US Military Policy in Somalia and Counter Piracy

Amanda J. Dory, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, testified on 8 October 2013 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Somalia.  She discussed US military policy in the region going forward.

Dory commented that while al-Shabaab has been weakened as a conventional fighting force in Somalia, it "is still dangerous and capable of conducting sophisticated unconventional attacks to disrupt AMISOM operations and the Somali government."  She testified that "thanks to changes in business practices by the commercial maritime industry, and the presence of international naval forces, piracy is almost non-existent off the coast of Somalia.  The last successful hijacking of a major commercial ship was in May 2012."