Posted on 12/12/2008 3:57:22 AM PST by Cindy
Pajamas Media | Friday, December 12, 2008 The funeral for Shirwa Ahmed last week in Burnsville, Minnesota, punctuated a growing national security threat metastasizing inside the U.S. — one Homeland Security and law enforcement authorities have quickly taken note of. Ahmed, who killed himself in a suicide bombing attack in Somalia in October, is just one of up to 40 men from the Twin Cities area who have disappeared and are feared to have returned to their homeland for training with the al-Shabaab terrorist group to wage jihad. The FBI is investigating similar disappearances in other major Somali communities in Columbus, OH, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, and Seattle. There are even reports coming from Europe, recently from Denmark, of Somali men returning home to fight with al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations.
ABC News also reports that a Somali from Boston, Tarek Mehenna, a U.S. citizen, was arrested last month on his way to Somalia to wage jihad after being in contact with Daniel Maldonado, a Muslim convert currently in federal prison after pleading guilty to training at a Somali terror training camp after being captured in Kenya with a Somali terrorist cell.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2528758/posts
Quote:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/two_nj_men_arrested_for_terror.html
New Jersey Real-Time News
Breaking Local News from New Jersey
Bergen County, Court news, Crime/Courts, Hudson County, New York City »
SNIPPET: “Two N.J. men arrested at JFK airport before boarding plane to join Islamist terrorist group, authorities say”
By Josh Margolin/Statehouse Bureau
June 06, 2010, 12:55AM
NEWARK —
SNIPPET: “Mohamed Hamoud Alessa, 20, of North Bergen, and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, 26, of Elmwood Park were apprehended at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens before they could board separate flights to Egypt, where they were to start journeys to Somalia. The men were arrested by teams of state and federal law-enforcement agents who have been investigating the pair since October 2006, according to the officials, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the operation publicly.”
SNIPPET: “Neither Alessa nor Almonte is married. Both are American citizens, said the anonymous officials.”
SNIPPET: “... circle of friends and keep tabs as they consumed jihadist videos and literature, bought airline tickets and prepared to travel overseas.
Officials said the suspects were not planning an imminent attack in the New Jersey-New York area but were believed to be joining with the terrorist fight against Americans in Somalia.
Authorities said the men planned to wage jihad as part of a Somalia-based Islamist terror group called al Shabaab...”
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Police+probe+terror+link+Canadians/3224716/story.html
“From teens to terrorists: How Al-Shabab recruits Western ‘martyrs’”
Stewart Bell, National Post · Thursday, Jul. 1, 2010
SNIPPET: “A top-secret government report obtained by the National Post says Al-Shabab, which emerged from the heavily armed chaos of Somalia in 2006, is using a variety of methods to entice Canadian youths to its camps. “Islamist extremists are radicalizing and recruiting Somali-Canadian youths within Canada to travel to Somalia for jihad training,” says the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre report, titled “Al-Shabab’s Recruitment of Youths from Canada.”
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said five Somali-Canadians who left Toronto between September and November 2009 “could receive weapons and related training” in Somalia and “potentially engage in Al-Shabab-related violent activities,” spokeswoman Isabelle Scott said.
A sixth such Somali-Canadian is presumed dead.
Police in the United States and Europe are conducting similar investigations.”
www.revolutionmuslim.com/2010/07/from-minneapolis-to-mogadishu.html
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Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUouW5__m8U
“The Rageh Omaar Report - From Minneapolis to Mogadishu”
Video Description - Quote:
AlJazeeraEnglish | July 15, 2010
At least 20 young American men of Somali background left their homes in Minneapolis to return to Somalia and fight alongside a militant group called al-Shabab.
Category:
News & Politics
Tags:
aljazeera raghomaarreport ragehomaar ragehreport Rageh Omaar Report Mogadishu Minneapolis al Shabab Somalia US Africa militant group Somalia Somalia stability
July 16, 2010
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://minneapolis.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/mp071610.htm
Chanhassen Man Sentenced for Obstructing Investigation of Missing Somali Men
A 26-year-old Chanhassen man was sentenced earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis for obstructing a FBI and grand jury investigation into the recruitment of young men in the United States to train and fight for extremist groups in Somalia. United States District Court Judge James M. Rosenbaum sentenced Abdow Munye Abdow to an eight-month split sentence (four months of confinement; four months of house arrest) in connection to his crime. Abdow was indicted on October 13, 2009, and pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information on May 4, 2010.
