14 Indicted for Supporting al Shabaab

Two Americans are under arrest and 12 other U.S. citizens have been charged with acts of terrorism that include providing money, personnel, and other material support to the Somali-based terrorist organization al Shabaab.

Results of an FBI-led global investigation were announced today at Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, where indictments were unsealed charging individuals in Minnesota, Alabama, and California. Twelve of the 14 under indictment are fugitives believed to be in Somalia.

On Feb. 29, 2008, the U.S. Department of State designated al Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization, describing it as a violent and brutal extremist group based in Somalia with a number of individuals affiliated with al Qaeda. This designation prohibits providing material support or resources to al Shabaab.

Virginia Man Accused of Providing Material Support to Terrorists (7/21/10) FBI and Uganda Police Seek Assistance Identifying 7/11 Bombers (7/19/10) Minnesota Man Sentenced for Obstructing Investigation of Missing Somali Men (7/16/10) Two N.J. Men Charged with Conspiring to Kill Persons Outside U.S. (6/06/10) Terror Charges Unsealed in Minnesota Against Eight Defendants (11/23/09) “These indictments and arrests,” said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, “shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to al Shabaab from cities across the United States.”

The government designated al Shabaab a terrorist organization in 2008. The group has ties to al Qaeda and has made numerous public statements threatening to harm the United States.

“Terrorist organizations such as al Shabaab continue to radicalize and recruit U.S. citizens and others to train and fight with them and to provide support for their violent activities,” said Sean Joyce, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Today’s charges and arrests give us all greater insight into the evolving nature of the terrorist threat we face.”

The two arrested today—women who were naturalized U.S. citizens and residents of Minnesota—have been charged with raising money to support al Shabaab through door-to-door solicitations and teleconferences in Somali communities in Minnesota and other locations in the U.S. and Canada. In some cases, funds were raised under the false pretense that they would be used to help the poor. The others indicted—mostly young men—were charged with leaving the U.S. to join al Shabaab.

The charges resulted from investigations coordinated by the FBI and the Department of Justice and that involved our law enforcement partners around the world. Our Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Minneapolis, Mobile, and San Diego played a particularly significant role, Joyce said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Recruitment by al Shabaab among the Somali-American community is a “disturbing phenomenon that we’ve been investigating intensely in recent years,” Holder said. He noted that in Minnesota alone, between September 2007 and October 2009, 20 or more young men traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia for al Shabaab training. Many of them ultimately fought for the Muslim extremist group against Ethiopian forces, African Union troops, and the transitional government there. At least one young man from Minneapolis went on to become the first known U.S. citizen suicide bomber.

“As demonstrated by the charges unsealed today, we are seeing an increasing number of individuals—including U.S. citizens—who have become captivated by extremist ideology and have taken steps to carry out terrorist objectives, either at home or abroad,” Holder said.

“For those who would become terrorists, these cases send a strong message,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. “They underscore the need for continued vigilance against those who may seek to harm us and our way of life.” He added, “Our agents and analysts will continue to confront this threat with a strong and coordinated effort as we work to protect all Americans.”

Indictment:
http://media.signonsandiego.com/news/documents/2010/08/05/somalia.pdf

Thanks to a special freepmailer for pointing to this article.

Note: Photos included.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/05/san-diegan-among-those-charged-aiding-somalian-ter/

“Former SD man among 14 charged with aiding terror group”
BY GREG MORAN, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 5, 2010 AT 11:01 A.M., UPDATED AUGUST 5, 2010 AT 8:37 P.M.

SNIPPET: “A former San Diego man is one of 14 people charged by federal prosecutors with helping a Somali-based terrorist organization that has ties to al-Qaeda.

Jehad Serwan Mostafa, 28...”

SNIPPET: “Mostafa grew up in San Diego and attended college here...”

SNIPPET: “Harrigan said Mostafa is believed to be in Somalia now and left the United States in December 2005.”

SNIPPET: “Public records show that Jehad Mostafa had a license to be a security guard from the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. It was issued in 2000 and expired in 2006.

Records also show that a Jehad Mostafa was the owner of an auto business in the 6900 block of El Cajon Boulevard from 2002 to 2004.”

NOTE The following text is a quote:

http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=60334

U.S. Indicts 14 for Support of al-Qaida Affiliate

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2010 – The Justice Department announced charges today against 14 people in three U.S. states with ties to an al-Qaida affiliate in Somalia, just as a new State Department report highlighted concerns about al-Qaida’s inroads across Africa.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the department unsealed four separate indictments charging people in Minnesota, Alabama and California with providing money, personnel and services to al-Shabaab, a terrorist group operating in Somalia with ties to al-Qaida.

