US Offers Massive Bounties for Somali Militants

$33 Million in Bounties to Be Announced

The US has been keen to escalate its drone war in Somalia, but has been having trouble finding people to lob missiles at. To that end, the administration is poised to announce a massive new bounty program targeting leaders of al-Shabaab.

The exact details of the bounties will not be released until a formal press conference on Thursday but are said to offer upwards of $33 million for information regarding the whereabouts of various al-Shabaab leaders and supporters.

At present, Somalia is being invaded by Kenya, Ethiopia, and members of the African Union, all trying to install a self-proclaimed transitional government which has stalled in the capital city of Mogadishu. The US has been supporting the assorted invasions, and sent “tons” of arms to the transitional government in giant crates, only for the weapons to show up on the black market.

The nations have claimed significant military gains in recent weeks, and have predicted al-Shabaab’s eventual defeat. Given past predictions to this effect never panned out, it is likely premature to declare the conflict all but over.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.