Posted on 07/05/2006 4:00:19 PM PDT by decimon
NAIROBI, Kenya - A recruiting video issued by members of the fundamentalist Islamic movement in Somalia shows Arab radicals fighting alongside the local extremists in Mogadishu, and invites Muslims from around the world to join in their "holy jihad."
The video, obtained by The Associated Press, provides the first hard evidence that non-Somalis have joined with Islamic extremists in Somalia.
The Supreme Islamic Courts Council, which defeated U.S.-backed warlords in Mogadishu last month and is now the country's most powerful force, has repeatedly denied links to extremists such as al-Qaida.
But the one-hour video appears to confirm U.S. fears - and al-Qaida's boasts.
President Bush expressed concern last month that Somalia could become an al-Qaida haven like Afghanistan was in the late 1990s. And recordings attributed to Osama bin Laden portray Somalia as a battleground in his war on the United States.
The videotape, produced to both recruit new fighters and raise funds, glorifies the Islamic victory over U.S.-backed, secular warlords in Somalia. U.S. officials cooperated with the warlords, hoping to capture three al-Qaida leaders allegedly protected by the Islamic council, especially three men accused in the deadly 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Those singled out by the United States include the courts council leader, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, branded a terrorist by the Americans.
Aweys, speaking on Somali radio over the weekend, said his movement had no contacts with bin Laden or al-Qaida. He also rejected accusations that foreign fighters were in Somalia.
But the video, shot on a handheld recorder, shows Arab fighters preparing for a major battle on the northern outskirts of Mogadishu. Arabic anthems and poetry play on the audio track urging Muslims to join the global holy war to advance Islam and defeat its enemies.
The video starts with a black flag featuring a Quranic verse and a saber fluttering in the wind. Such black banners have only recently appeared in Somalia but have been used by Islamic extremists in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon for years.
After a few minutes of battle footage, the tape documents the Arab fighters' predawn preparations for battle, including prayers, a commander's speech to his troops and the preparation of weapons. The Arab fighters then climb onto two pickup trucks mounted with heavy machine guns, which the Somalis call "technicals."
As the sun rises, the location of the Arab camp north of Mogadishu becomes clear and six more trucks loaded with Somali fighters come into view. A senior member of the Islamic group, Yusuf Indohaadde, is filmed walking among the men before the pickups roll out of an old warehouse compound.
The rest of the footage follows one group of Somali militiamen as they battle troops loyal to warlords who controlled Mogadishu for 15 years and had ties to the United States. The tape ends with the capture of Essaleh, a small town with strategic air and sea ports three miles north of Mogadishu.
Most of the tape's audio is filled with Arabic prose and songs urging Muslims to join the holy war against the West, or recordings of speeches given by Somali Islamic extremists. One of the voices speaking Somali is clearly not a native speaker.
There are also subtitles in Arabic and Somali calling the battle part of "the sacred, holy jihad in Somalia" and "the holy war that began in Somalia."
The tape is similar to other videos produced by Islamic extremists in Iraq and other countries where al-Qaida is active.
Evan Kohlmann, an international terrorism consultant who closely follows statements and videos from militant Islamic groups, said the video has traits similar to those produced by Islamic militants elsewhere in the world. If it is confirmed that Arab militants fought alongside likeminded Somalis, it likely would affect how the international community treats the Islamic group.
"I think it is tremendously significant and may be the determining piece of evidence that will decide U.S. policy on Somalia," he said. "Sounds a lot like al-Qaida when the Taliban were just getting started in Afghanistan."
Since the defeat of the warlords, the United States has set up the International Somali Contact Group to coordinate policy toward Somalia with other interested nations. U.S. officials have said that counterrorism is the primary focus of policy toward Somalia.
Just love the HOA...look at the ever expanding Islam world, where will it lead?
Well I see we have finally found a war American Leftists can support. Since there is no possible US National Intrest to defend in Somalia, they will be all for sending troops there.
Chris Tomlinson will soon be fired by the AP, I predict.
I disagree with those who say this is not an issue.
Al Queda seems to look for lawless nations where they can set up shop and this is an obvious location. We will have to deal with this at some point, and when we do I'll be remembering Bill Freaking Clinton turning tail and not getting the job done. Almost as stupid as Carter (though it's not possible to be as stupid as Carter).
We backed the warlords because they opposed the Islamists.
You say we were not long before fighting some of these same people? Yup.
How long until this comes to the storefront mosque near you?
I doubt the left will support any action in Somalia. The U.S. interest in Somalia will be the same as in Afghanistan.
They aren't extremists. They are radicals.
Good. I feared they might be insurgents.
There is not one iota of doubt about it.
Before Islam, Satan used Communism. Before Communism, Satan used Fascism.
Before Fascism, there were 100 ideologies and sins of man that he could exploit.
There is just one thing Satan does not want to accept.
God is stronger, and God will defeat evil once and for all.
There you two go again ruining a perfectly good rant with little things like logic and fact. :-)
I can run your list a little further back (commenatary decidedly Eurocentric).
Before fascism, Satan used nationalism.
Before nationalism, Satan used Islam.
Before Islam, Satan used credal disunity among Western European Christians.
Before credal disunity, Satan used Islam.
Before Islam, Satan used paganism.
(And that's about as far back as it goes.)
And for all the Somalis now living in the US???
Excellent.
bttt
I'm not getting your point.
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