Ever since we started reporting in 2008 on the missing Somali former refugee youths who left the good life in Minnesota to go back to Africa for Jihad training, we have been hearing that it was all about ousting those bad Ethiopians from their homeland (never mind that most of these youths had never even seen their homeland). It was a convenient excuse for joining Al Shabaab (an Al Qaeda affiliate) and the US Senate Homeland Security Committee was happy to buy into that excuse in March of 2009, here, too.
Now I see that one Somali, whose trial we are told opens today in Minneapolis, will say they were just fighting for their country (never mind that we thought they wanted to be Americans—isn’t that what the refugee program is for? Or, is it for raising healthy Islamic warriors to adulthood?).
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
MINNEAPOLIS – A group of Minneapolis-area Somalis, including some who traveled to their homeland to allegedly take up arms against the Ethiopian army, held secret meetings in 2007 to plan the trips, created fake itineraries to fool family members and challenged one another about their commitment, prosecutors contend in a court filing.
The document was filed this week in advance of a trial for one man accused of being part of the conspiracy.
It sheds new light on how the recruiting operation worked in Minneapolis and how some of the men arrived at safehouses in Somalia, where they received AK-47s and weapons training.
Since the fall of 2007, at least 21 men have left Minnesota for Somalia, where authorities believe they joined the terror group al-Shabab. Eighteen people have been charged in Minnesota in connection with the case, including Omer Abdi Mohamed, who goes on trial next week on terror-related charges.
Mohamed never traveled to Somalia, but he is accused of helping others who did. His attorney calls the allegations ridiculous.
“Omer was never involved in terrorism,” said defense attorney Peter Wold. “It certainly stirs the public sentiment to suggest that, but it is not part of this case, not a part of Omer, and that will be abundantly clear.”
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a socialist dictator and then turned on each other, causing chaos in the African nation of about 7 million people.
In 2006, Ethiopian soldiers, which many Somalis viewed as abusive, occupied parts of Somalia and a militant group called al-Shabab fought against against them. The U.S. declared al-Shabab a terrorist organization in early 2008.
According to prosecutors [even the prosecutors have bought into the Ethiopians made us do it defense—ed], starting in September 2007, Mohamed and others conspired to raise money to send men to Somalia to violently oust the Ethiopians. Others were also recruited to the cause. The group held meetings at mosques and restaurants, and took measures to keep things secretive.
Remember readers these are “youths” who received from taxpayers a roof over their heads, food stamps, jobs, and an education—the American Dream! They said, s**** America we are going to be Jihadists!
So, now that the Ethiopians are not a problem in Somalia, how do they explain the recent rash of new American recruits who have gone to join Al Shabaab?
And, what do you make of the announcement earlier this month that Al Shabaab is capable of attacking within the US, here?