Trump must hunt ISIS's Somali ghost caliph before Africa’s jihad consolidates
On Feb. 4, 1920, Royal Air Force planes struck the fortified wells and stone forts of Taleh, decisively ending Mohammed Abdullah Hassan’s twenty-year Dervish resistance in British Somaliland. By deploying obsolete bombers alongside a small local levy, Britain accomplished what successive ground columns had repeatedly failed to achieve against a highly resilient jihadi movement. This historical victory offers a stark, enduring lesson for modern strategists.
TL;DR
- In 1920, air power was used to end Mohammed Abdullah Hassan's twenty-year Dervish resistance in British Somaliland.
- This historical event serves as a lesson for modern strategists.
- The U.S. risks distraction, similar to past failures, by focusing on other threats while ISIS rebuilds.
- ISIS is shifting its combat power and recruitment to Africa, where its affiliates conduct the majority of global attacks.
- Residual capacity in Syria and Yemen could be exploited by ISIS's African provinces.