Getting your player ready...
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is considering dispatching surveillance drones and other limited military support for a Somali government offensive against al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, U.S. officials said, part of a cautious move to increase U.S. assistance to the anarchic African nation.
U.S. diplomats are pressing Somali leaders to detail the goals of the looming assault, in order to figure out the most appropriate ways the U.S. can help. U.S. officials are struggling to find the right balance between seizing the opportunity to take out al-Qaeda insurgents there and avoiding the appearance of a U.S. occupation.