“Today’s sentencing constitutes another positive step in our continuing efforts to bring the broader matter to full resolution,” said Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI. “The American public should know that the FBI remains steadfast in it’s commitment to identify and mitigate threats to our national security that emanate here or elsewhere.”
In his plea agreement, Abdow admitted that on October 8, 2009, he obstructed a FBI and grand jury investigation by making false statements to FBI agents, who had interviewed him. Specifically, Abdow told the agents that although other men accompanied him in a rental car from Minnesota to California in early October, he did not know their names, nor did he know who paid for the rental car. In truth, four men traveled with Abdow in October from Minnesota to San Diego, California, where three of the men were dropped off. Abdow knew the names or nicknames of all of the men as well as the name of the person who paid for the rental vehicle. In fact, the car was rented with a debit card provided by Abdow himself.
This case arose from a FBI and grand jury investigation into whether individuals in the U.S. are providing material support to al-Shabaab, a group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. As part of the investigation, the FBI learned that on October 6, United States Department of Justice 2009, a highway patrol officer conducted a traffic stop involving Abdow about 10 miles north of Las Vegas. The trooper later reported to the FBI that Abdow had four men with him in the car. The trooper also said the men claimed to be on their way to San Diego to attend a friend’s wedding. However, they provided inconsistent explanations as to how they knew one another, and they seemed confused as to the identity of the person getting married as well as the location of their lodging in San Diego. As a result, the trooper asked for and obtained permission to search the vehicle. He found a passport and $4,000 in cash. He also was able to identify two of the men with Abdow.
On October 8, those two men were further identified by a U.S. Customs Border Patrol officer as two of three people dropped off by a taxi at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in San Ysidro, just south of San Diego. The men had airline tickets and told the officer they were flying from Tijuana to Mexico City.
On that same day, back in Minnesota, Abdow was interviewed at his place of work by FBI agents. Prior to the interview, the agents reportedly informed Abdow that they were conducting an investigation into the disappearance of local Somali men. Abdow was not placed under arrest at that time.
During the interview, Abdow initially told the agents he had traveled out west with only one friend. After the agents repeatedly asked him if he was telling the truth, Abdow conceded that others may have been in the car, but he did not know how many or their names. He also said he had no idea who paid for the rental vehicle. Later, in his plea agreement, Abdow admitted that he lied during that interview.
The investigation into the recruitment of young men to train with and fight for the terrorist group al-Shabaab is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The investigation into this specific case was assisted by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
This case was prosecuted by W. Anders Folk, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Minnesota, and William M. Narus, from the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section.
Note: This subject is not a Somalian, but he is an American who was apparently going to Somalia to join up with Al Shabaab.
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Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2556763/posts
Virginia Man Accused of Providing Material Support to Terrorists
Washington.FBI.gov -DOJ Press Release ^ | July 21, 2010 | n/a
Posted on July 21, 2010 3:42:49 PM PDT by Cindy
NOTE The following text is a quote:
Virginia Man Accused of Providing Material Support to Terrorists
ALEXANDRIA, VA—Zachary Adam Chesser, 20, of Fairfax County, Va., was arrested today on charges that he provided material support to al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Chesser was arrested and the charging documents were made public.
“This case exposes the disturbing reality that extreme radicalization can happen anywhere, including Northern Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “This young man is accused of seeking to join al Shabaab, a brutal terrorist organization with ties to al Qaeda. These allegations underscore the need for continued vigilance against homegrown terror threats.”
“We can’t fight terrorists alone,” said FBI ADIC Henry. “Religious leaders of all faiths, family members and particularly the younger members of our communities need to speak up and speak out against individuals who participate in actions like those alleged here.”
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.
According to an affidavit filed in court, Chesser, aka Abu Talhah Al-Amrikee, volunteered to federal agents that he attempted on two occasions to travel to Somalia to join al Shabaab as a foreign fighter. After he was prevented from boarding a flight from New York to Uganda on July 10, 2010, Chesser allegedly admitted to agents that he intended to travel from Uganda to Somalia. Chesser had attempted to board the plane with his infant son, and court records allege that he brought his son with him as part of his “cover” to avoid detection of his intention to join al Shabaab in Somalia.
