MN: Federal grand jury investigation seeking information on recruitment of Somali youths for Islamic terrorism

09/08/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Are Minnesota mosques responsible?

One more story out of ‘Little Mogadishu’ Minnesota on the Somali refugees turned Jihadists.

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune (hat tip: Deb):

Be sure to see Pamela Geller on the story, here (“mosquing the neighborhood”), where she puts this all in a larger perspective.

Al-Farooq Youth and Family Center is under the microscope. Photo: http://bloomingtonmn.gov/main_top/3_homecomm/afyfc/afyfc.htm

A federal grand jury in St. Paul is investigating a group of Somali-Americans who were allegedly conspiring to join terrorists fighting in Syria, according to sources with direct knowledge of the probe.

The proceedings, which have been going on all summer, appear to be centered on trying to find out who is behind efforts to convince 20 to 30 people that they should leave Minnesota to fight in the Middle East. That question has stymied federal agents for the last year as they have struggled to build inroads and trust with the Muslim community in the Twin Cities in order to cut off a new pipeline of recruits.

Seven years ago, about two dozen young Somali men from Minnesota were recruited to fight in Somalia with another terrorist group, Al-Shabab. As many as nine were reported killed, and after a series of indictments and high-profile convictions, federal authorities and community leaders believed that the recruiting had stopped.

Instead, it has shifted to a new region.

[….]

The group under investigation is mostly composed of young Somalis who have been frequenting the Al Farooq Youth and Family Center and mosque in Bloomington. There, they may have fallen under the influence of Amir Meshal, a 31-year-old American of Egyptian descent who allegedly spoke often to them about joining in a jihad, those sources said.

Meshal, whose alleged actions at the mosque were reported in June to the FBI, was already well-known to counterterrorism agents. In 2007, agents arrested him in Kenya after he fled Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. He was accused of having received weapons training in an Al-Qaida camp and of serving as a translator for the terrorist group’s leaders in Somalia, according to court documents.

See our post yesterday on the Minnesota Somali nexus to terrorism in the Middle East and in Africa and follow links to other posts.

Addendum: Don’t forget! We brought almost 1,000 new Somalis to America just last month, here, bringing the number for the year so far to 8,278 (a number approaching the three years during the Bush Presidency when we resettled over 10,000 each year).

You can count on those Minnesota Somali refugees to keep providing us news

09/04/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Now it is being reported that several Somali ‘refugee’ women have left Minneapolis and the ‘good life’ to join the Jihad in Syria. Hey Jamal, this woman does not sound like she has “limited opportunities.”

Minnesota Senator Al Franken is on the case!

“Troubled” funny-man Franken campaigning at the Somali Mall in Minneapolis.

From the Star Tribune (hat tip: John):

A 19-year old Somali woman from St. Paul left for Syria two weeks ago to aid fighters for a terrorist group, according to a family member with direct knowledge of her departure. Her disappearance marks the first time that family members have confirmed that a Somali-American woman has left the country to support terrorists in the Middle East.

The woman used a borrowed passport that her family believes was provided by a recruiter, according to a relative who spoke Wednesday to the Star Tribune on condition that his identity — and hers — be withheld. He said that the family found a copy of the passport used by the woman to leave the country, reportedly on Aug. 23. The next night, the family contacted the FBI and police to report her missing, and told authorities the identities of those they believe recruited her locally.

He said the FBI told the family that two other local women had also gone to Syria.

U.S. Sen. Al Franken said over the weekend that the FBI has told his office “in the nature of about a dozen” people from Minnesota have left the country to join the terror group operating in Syria.

Franken talking tough in election year?

Franken on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to commit resources to address the threat by Americans, including Minnesotans, who have traveled to the Middle East to fight with ISIL.

In the letter, Franken also said that he was “troubled” by President Obama’s recent statement that his administration had not yet put together a comprehensive strategy to address the growing threat posed by ISIL.

“We must act diligently and responsibly to prevent Americans from taking up arms with ISIL, or from re-entering our country if they do. This requires that the Justice Department use all relevant legal authorities and all appropriate resources at its disposal,” the letter said.

More here…

2008 Franken v. Coleman campaign

This is so funny to me because six years ago, then Senator Norm Coleman and challenger Franken were falling all over themselves courting the Somali vote (amid swirling allegations of voter fraud).