Among them were Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, arrested today in Minnesota for providing funds to al-Shabaab, Holder said during a news conference. Most of the other defendants already are in custody, he reported.

“These indictments and arrests … shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to al-Shabaab from cities across the United States,” Holder said during a news conference.

“As demonstrated by the charges unsealed today, we are seeing an increasing number of individuals, including U.S. citizens, who have become captivated by extremist ideology and have taken steps to carry out terrorist objectives, either at home or abroad,” Holder said. “It’s a disturbing trend that we have been intensely investigating.”

As those investigations continue, Holder said, today’s events provide “an unmistakable warning” to anyone considering joining or supporting terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab.

“If you choose this route, you can expect to find yourself in a U.S. jail or a casualty on the battlefield in Somalia,” he said.

Today’s announcement came as the State Department released a report to Congress highlighting concerns about al-Qaida’s growing foothold in Africa.
Al-Shabaab’s leadership supports al-Qaida, the report concluded, with both groups presenting “a serious terrorist threat to America and allied interests throughout the Horn of Africa.”

Ongoing fighting between al-Shabaab, the Somalia Islamic insurgent group Hizbul Islam, and other factions and militias and Somalia’s transitional federal government have left Somalia “highly unstable,” the report said. As a result, Somalia provides “a permissive environment for terrorist transit and training,” it said.

Related Sites:
State Department Report
Justice Department News Release
Holder’s Remarks

Shabaab's foreign commanders have trained in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan or Pakistan, and many have entered Somalia over the past year to assume top leadership roles in Shabaab. The al Qaeda commanders come from Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan, and the United States.

The names of some of the foreign al Qaeda leaders include:

Fazul Abdullah Mohammed - Fazul, a Kenyan, was appointed by Osama bin Laden as al Qaeda's leader in East Africa in late 2009. Before the death of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, Fazul served as the military operations chief for al Qaeda in East Africa. Fazul is an experienced al Qaeda leader who is known to be able to move in and out of East African countries with ease. In August 2008, he slipped a police dragnet in Kenya. Fazul has been sheltering in Somalia with Shabaab and the Islamic Courts for years. Fazul is considered to be Shabaab's military leader, while Sheikh Muktar Abdelrahman Abu Zubeyr is Shabaab's spiritual leader.

Shaykh Muhammad Abu Fa'id - Fai'd, a Saudi citizen, serves as a top financier financier and a "manager" for Shabaab.

Abu Sulayman Al Banadiri - Banadiri is a Somali of Yemeni descent. He serves as a top adviser to Zubeyr, and trained in an al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan.

Abu Musa Mombasa - Mombasa, a Pakistani citizen, serves as Shabaab's chief of security and training.

Abu Mansour al Amriki - Amriki, whose real name is Omar Hammami, is a US citizen who converted to Islam and traveled to Somalia in 2006. Once in Somalia, he quickly rose through the ranks, and now serves as a military commander, recruiter, financier, and propagandist. Amriki appears in several Shabaab propaganda tapes.

Mahmud Mujajir - Mujajir, a Sudanese citizen, is Shabaab's chief of recruitment for suicide bombers.

Abdifatah Aweys Abu Hamza - Hamza is a Somali national who trained in Afghanistan. He is the commander of the Mujahideen of Al Quds, or Shabaab's Jerusalem Brigade, a military formation.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/08/al_qaeda_leaders_pla.php#ixzz0vorkPZkI

http://www.investigativeproject.org/2092/minneapolis-somalis-played-key-role-in-al-shabaab

“Minneapolis Somalis Played Key Role in al-Shabaab Investigation”

IPT News
August 6, 2010

SNIPPET: “Federal law enforcement officials are praising Somali-Americans for their help in an investigation which resulted in the indictment Thursday of 14 people on charges of providing money, services and personnel to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab. A large part of the credit goes to Abdirizak Bihi, a Somali community leader in Minneapolis who persevered despite opposition from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and hostile mosque leaders.

Bihi, whose teenage nephew was killed after he went to fight for al-Shabaab last year, persuaded Somali families to cooperate with the FBI’s investigation of al-Shabaab. He expressed hope that the legal process may provide answers about the disappearances of 20 teenagers and young men from the area who went to Somalia since 2007 to fight for al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al Qaida.”