The court affidavit indicates that in a series of interviews with federal law enforcement, Chesser allegedly discussed in detail how he has maintained several online profiles dedicated to extremist jihad propaganda. These profiles were allegedly used by Chesser to post pro-jihad messages and videos online. These postings allegedly included an article detailing the prerequisites involved in leaving for jihad, which closely follows the steps Chesser took before his July 10 attempt to leave the United States in order to go fight in Somalia.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney John T. Gibbs of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Chicago.FBI.gov - Press Release: "CHICAGO MAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION" (SNIPPET: "A 26-year-old Chicago man, who authorities believed was planning to travel to Somalia and engage in jihadist fighting with a terrorist group, was arrested last night just hours before he was scheduled to leave Chicago..." SNIPPET: "SHAKER MASRI, who lived in the Streeterville area of Chicago, was arrested late yesterday in Countryside, Illinois, without incident..." SNIPPET: "In the past month, it is alleged that MASRI began to actively plan a trip to Somalia where he hoped to join the specially designated terrorist group al Shabaab and commit a suicide attack targeting "infidels." He was arrested last night just hours before he was planning to depart Chicago en route to Somalia...") (August 4, 2010)
Complaint - Link (pdf)
Link
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2565378/posts
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NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/somaliaterrorist_080510.htm
Fourteen Charged with Providing Material Support to Somalia-Based Terrorist Organization al Shabaab
Two Arrested in Minnesota in Connection with the Charges
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department announced that four separate indictments were unsealed today in the District of Minnesota, the Southern District of Alabama, and the Southern District of California charging 14 individuals with terrorism violations for providing money, personnel, and services to the foreign terrorist organization al Shabaab.
In the Southern District of Alabama, prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment charging Omar Shafik Hammami, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Alabama, with providing material support to al Shabaab. Separately, prosecutors in the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging Jehad Serwan Mostafa, a U.S. citizen and former resident of California, with providing material support to al Shabaab. In the District of Minnesota, prosecutors unsealed two indictments. One indictment charges Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan with providing funds to al Shabaab. These two defendants, who are naturalized U.S. citizens and residents of Minnesota, were arrested today. Separately, prosecutors unsealed a third superseding indictment charging 10 men with terrorism offenses for leaving the United States to join al Shabaab. Seven of these defendants had been previously charged by either indictment or criminal complaint. The remaining three defendants had not been charged before.
The arrests and charges were announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, as well as David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; B. Todd Jones, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota; Kenyen R. Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama; and Laura E. Duffy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
“The indictments unsealed today shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to the al Shabaab terror organization from cities across the United States,” said Attorney General Holder. “While our investigations are ongoing around the country, these arrests and charges should serve as an unmistakable warning to others considering joining terrorist groups like al Shabaab—if you choose this route you can expect to find yourself in a U.S. jail cell or a casualty on the battlefield in Somalia.”
“For those who would become terrorists, these cases send a strong message,” said FBI Director Mueller. “They underscore the need for continued vigilance against those who may seek to harm us and our way of life. Our agents and analysts will continue to confront this threat with a strong and coordinated effort as we work to protect all Americans.”
Omar Hammami – Southern District of Alabama
Today in the Southern District of Alabama, prosecutors unsealed a September 2009 superseding indictment against Omar Hammami, 26, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Daphne, Alabama, also known as “Abu Mansour al-Amriki,” or “Farouk.”
The three-count indictment alleges that Hammami provided material support, including himself as personnel, to terrorists; conspired to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, al Shabaab, and provided material support to al Shabaab. Hammami faces a potential 15 years in prison for each of the three counts of the indictment. He is not in custody and is currently believed to be in Somalia.
Jehad Mostafa – Southern District of California
In the Southern District of California, prosecutors today unsealed an October 2009 indictment against Jehad Serwan Mostafa, 28, aka “Ahmed,” “Emir Anwar,” “Awar,” a U.S. citizen and former resident of San Diego, California.
The indictment alleges that Mostafa conspired to provide material support, including himself as personnel, to terrorists; conspired to provide material support to al Shabaab; and provided material support to al Shabaab. Mostafa faces a potential 15 years in prison for each of the three counts of the indictment. He is not in custody and is currently believed to be in Somalia.