I distinctly remember Coleman, at the time, putting pressure on the State Department to re-open the fraud-ridden family reunification program for Somalis which the State Dept. had halted with the discovery of the lies Somalis told on resettlement paperwork.

All of our coverage in 2008 of their kissing-up to Somalis campaign is archived here.

By the way, when we attended a 2009 Senate Homeland Security hearing on the earlier departure of Minnesota Somalis to join Al Shabaab, neither Coleman or Franken attended (locked in a recount where some believe the Somali vote cheered on by Rep. Keith Ellison was pivotal in Franken’s victory). The other Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobucher, did not attend either although she had constituents testifying.

Why so many Somalis in Minneapolis? Click here.

More are coming all the time…. next! Here!

Dead Somali ISIS fighter worked for Delta at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport

09/03/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

That is what Breitbart is reporting (posted at Drudge). This news does not surprise us because we know that Somali refugees, in addition to the taxi business, are employed at airports nationwide. A few years ago a reader from Washington State expressed concern to us about the number of Somalis employed at Seattle’s Sea-Tak Airport.

So if the avowed Jihadist Muhumed worked for Delta, why the whining from apologists about “vulnerable kids”?

Abdirahmaan Muhumed, one of the refugees we welcomed to America recently died as an ISIS fighter. Photo: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/26399854/challenges-lack-of-opportunity-drove-suspected-isis-fighter

From Breitbart:

According to a report from Minnesota Twin Cities FOX affiliate KMSP that aired Tuesday night, Abdirahmaan Muhumed, the second known American killed while fighting for ISIS in Syria, previously worked for Delta Global Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.

KMSP noted that according to sources, Muhumed’s position with Delta Global Services required a security clearance at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in order gain access to the tarmac and unfettered access to planes.

Muhumed’s employment with Delta Global Services was confirmed by two former employees that acknowledged working with Muhumed.

Muhumed died in the same battle as Douglas McCain, an ISIS fighter also from Minnesota.

See our first report on Muhumed here. See also this morning’s post on Minneapolis (aka Little Mogadishu).

What is it about the Islamic imperative to wage Jihad that most Westerners don’t get?

ISIS fighter had limited opportunities in America (give me a break!)

09/02/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

And, look who is back—our old standby, the Jesse Jackson of Somali America Omar Jamal—ready with an excuse for an obvious case of Islamic radicalization.

He’s baaaackkk! Omar Jamal, community organizer extraordinaire! http://politicsinminnesota.com/2014/07/supreme-court-sides-with-kahn-campaign-in-election-judge-petition/

This poor “vunerable kid” (who died in Syria) with limited opportunities apparently grew up here in America, was 29-years-old and had plenty of opportunity to find himself a whole bunch of wives to produce nine children!

From My Fox 9 (hat tip: Megan who tells us that there are plenty of jobs in Minnesota for people who want to work).

And, if there aren’t enough jobs then STOP bringing more Somalis!***

More details about the second Minnesota man who is believed to have died fighting in Syria with the terror group ISIS are emerging, and Twin Cities leaders say his story is an example of a big obstacle for the Somali community.

Those who knew Abdirahmaan Muhumed describe him as an outgoing, gregarious man who was involved in the local politics of the Twin Cities Somali community; however, he was also an angry and frustrated father trying to support 9 children from several different mothers. He did not have a job, and local leaders say that may have led him to seek a different life away from the city of Minneapolis, where he grew up.

Omar Jamal is on the case!

Here comes “community organizer” Omar (the Somali mouthpiece) Jamal to tell us that Muhumed’s radicalization has nothing to do with Islam! For new readers, we have dozens of posts going back to probably 2008 in which Jamal (an illegal alien originally) jumps in with his two cents worth any time any Somali gets in trouble anywhere in America! (Search RRW for ‘Omar Jamal’ and see what I mean!).

At one point, Jamal moved on up and became Somalia’s representative at the UN (Is he a US citizen or a citizen of Somalia?). Wonder what happened to that gig?

They are all “vulnerable” you know!

Somali community organizer Omar Jamal told Fox 9 News that Muhumed’s death brings back painful memories of the young men who disappeared from the Twin Cities and turned up fighting for al-Shabaab in Somalia a few years ago. According to Jamal, ISIS appears to be using the same playbook — recruiting vulnerable young people using videos and social media. So far, he says community leaders haven’t come up with a long-term strategy to compete.

