# Airstrikes in East Africa: Catherine Besteman and Amanda Sperber on US Militarism in Somalia

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2020/05/airstrikes-in-east-africa-catherine-besteman-and-amanda-sperber-on-u-s-militarism-in-somalia/
- Published: 2020-05-28T16:23:00-04:00

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This [episode](https://www.noneoftheabovepodcast.org/episodes/episode26) marks the
end of the first season of the Institute for Global Affairs podcast, _None Of The
Above_. We conclude our season with a topic that gets far too little attention in
the mainstream media: the history of the US military’s involvement in Somalia, a
country deeply mired in terrorism, poverty, and war. Mark sits down with Nairobi-
based journalist Amanda Sperber and anthropologist Catherine Besteman to unpack 
why the United States is waging an unofficial drone war in Somalia and explores 
the history and human costs of this conflict. They discuss the evolution of Al-Shabaab(
an affiliate of Al-Qaeda), civilian casualties from US airstrikes, and how Somalia
exemplifies what many consider to be the strategic and moral failings of America’s
global war on terror. Have a listen, let us know what you think, and we’ll see you
in August when we return for Season 2.

**Listen Here:** [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/none-of-the-above/id1460825733)
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**This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now 
known as the Institute for Global Affairs.**