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/minneapolis/press-releases/2011/man-extradited-from-netherlands-appears-in-federal-court-on-charges-of-supporting-terrorists

Man Extradited from Netherlands Appears in Federal Court on Charges of Supporting Terrorists

U.S. Attorney’s Office
August 15, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, Mahamud Said Omar made his initial appearance on charges related to supporting al Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization with ties to al Qaeda. He appeared before United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis.

On August 20, 2009, Omar, age 45, formerly of Minneapolis, was indicted in federal court in the District of Minnesota with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and foreign terrorist organizations as well as conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad. Omar, also known as Mohamud Said Omar and Sharif Omar, was arrested in the Netherlands in November of 2009. He was extradited from the Netherlands to the United States earlier this week.

The 2009 indictment states that from September of 2007 through August of 2009, Omar, a Somali citizen who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States, conspired with others to provide financial assistance as well as personnel to al Shabaab. Court documents allege that Omar gave money to young men so they could travel from Minneapolis to Somalia to train with and fight for al Shabaab. Omar also allegedly visited an al Shabaab safe house in Marka, south of Mogadishu, where he provided the Minneapolis men with hundreds of dollars for the purchase of AK-47 assault rifles to use in their efforts.

This case arose out of “Operation Rhino,” an investigation that focused on the disappearance of young ethnic Somali men who lived in the Minneapolis area and were ultimately found to have been recruited to fight with al Shabaab back in Somalia. The earliest groups of identified “travelers” departed the United States in October and December 2007, while others left in February 2008, August 2008, November 2008, and October 2009. Upon arriving in Somalia, the men resided in al Shabaab safe houses in Southern Somalia until constructing an al Shabaab training camp, where they were trained by senior members of al Shabaab along with a senior member of al Qaeda.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is grateful for the assistance provided in this case by the Dutch National Police Agency (KLPD), the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice, the Office of the Dutch Public Prosecutor, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department, and the FBI’s legal attaché at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague in the Netherlands. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles J. Kovats and John Docherty and Trial Attorney William M. Narus of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.

http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-chicago/minn-trial-accuses-u-s-citizens-of-deadly-pipeline-to-al-shabaab

“Minn. Trial Accuses U.S.Citizens of “Deadly Pipeline” to Al-Shabaab”
Ellen Cannon, Chicago Homeland Security Examiner
October 2, 2011

SNIPPET: “Amina Farah Ali’s trial will start on October 3, 2011 in Minneapolis. Ali, a 35 year old U.S. citizen of Somali descent accused of funneling money to Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group in Somalia. Ms. Ali and her co-defendant, 64 year old Hawo Hassan, are accused of collecting money for Al Shabaab and telling potential donors to ignore charities and focus on the “the jihad by helping to finance local Somali men’s travel to Somalia to fight”.

Ms. Ali and Ms. Hassen were indicted on June 21, 2011.”

SNIPPET: “The indictment alleges that as part of a larger conspiracy, Ms. Ali communicated by phone with people in Somalia who requested financial assistance for the terror group Al –Shabaab.

According to the Justice Department, Ms. Ali allegedly “raised money for these individuals by soliciting funds door to door in Somali communities in Minneapolis, Rochester, Minnesota, and other locations in the U.S. and Canada”. In addition, Ms. Ali is accused of raising money by direct appeals to individuals participating in teleconferences that featured speakers who encourage donations to support Al-Shabaab. Ali allegedly raised funds under false pretenses that such funds were for the poor and the needy. (Department of Justice, 8/5/10)”

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/minneapolis/press-releases/2011/two-minnesota-women-convicted-of-providing-material-support-to-al-shabaab

Two Minnesota Women Convicted of Providing Material Support to al Shabaab

U.S. Attorney’s Office
October 20, 2011

District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in the District of Minnesota, a jury found two Rochester, Minn., women guilty of providing material support to al Shabaab, a designated terrorist organization.

Following a 10-day trial, the jury convicted Amina Farah Ali, 35, and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, 64, both naturalized U.S. citizens from Somalia, of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. In addition, Ali was convicted of 12 counts of providing material support to al Shabaab, while Hassan was also convicted of two counts of making false statements to authorities.

Ali was detained by authorities following today’s verdict. Hassan was also detained but will be shortly transferred to a halfway house.

The evidence admitted at trial established that the defendants provided support to al Shabaab from Sept. 17, 2008, through July 19, 2010. Specifically, the evidence established that Ali communicated by telephone with al Shabaab members in Somalia who requested financial assistance for al Shabaab. Ali, Hassan, and others raised money for al Shabaab by soliciting funds door-to-door in Somali communities in Minneapolis, Rochester, and other cities in the United States and Canada. In addition, the defendants raised money by participating in teleconferences that featured speakers who encouraged donations to support al Shabaab. Ali also raised funds under the false pretense that the funds were for the poor and needy.

