Barbarians And Backlash

August 20, 2009: Al Shabaab, in a process seen elsewhere in the Moslem world, have made themselves even more unpopular by trying to impose strict lifestyle rules. This includes burqas for women (which are unknown in Somalia), no bras (which even the strict Saudis allow) plus the usual bans on music, video, and clean shaven men. Al Shabaab gunmen beat, fine, or even kill those who do not comply.
Kenyan police are seeking nine Somali al Shabaab members who are using a humanitarian NGO they established in Kenya, as a cover for an organization to recruit young Kenyan Somalis for non-existent jobs distributing relief supplies in Somalia. The young (mostly teenagers) men are kept captive once in Somalia and indoctrinated to become gunmen or suicide bombers.
Al Shabaab is having a hard time recruiting Somalis for its fighting forces. This is because al Shabaab, and other al Qaeda influenced militias, are seen as puppets for foreign Islamic radicals. This is partly because of all the foreign ideas al Shabaab spouts, and partly because of the hundreds of foreign fighters al Shabaab uses to keep their Somali gunmen in line, and to impose the more brutal punishments on Somalis who give al Shabaab a hard time.
Al Shabaab is particularly unpopular because of the radical groups hostility towards foreign aid operations. This NGO effort, led by the UN (and largely paid for by the United States) keeps about 40 percent of the population from starving, and provides the only medical care available to over half the population. Al Shabaab has stirred up a hornet's nest with all this nasty behavior against aid workers, and many clan militias are being organized to oppose them. The Transitional Government offers ammunition (always in short supply) and some weapons (not in such short supply) to these militias, after they have shown a willingness to go after al Shabaab, and other Islamic radical groups (which occasionally fight each other, as not all agree on the hostile policy towards foreign aid groups.)..more..http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/somalia/articles/20090820.aspx
http://www.somalisan.com/News%20Day/may2009/may%208_3.htm