Minneapolis — The FBI is investigating what may have motivated the Somali-American men to take up arms in the chaos of their homeland. A fiery speech given by a visiting Somali opposition leader in Minneapolis may provide some clues.
In late 2007, when the first of about a dozen Somali men from Minnesota began to travel to their homeland to fight in a bloody civil war, a tempest was building in the Twin Cities Somali community. Many Somali-Americans were upset about Ethiopian troops that invaded their homeland.
A Twin Cities group called the United Somali Diaspora organized and videotaped the rally, in November of 2007, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The main purpose was to raise awareness of the Ethiopian invasion.
But one keynote speaker, a middle-aged man in a cream-colored suit, seemed to cross the line.
Zakariya Abdi, who was bent on pushing the Ethiopians out and taking down Somalia's transitional government, encouraged Somalis in Minnesota to fight.
"Enlist yourselves. Come to see us in Asmara," Abdi said to the crowd. "Let us get to know each other. We will offer training. Then whoever wants to fight for two months, like the Eritreans used to do, can then go back to school."
At the time, Abdi and other members of the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia were based in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. In his speech, Abdi also urged recent college grads who had computer expertise to enlist in what he called a "war of technology."
He said: "We need their minds."
Attempts by MPR News to reach Zakaria Abdi, who lives in London, were unsuccessful. ..more..http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/07/08/call_to_action/?refid=0
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