Ali and others then transferred funds to al Shabaab through various money remittance companies. Ali and others used false names to identify the recipients of the funds in order to conceal that the funds were being provided to al Shabaab. The indictment lists 12 money transfers directed to al Shabaab by Ali.

The defendants and others committed several overt acts in order to carry out the fund-raising conspiracy. For example, on Oct. 26, 2008, Ali hosted a teleconference during which an unindicted co-conspirator told listeners that it was not the time to help the poor and needy in Somalia; rather, it was time to give to the mujahidin. Ali and Hassan recorded $2,100 in pledges at the conclusion of the teleconference. On Feb. 10, 2009, Ali conducted another fund-raising teleconference during which she told listeners to “forget about the other charities” and focus on “the jihad.”

On July 14, 2009, the day after the FBI executed a search warrant at her home, Ali telephoned her primary al Shabaab contact, saying, “I was questioned by the enemy here . . . . they took all my stuff and are investigating it . . . do not accept calls from anyone.” In addition, when Hassan was questioned by agents in an investigation involving international terrorism, she made false statements.

For their crimes, the defendants face a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. Ali also faces a potential 15 years for each count of providing material support to a terrorist organization, while Hassan faces a potential eight years for each count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis will determine their sentences at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Paulsen and Steven Ward of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/sandiego/press-releases/2011/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-to-provide-material-support-to-al-shabaab

San Diego Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to al Shabaab

U.S. Attorney’s Office
December 01, 2011

Southern District of California

SAN DIEGO—Nima Yusuf, 25, a resident of San Diego, pleaded guilty today in federal court in San Diego to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy announced. Yusuf entered her plea before Magistrate Judge Ruben B. Brooks, and the plea is subject to final acceptance by U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz at or before sentencing.

As part of her plea, Yusuf admitted that she entered into an agreement with Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, Abdisalan Hussein Ali, Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, and Abdiweili Yassin Isse to provide material support to al Shabaab in the form of money and personnel to work under the direction and control of al Shabaab. Yusuf admitted that she entered this agreement despite knowing that the United States had designated al Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization and that it was illegal to provide money or other material support to al Shabaab.

Hassan, Ali, Faarax and Isse are charged separately in a federal grand jury indictment in Minnesota for conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, among other offenses. The Minnesota indictment also charges Faarax with solicitation to commit a crime of violence, based on his alleged recruitment of three other men to travel to Somalia to fight for al Shabaab, one of whom is believed to have carried out a suicide bombing on al Shabaab’s behalf in or about October 2008.

As part of her guilty plea, Yusuf admitted that she knew Hassan, Ali, Faarax and Isse had left the United States to join and fight for al Shabaab in Somalia. She admitted that, between approximately February 2010 and November 2010, she sent approximately $1,450 to these men, who were then fighting in Somalia for al Shabaab. She also admitted that, when she was twice interviewed by agents from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security concerning her activities, she falsely denied sending any money to Somalia.

Al Shabaab is a terrorist organization based in Somalia, with objectives including the overthrow of the Transitional Federal Government, the elimination of African Union support for the TFG and the imposition of Shari’a law in Somalia. Al Shabaab has engaged in and used violence, intimidation and acts of terrorism, including suicide bombings, in Somalia and elsewhere to further its objectives.

Yusuf is next scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on Feb. 10, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz in San Diego. She remains held without bail pending sentencing. She faces a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This investigation was conducted by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI.

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/minneapolis/press-releases/2012/ohio-man-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-to-provide-material-support-to-somali-based-terror-group

Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Somali-Based Terror Group

U.S. Attorney’s Office
February 06, 2012
District of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 27-year-old man from Westerville, Ohio pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide money and personnel to al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Somalia. Ahmed Hussein Mahamud, formerly of Eden Prairie, Minn., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Mahamud, who was indicted on June 7, 2011, entered his plea before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis.

In his plea agreement, Mahamud admitted that from 2008 through February 2011, he conspired with others to provide money and people to al Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, in its fight against the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and the Ethiopian military, which supports the TFG.

The defendant also admitted that he and his co-conspirators raised money from the Somali-American community in Minnesota under false pretenses to pay for men in Minnesota to travel to Somalia to join al Shabaab. Specifically, the defendant and his co-conspirators claimed the money raised would be used for a local mosque or to help orphans in Somalia. In fact, the money collected was used to purchase airline tickets and to pay other expenses so men could travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join al Shabaab.

