Posted on 07/23/2014 12:17:51 PM PDT by cocomac
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WJLA) - A Reston, Virginia resident is among three that have been arrested for funding an overseas terrorist group that partners with al-Qa'ida, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
The suspects are accused of providing material support including money to al-Shabaab, a "designated foreign terrorist organization that is conducting a violent insurgency campaign in Somalia," DOJ officials said in a statement.
In addition to the three arrested, officials said there are two more suspects being sought in Kenya and Somalia.
Officials on Wednesday arrested Muna Osman Jama, 34, in her home in Reston.
Also arrested were Hinda Osman Dhirane, 44, at her home in Kent, Washington; and Farhia Hassan at her home in the Netherlands.
The two additional fugitives being sought are Fardowsa Jama Mohamed in Kenya and Barira Hassan Abdullahi in Somalia.
In 2008, the U.S. government designated al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization, and in February 2012, the leaders of al-Shabaab and the terrorist group al-Qaida publicly announced the merger of the two groups.
According to court records, Jama and Dhirane were the leaders of an al-Shabaab fundraising conspiracy operating in the U.S., Kenya, the Netherlands, Somalia and elsewhere.
Jama and Dhirane allegedly directed a network composed primarily of women who provided monthly payments that were coordinated, facilitated and tracked by the defendants to their conduits in Kenya and Somalia.
According to court records, Jama was principally responsible for sending money to Kenya through her conduit, defendant Fardowsa Jama Mohamed, while Dhirane was primarily responsible for sending money to Somalia through her conduit, defendant Barira Hassan Abdullahi.
Records indicate the defendants would refer to the money they sent overseas as living expenses, and they repeatedly used code words such as orphans and brothers in the mountains to refer to al-Shabaab fighters, and camels to refer to trucks needed by al-Shabaab.
The money transfers often were broken down into small amounts as low as $50 or $100, and the funds were intended for use by al-Shabaab insurgents operating in Somalia, DOJ officials said.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on each count in the indictment.
Maybe she thought al Shabaab was a 1960s singing group...
She lived in Northern, VA? No news here folks, keep moving along ...
Hey, I remember them! Didn’t they have a deep voiced singer named Bowser?
That’s them!
I don’t understand. Barry funds terrorist groups. Is that wrong?
Having “lived” there for 30+ years, I can assure you that there are tens of thousands of moozlums around the WDC area who likely are doing similar things. WDC is one very sick place.
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