American Member of Somalia’s Terrorist AL-SHABAAB

Abu Monsoor al-Amriki speaks to comrades in the Mujahideen Youth Movement in Somalia. (Image courtesy IntelCenter)

Somalia’s Mujajideen Youth Movement, an apparent offshoot of the as-Shabab group, has released a video (obtained by IntelCenter) featuring a figure who appears to be an American member. The guy in the video speaks American English and goes by the nom de guerre Abu Mansoor al-Amriki. The video is entitled “Ambush at Bardal,” but it’s unclear what the context of the video is so far.
The video itself is 31 minutes and 37 seconds long and is the second one featuring an American English speaker from the group — considered by Jamestown Foundation as one of the more potent militant groups in Somalia. Its origins date back to at least April 2007, when a number of foreign fighters began infiltrating into Somalia using tactics similar to the insurgency of Iraq. (And speaking of Iraq, be sure and check out this story from TIME Magazine on al Qaeda in Iraq’s renewed efforts at a comeback by infiltrating the Sahwah Movement.)
Somalia seems to be an increasing focus of al Qaeda as it struggles to win back the propaganda initiative in the face of a unity government in Mogadishu. Asarq al-Awsat reports that Osama bin Laden’s latest messages to Muslims and mujahideen in Somalia are aimed at boosting morale there in preparation of a greater influx of al Qaeda fighters, who want to take advantage of Somalia’s tribal structure. As the paper reports:
According to experts, while Bin Laden’s local allies in Somalia pose a real military threat, most of the Somali people seem to be more convinced of the former teacher, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, 42, and of his ability to achieve stability in the country, than they are of the war message preached by Al-Qaeda organization. Rashid Abdi, expert in Somali affairs in the International Group for Addressing Crises, said: “There is no possibility of a rebellion erupting in Somalia. The (Bin Laden’s appeal) primarily aims at raising the morale among the MYM.” He added: “Bin Laden’s appeal shows that Al-Qaeda has designs in Somalia, but, politically speaking, most of the country sides with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad.” He said that the MYM is a strong group of Islamic fighters who are sympathetic to Al-Qaeda. They are in control of large parts of the country and they, along with movements that embrace the same ideology, are staging a rebellion against the government. He added that against this military threat, there is a deep feeling among ordinary Somalis that Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad, a moderate Islamic leader who won the elections during talks hosted by the UN in Djibouti in January, provides the best opportunity in years to build a new future in the country.
In June 2007, the group claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on then Somali prime minister Ali Mohamed Gedi. Seven people died in the attack.
Other stills from the video: http://media.theage.com.au/national/breaking-news/american-jihadists-gloating-video-444412.html#


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Shabaab: New HQ Video Shows American Leading al Qaeda in Somalia Attacks[Who is Abu Mansoor al-Amriki?]

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