Further, Mahamud admittedly sent money via wire transfers to a co-conspirator in Somalia, knowing the money would be used to purchase weapons or otherwise support al Shabaab.

Court documents indicate that since September 2007, approximately 20 young men have left the Minneapolis area for Somalia, where they have trained with al Shabaab. The charges against Mahamud stem from an ongoing, three-year investigation into that activity. To date, 18 people have been charged in the District of Minnesota in unsealed indictments or criminal complaints. Eight of those individuals have been arrested in the United States or overseas; of these eight, seven have pleaded guilty to related charges. Of the remaining 10 defendants, eight are at large and believed to be abroad, while two others are believed to have died in Somalia.

The charge levied against Mahamud carries a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A federal judge will determine the actual sentence at a hearing not yet scheduled.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with assistance from the FBI’s JTTF in Columbus, Ohio. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles J. Kovats, Jr. and John Docherty and Trial Attorney William M. Narus of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/minneapolis/press-releases/2012/federal-jury-convicts-minneapolis-man-of-supporting-foreign-terrorists

Federal Jury Convicts Minneapolis Man of Supporting Foreign Terrorists

U.S. Attorney’s Office
October 18, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS—Today in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, a trial jury found Mahamud Said Omar, 46, of Minneapolis, guilty of providing material support to al Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.

Following a trial that began on October 1, 2012, Omar, also known as Mohamud Said Omar and Sharif Omar, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, one count of providing material support to terrorists, one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, one count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and one count of conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure.

Omar was charged in an indictment filed on August 20, 2009, and unsealed on November 23, 2009. He was arrested in the Netherlands in November of 2009 and extradited from the Netherlands to the United States in August 2011, after he had exhausted all options in his effort to avoid returning to the U.S. to face terrorism charges.

“Today’s conviction is the result of our collective efforts to hold accountable those involved in a deadly network that routed funds and fighters from the United States to the al-Shabaab terrorist organization,” said Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors responsible for today’s successful outcome.”

B. Todd Jones, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota added, “Fighting terrorism at home and abroad and ensuring our national security is the number-one priority of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Over the past decade, hundreds of terrorism suspects have been successfully prosecuted in federal courts all across this country. Our efforts in that regard are successful only because of our collaboration with investigative partners at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as with the National Security Division at Main Justice. And while we applaud today’s verdict, we must not forget about the families that continue to mourn the loss of their sons due to these illegal recruitment efforts by the terrorist organization al Shabaab.”

The trial evidence and testimony proved that from September 2007 through August 2009, Omar, a Somali citizen with permanent U.S. resident status, conspired with others to provide financial assistance as well as personnel to al Shabaab. Specifically, Omar facilitated the travel of young men from Minnesota to Somalia, where they trained with and fought for the terrorist group. While on a trip to Somalia, Omar also visited an al Shabaab safehouse, providing those in charge with hundreds of dollars for the purchase of AK-47 assault weapons to be used by the Minneapolis men who had traveled there to fight with al Shabaab.

The evidence presented at trial included, among other things, travel records and money-transfer records, as well as the testimony of four men who had previously pleaded guilty to related charges. The jury also heard wiretap recordings of the defendant himself and the report of a federal law enforcement agent regarding the defendant’s admission of involvement in and support of al Shabaab.

J. Chris Warrener, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, said, “Today’s verdict affirms the crucial and painstaking work of the men and women of the FBI. The FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue those who not only engage in acts of terror, but also those who support terror in any form.”

This case arose out of Operation Rhino, a federal investigation that has focused primarily on the disappearance of approximately 20 young, ethnic Somali men from the Twin Cities area during the past five years.

The young men were recruited to fight with al Shabaab against Somalia’s internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government and African Union peacekeeping troops in Somalia. Shirwa Ahmed was one of the “missing” men. He became the first known U.S. citizen suicide bomber when, on October 29, 2008, he participated in an al Shabaab bombing attack of five locations, including the United Nations Development Program in Somalia. To date, approximately 18 individuals have been indicted through Operation Rhino.

For his crimes, Omar faces a potential maximum penalty of life in federal prison for conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison for each of the remaining charges. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis will determine his sentence at a future hearing, not yet scheduled.

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force, with the assistance of the Netherlands National Police Service, the Netherlands Ministry of Security and Justice, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Docherty, Charles J. Kovats, and LeeAnn K. Bell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota and by Trial Attorney William M. Narus of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

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