This is

CVS. I am the world. I'm John Bachelor.

I welcome Bill Rajo, Senior Fellow Foundation for Defense of Democracy

as my colleague and co-host,

we're thrilled to be able to speak with Caleb Weiss of the Bridgeway Foundation and

the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy at the Long War Journal. He is in Africa and East and West

Africa are in turmoil, have been for some time. We begin, however, with the threat of the

jihadist al-Qaeda under the guise of al-Shabaab in and around Somalia.

Caleb, a very good evening to you, it's been some weeks since we updated.

You have identified Somalia as at risk of falling under completely the power of al-Shabaab's to become an Islamic republic.

What is the status of the central government in Mogadishu and what is the season, the campaign season for Al-Shabaab.

Good evening to you.

Good evening, John. Thank you for having me again.

I wish I had a rosy or picture to paint than I did a few weeks ago, but the situation in

Somalia is still very bad for the central government in Mogadishu. The central government is still proclaiming to have a so-called counter-offensive

against Shabab. In fact, just the last couple of days they announced a

quote-unquote expansion of the so-called counter-offensive in the

country's center and in Middle Chabelle towards the south although I put this in quotes because it's not really a counter offensive anymore it's it's doing attacks or raids on Chabab here and there

but without any you know sustainability to that.

Chababa on the other hand is still mounting counterattacks.

They're still raiding bases.

They're still able to do assassinations,

...