CNN: Trump Orders Precision Airstrikes in Somalia

RUSH TRANSCRIPT WHITFIELD Now ░░░░░░░░ this breaking news President ░░░░░░░░ just announced precision airstrikes ░░░░░░░░ Somalia marking his first ░░░░░░░░ strikes of his second ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ s Alayna Treene is ░░░░░░░░ Florida where the president ░░░░░░░░ spending the weekend So ░░░░░░░░ what s behind this ░░░░░░░░ Well that s right ░░░░░░░░ we did hear from ░░░░░░░░ former or excuse me ░░░░░░░░ president Donald Trump directly ░░░░░░░░ moments ago stating on ░░░░░░░░ Truth Social website that ░░░░░░░░ has ordered precision military ░░░░░░░░ in Somalia Of what ░░░░░░░░ posted He said quote ░░░░░░░░ morning I ordered precision ░░░░░░░░ airstrikes on the senior ░░░░░░░░ s I s attack ░░░░░░░░ and other terrorists He ░░░░░░░░ and led in Somalia ░░░░░░░░ killers who we found ░░░░░░░░ in caves threatened the ░░░░░░░░ States and our allies ░░░░░░░░ strikes destroyed the caves ░░░░░░░░ lived in and killed ░░░░░░░░ terrorists without in any ░░░░░░░░ harming civilians Now we ░░░░░░░░ heard fred from the ░░░░░░░░ secretary of defense Pete ░░░░░░░░ He confirmed that he ░░░░░░░░ he had authorized these ░░░░░░░░ airstrikes and also that ░░░░░░░░ people were killed in ░░░░░░░░ strikes This is what ░░░░░░░░ said in a statement ░░░░░░░░ said quote at President ░░░░░░░░ s direction and in ░░░░░░░░ with the federal government ░░░░░░░░ Somalia I authorized U ░░░░░░░░ Africa command to conduct ░░░░░░░░ airstrikes today targeting I ░░░░░░░░ I s Somalia operatives ░░░░░░░░ the Jo Ellis mountains ░░░░░░░░ went on to say ░░░░░░░░ our initial assessment is ░░░░░░░░ multiple operatives operatives were ░░░░░░░░ in the airstrikes and ░░░░░░░░ civilians were harmed This ░░░░░░░░ further degrades I s ░░░░░░░░ s s ability to ░░░░░░░░ and conduct terrorist attacks ░░░░░░░░ went on to discuss ░░░░░░░░ strategy further Now I ░░░░░░░░ want to be clear ░░░░░░░░ well here fred that ░░░░░░░░ president did also attack ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration and the ░░░░░░░░ president for what he ░░░░░░░░ was not doing enough ░░░░░░░░ these similar types of ░░░░░░░░ in Somalia But we ░░░░░░░░ know that these types ░░░░░░░░ strikes are actually pretty ░░░░░░░░ particularly those targeting Somalia ░░░░░░░░ know that during the ░░░░░░░░ Administration they carried out ░░░░░░░░ airstrikes and military strikes ░░░░░░░░ on I s I ░░░░░░░░ but also al shabab ░░░░░░░░ During his first term ░░░░░░░░ also wanted to note ░░░░░░░░ the U S has ░░░░░░░░ provided ongoing support to ░░░░░░░░ Somali government ever since ░░░░░░░░ President Joe Biden had ░░░░░░░░ a pentagon request in ░░░░░░░░ to put more troops ░░░░░░░░ the region to deal ░░░░░░░░ the growing terrorist threat ░░░░░░░░ again this is something ░░░░░░░░ know that was pretty ░░░░░░░░ during the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ of course we are ░░░░░░░░ from the president directly ░░░░░░░░ that he has authored ░░░░░░░░ strikes authorized these strikes ░░░░░░░░ that they were successful ░░░░░░░░ taking out this I ░░░░░░░░ I s attack planner ░░░░░░░░ others that they deemed ░░░░░░░░ be a threat to ░░░░░░░░ region and to the ░░░░░░░░ States WHITFIELD Is this ░░░░░░░░ a continuation of an ░░░░░░░░ established policy since you ░░░░░░░░ these strikes were taking ░░░░░░░░ during the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ now this is the ░░░░░░░░ of this new administration ░░░░░░░░ Fred because we are ░░░░░░░░ learning more information I ░░░░░░░░ ask the White House ░░░░░░░░ they had more details ░░░░░░░░ the nature of this ░░░░░░░░ what led the president ░░░░░░░░ to do this And ░░░░░░░░ of course we saw ░░░░░░░░ kind of celebrating the ░░░░░░░░ and their success on ░░░░░░░░ media I think we ░░░░░░░░ still learning more details ░░░░░░░░ the White House told ░░░░░░░░ They will provide more ░░░░░░░░ they come but this ░░░░░░░░ all of the information ░░░░░░░░ will be giving us ░░░░░░░░ this time So it ░░░░░░░░ hard to say if ░░░░░░░░ is a continuation of ░░░░░░░░ Biden policy but it ░░░░░░░░ something like I noted ░░░░░░░░ we know that the ░░░░░░░░ president—“