Amina Ali and Hawo Hassan – District of Minnesota
Earlier today, FBI agents arrested Amina Farah Ali, 33, and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, 63, both naturalized U.S. citizens from Somalia and residents of Rochester, Minn. Each is charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al Shabaab from Sept. 17, 2008 through July 19, 2010. Ali is also charged in the indictment with 12 substantive counts of providing material support to al Shabaab. Hassan is also charged with three counts of making false statements.
The indictment alleges that, as part of the conspiracy, Ali communicated by telephone with people in Somalia who requested financial assistance for al Shabaab. Ali, Hassan, and others allegedly raised money for these individuals by soliciting funds door-to-door in Somali communities in Minneapolis, Rochester, and other locations in the United States and Canada. In addition, the defendants allegedly raised money by direct appeal to individuals participating in teleconferences that featured speakers who encouraged donations to support al Shabaab. Ali also allegedly raised funds under the false pretense that such funds were for the poor and needy.
The indictment alleges that Ali and others transferred funds to al Shabaab through the hawala money remittance system. Ali and others allegedly used false names to identify the recipients of the funds to conceal that the funds were being provided to al Shabaab. The indictment lists 12 money transfers allegedly directed to al Shabaab by Ali.
The indictment alleges several overt acts to carry out the fund-raising conspiracy. For example, on Oct. 26, 2008, Ali allegedly hosted a teleconference in which an unindicted co-conspirator told listeners that it was not the time to help the poor and needy in Somalia; rather the priority was to give to the mujahidin. Ali and Hassan allegedly recorded $2,100 in pledges at the conclusion of the teleconference. On Feb. 10, 2009, Ali allegedly conducted another fundraising teleconference in 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 allegedly contacted an unindicted co-conspirator and said, “I was questioned by the enemy here...they took all my stuff and are investigating it...do not accept calls from anyone.” The indictment further alleges that when Hassan was questioned by agents in an investigation involving international terrorism, she made false statements.
The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances later today in federal court in Minneapolis. If convicted, they face a potential 15 years in prison on the conspiracy count. Ali also faces a potential 15 years in prison on each material support count, and Hassan also faces a potential eight years in prison on each false statement count.
Third Superseding Indictment – District of Minnesota
In addition to the two arrests, prosecutors in the District of Minnesota also unsealed a July 2010 third superseding indictment that charges Abdikadir Ali Abdi, 19, a U.S. citizen; Abdisalan Hussein Ali, 21, a U.S. citizen; Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, 33, a U.S. citizen; Farah Mohamed Beledi, 26; and Abdiweli Yassin Isse, 26. These defendants are charged with, among other things, conspiring to and providing material support to al Shabaab and conspiring to kill, maim, and injure persons abroad. Faarax and Isse had been charged in a criminal complaint previously.
Five other defendants who had been previously charged by indictment are named in the third superseding indictment. They are Ahmed Ali Omar, 27; Khalid Mohamud Abshir, 27; Zakaria Maruf, 31; Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, 22; and Mustafa Ali Salat, 20. These defendants are charged with conspiracies to provide material support to terrorists and foreign terrorist organizations; conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad; possessing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
The unsealed indictment alleges that the 10 defendants provided financial support and personnel, including themselves as fighters, both to a conspiracy to kill abroad and to the foreign terrorist organization al Shabaab. Specifically, the indictment alleges that the five newly-added defendants traveled to Somalia in 2008 and 2009. In addition, the charges allege that Faarax solicited Salah Osman Ahmed, Shirwa Ahmed (now deceased), and Kamal Said Hassan to provide support to al Shabaab, and that Faraax made false statements to the FBI in a matter involving international terrorism. The indictment also alleges that, in October 2009, Beledi committed passport fraud.
An affidavit previously filed in the case alleges that, in the fall of 2007, Faarax and others met at a Minneapolis mosque to telephone co-conspirators in Somalia to discuss the need for Minnesota-based co-conspirators to go to Somalia to fight. The affidavit also alleges that Faarax attended a subsequent meeting in Minneapolis where he encouraged others to fight in Somalia and told them how he had experienced true brotherhood while fighting jihad in Somalia. Faarax was later interviewed three times by authorities and each time denied knowing anyone who had fought in Somalia or encouraging anyone to fight in Somalia.