“You have the same combination of vulnerable kids susceptible to crazy ideas, dissolution, giving up hope on achieving the American Dream,” Jamal said. “What’s the alternative to fight against these people? We have to come together and do something about this.”

We can do something if they have given up on the American Dream, let them do their dreaming in Africa!

For background, see ‘Why so many Somalis in Minneapolis?’

***In ten months of fiscal year 2014 we have resettled another 7,326 “vulnerable” Somalis to your towns and cities.

Minnesota Somali refugee believed to be second ‘American’ killed while fighting with ISIS

08/28/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Between the illegal alien “children” (wannabe refugees) invading our southern border and some of the American ISIS fighters turning out to be “refugees” we welcomed to America, the general public sure is getting an education about our Refugee Resettlement and Asylum Program this summer!

Waging demographic Jihad as well as violent Jihad, the 29-year old Somali refugee we raised, reportedly left behind nine children for taxpayers to support. Photo: http://drrichswier.com/2014/06/20/jihad-cool-muslims-u-s-head-syria-iraq-join-isis-bring-back-caliphate/

This latest news comes as no surprise to us since we have been writing about the recruitment of Somali “youths” for the international Jihad since 2008. See much of our earliest coverage at this post or type ‘Somali missing youths’ into our search window. [Want to write a book on this? Most of your research is on the pages of RRW!]

We attended a hearing in Washington in March 2009 at which Senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins listened to US intelligence testimony which promoted the naive dream-world notion that the “youths” were only giving up the good life in America to go to Somalia to fight the Ethiopian invaders of their homeland. The Senators were visibly relieved to be told it was only nationalism driving the recruitment—but the intelligence was wrong and they were WRONG!

Think about it! Through our refugee program we are bringing young children to America (who otherwise might have died in their homeland) who we pay to raise—school, medical, housing all provided—believing they will melt in our mythical melting-pot and instead we grow healthy fighters to terrorize the world. By the way, just about every Somali in America is here as a refugee or child of a refugee. Some have entered illegally (or in years past, overstayed a visa) and been granted asylum, but the lion’s share came through the US State Department as refugees.

The contractors who brought the Somalis to Minnesota are Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services of MN, and World Relief of MN, here.

Before I get to the breaking news, you need to know that we are on target to receive one of the highest numbers of new Somali refugees since the three Bush years when numbers topped ten thousand (2004, 2005, and 2006). See that post.

As of July 31st we have “welcomed” 7,326 new Somalis to America this fiscal year!

We saw this coming in a post in June. From Fox News (hat tip: Deb):

[emphasis is mine]

A second American killed fighting with the Islamic State group in Syria has been identified as Abdirahmaan Muhumed, of Minneapolis, two sources told Fox News late Wednesday.

KMSP-TV in Minneapolis reported that Muhumed was killed in the same battle as Douglas McArthur McCain***, who grew up outside Minneapolis in the town of New Hope and most recently lived in San Diego. The State Department confirmed McCain’s death earlier this week, but spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the U.S. has no independent confirmation of the second American’s death. “We’re looking into it,” she said.

A source told Fox News that Muhumed’s family had been sent a photo of his body from Syria, but had not been formally notified by the State Department.

29-years old and the father of nine! So, guess who will be paying to raise his kids? You!

A profile of Muhumed by Minnesota Public Radio this past June described him as a 29-year-old Somali-American who had been married more than once and was a father of nine children. MPR reported, citing the FBI, that at least 15 young men from the Twin Citites’ Somali-American community had traveled to Syria to join Islamic State, the militant group formerly known as ISIS that has captured wide swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

In a Facebook messages to an MPR reporter, Muhumed wrote “I give up this worldly life for Allah” and “Allah loves those who fight for his cause.” A picture posted on the social network showed Muhumed carrying a Koran in one hand and a rifle in the other.

Federal investigators believe that approximately 100 Americans have traveled to Syria to join Islamist groups. Most of them are disaffected young men targeted by recruitment videos like those one put out by the Somali-based, Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabaab that praised Minnesota’s “martyrs.”

***McCain had links to this same Somali community. And, the FBI thought they had this Minnesota recruitment under control years ago. As reader Ed said yesterday when he sent us this link about McCain: