le- mantra was repeated in a the wagon and move it up in Syria’s war and alleged strated their barbarity and
thal, agile and ready to national security strategy the hill.” meddling in the 2016 U.S. their complete disregard
fight. “We will continue to that Trump’s administration Did the message resonate? presidential election. for human rights,” the
prosecute the campaign released in December. “It’s going better than ex- “We’ve been doing a lot of minister said. “The group
against terrorists that we The U.S. and its allies, Mattis pected,” Mattis said Friday. things in the last 25 years, uses these indoctrination
are engaged in today, but said, are stronger together. The most dominant theme and we’ve been focused camps to brainwash young
great power competition He recalled going to his first in his strategy is for the U.S. on really other problems men and force them to
— not terrorism — is now NATO meeting last year, to regain its competitive and this strategy really rep- conduct attacks and sui-
the primary focus of U.S. carrying Trump’s demand edge with China and Rus- resents a fundamental shift cide bombings.” He said
national security,” Defense for nations to increase sia, according to an 11- to say, look, we have to get Somalia’s military was mak-
Secretary Jim Mattis said in their defense spending page, unclassified version back, in a sense, to basics ing “significant progress” in
remarks at the Johns Hop- and thinking about how released by the Pentagon. of the potential for war,” retaking territory from the
kins School of Advanced to fit Trump’s message into That shift reflects persistent said Elbridge Colby, the extremist group. Also on Fri-
International Studies. the broader framework of U.S. worries about China’s deputy assistant defense day, the U.S. military said it
He said the Islamic State working with partners. military buildup in the South secretary for strategy. “This had carried out an airstrike
group’s “physical caliph- When he got to Brussels, China Sea, its moves to ex- strategy says the focus will in Somalia that killed four
ate” in Iraq and Syria had Mattis said he told the alli- pand its political and eco- be on prioritizing prepared- members of the al-Shabab
been defeated, but that ance: “Here’s the bottom nomic influence, and what ness for war and particular- extremist group.
IS, al-Qaida and other ex- line: Please do not ask me has been described as Bei- ly major power war.” A statement from the U.S.
tremists still pose threats to go back and tell Ameri- jing’s systematic campaign Previous defense chiefs Africa Command said the
across the globe. cans — the American par- of cyberattacks and data long warned about China, strike was carried out Thurs-
Mattis repeated his call for ents — that they need to theft from government and the Obama adminis- day about 50 kilometers
America to work closely care more about the safety agencies and private U.S. tration put a greater focus (31 miles) northwest of the
with allies and partners — and security and the free- corporations. on the Asia-Pacific region, port city of Kismayo. The
an approach that aligns dom of your children than The shift also underscores including by adding ships statement said no civilians
more closely with previ- you’re willing to care for, broad American concerns and troops. q were killed.q