The affidavit also alleges that Abdiweli Yassin Isse encouraged others to travel to Somalia to fight. At a gathering of co-conspirators, Isse purportedly described his plans to wage “jihad” against Ethiopians in Somalia, and later raised money to purchase airline tickets for others to travel to Somalia for the same purpose. In raising this money, he allegedly misled community members into thinking they were contributing money to send young men to Saudi Arabia to study the Koran. The 10 defendants charged in the third superseding indictment are not in custody and are believed to be overseas.
The charges against all the defendants in Minnesota stem from an ongoing, two-year investigation into the recruitment of persons from the United States to train with or fight for al Shabaab. To date, a total of 19 persons have been charged in the District of Minnesota in indictments or criminal complaints that have been unsealed. Nine of these Minnesota defendants have been arrested in the United States or overseas, five of whom pleaded guilty. The remaining defendants are at large and believed to be abroad.
The case in the Southern District of Alabama is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Mobile, Ala., and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, and Trial Attorney Sharon Lever of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The case in the Southern District of California is being investigated by the FBI’s San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William P. Cole and Shane P. Harrigan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Sharon Lever of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division
The cases in the District of Minnesota are being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force, with the assistance of the Dutch KLPD; the Dutch Ministry of Justice; the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the State Department, including U.S. Embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Yemen; the Hague in the Netherlands; and the Department of Defense. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys W. Anders Folk and Jeffrey S. Paulsen, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorneys William M. Narus and Steven Ward of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains mere allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
- View wanted poster of indicted individuals
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PHOTOS HERE.
WANTED POSTER:
Quote:
http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/alert/Al-Shabaab.htm
WANTED BY THE FBI
These individuals are wanted for providing material support to the Somalia-based terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
Alabama
Omar Hammami
California
Jehad Serwan Mostafa
Minnesota
Abdikadir Ali Abdi
Abdisalan Hussein Ali
Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax
Farah Mohamed Beledi
Abdiweli Yassin Isse
Ahmed Ali Omar
Khalid Mohamud Abshir
Zakaria Maruf
Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan
Mustafa Ali Salat
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CASE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.6956/pub_detail.asp
“Al-Shabaab in Somalia: A Magnet for American Jihadists?”
August 5, 2010 - The Editor
http://www.fpri.org/research/nationalsecurity/foreignfighters1009/
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http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2010/09/critical_questions_regarding_t.php
“Critical questions regarding the role of foreign fighters in Shabaab”
By DAVEED GARTENSTEIN-ROSS September 27, 2010 4:25 PM
September 30, 2010
NOTE The following text is a quote:
chicago.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/cg093010.htm
Chicago Man Indicted for Allegedly Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization
CHICAGO—A Chicago man who was arrested last month for allegedly planning to travel to Somalia and engage in fighting with a foreign terrorist organization, was indicted on the same charges by a federal grand jury, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI, announced today.
Shaker Masri, 27, who lived in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, was indicted on one count of attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and one count of attempting to provide material support by use of a weapon of mass destruction outside the United States. He will be arraigned at a later date in U.S. District Court.
Masri was arrested on Aug. 3 by members of the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism task Force (JTTF), just hours before he was scheduled to leave Chicago en route to Somalia. Since then, he was ordered detained in federal custody without bond.
According to a criminal complaint filed at the time his arrest, Masri, a U.S. citizen, began espousing increasingly violent views to an individual he befriended in early 2009, and later began to openly express a desire to participate in a “jihad” and to fight against what he characterized as “infidels.” During the weeks before his arrest, Masri began to actively plan a trip to Somalia, where he hoped to join the specially designated terrorist group al Shabaab and commit a suicide attack targeting “infidels,” the complaint alleged.
Both counts carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only allegations and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trail at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
http://www.investigativeproject.org/case/372
http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/June12/ahmed/ahmedmohammedibrahiminformation%20.pdf
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2010:
http://www.investigativeproject.org/1837/two-new-somali-linked-indictments-issued
For The Record - The IPT Blog
“Two New Somali-Linked Indictments Issued”
Mar 8, 2010 at 5:59 pm
SNIPPET: “An indictment was unsealed in New York Monday charging 35-year-old Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed with providing material support to the Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab. The indictment also charged Ahmed with receiving military training from the group and two counts of conspiracy. Ahmed was arrested in Nigeria on Saturday and then brought to the U.S.
According to the indictment, Ahmed traveled to Al-Shabaab paramilitary camps in Somalia in April 2009 to receive jihad training, including training on bomb construction and detonation. It also alleges that Ahmed personally gave Al-Shabaab, a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), $4,088 in February 2008. Ahmed will plead not guilty at a hearing Tuesday, says his lawyer Sabrina Shroff.
The government’s charges against Ahmed come shortly after last week’s indictment of a Somali citizen tied to different Al-Qaeda linked Somali Islamist organization, Al-Ittihad Al-Islami (AIAI).”
2013:
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2013/al-shabaab-operative-sentenced-in-manhattan-federal-court-to-111-months-in-prison-for-conspiring-to-support-and-receive-military-type-training-from-a-foreign-terrorist-organization
Al Shabaab Operative Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 111 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Support and Receive Military-Type Training from a Foreign Terrorist Organization
U.S. Attorney’s Office
March 27, 2013
Southern District of New York
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 111 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to and to receive military-type training from al Shabaab, a terrorist organization based in Somalia. The U.S. Department of State has designated al Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed traveled thousands of miles to align himself with al Shabaab, to aid their campaign of terror, and to learn their ‘ways of war.’ Today, his journey ends in prison and marks the latest victory in our constant effort to protect Americans from terrorism at home and around the world.”
According to the Superseding information filed in Manhattan federal court, and prior court filings:
Al Shabaab has used violent means to destabilize the government of Somalia and to force the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. The group has recruited foreign fighters to join in its “holy war” in Somalia, resulting in men from other countries, including the United States, traveling there to engage in violent jihad. Al Shabaab has also made numerous public statements demonstrating its intent to harm the United States.
In early 2009, Ahmed left his home in Sweden and traveled to Somalia in order to support and receive military-type training from al Shabaab. While in Somalia, Ahmed contributed approximately 3,000 Euros to al Shabaab, received training and instruction with respect to bomb-making and bomb-detonation, and purchased an AK-47 rifle, additional magazines, and two grenades. Ahmed subsequently provided the rifle and magazines to an al Shabaab military commander.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, an order of judicial removal was signed, and Ahmed will be deported upon completion of the sentence. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory $200 special assessment.
Ahmed, 38, a native of Eritrea and a lawful resident of Sweden, was arrested in Nigeria in November 2009. On March 6, 2010, Ahmed was transferred to the custody of the United States and subsequently transported to the Southern District of New York for prosecution.
Ahmed pled guilty in June 2012 to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization (al Shabaab) and one count of conspiracy to receive military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization (al Shabaab).
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force based in Manhattan—which principally consists of special agents of the FBI and detectives of the New York City Police Department. He also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Department of State for their extraordinary assistance in the case. Mr. Bharara also thanked the governments of Sweden and Nigeria for their assistance in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Naftalis, John P. Cronan, and Rachel P. Kovner are in charge of the prosecution.
Note: Apparently Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed was and is not a U.S. citizen, but this is posted here as a reference to showing what was happening with Al Shabaab in this time period.
http://freebeacon.com/al-qaeda-video-praises-american-jihadists-in-somalia/
“Al Qaeda Video Praises American Jihadists in Somalia
Al-Shabaab released propaganda video featuring three Americans killed in Africa”
BY: Adam Kredo
August 9, 2013 12:05 pm
SNIPPET: “An al Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia released a video series this week that celebrates several Americans who died while waging jihad in Africa, according to a watchdog group that monitors terrorist activity.
The 39-minute video released by al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, an al Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia, celebrates and honors “three Americans from Minnesota who joined the group and died fighting in Somalia,” according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which first flagged the video in a report provided to the Free Beacon.
Titled “The Path to Paradise: From the Twin Cities to the Land of the Two Migrations,” the video is believed to be the first in a series of al Qaeda-produced propaganda videos praising Americans who have joined al-Shabaab.
“Two of the Minnesotans who died are of Somali origin and the third is a Native American who converted to Islam,” according to MEMRI’s report. “They came to train in Somalia in 2007-2008 and were killed in 2009.””
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/09/12/al-shabab/
“‘They realized what they were doing was wrong’: Two Canadians quit extremist group Al-Shabab, imam says”
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Stewart Bell | 12/09/13 | Last Updated: 12/09/13 11:38 PM ET
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