US charges 14 over links to Somalia's al-Shabab

US officials have charged 14 people with providing money, personnel and services to the Somali militant group al-Shabab. The charges stem from four separate indictments in the US states of Minnesota, Alabama and California.Concerns about al-Shabab have grown after the group carried out a bomb attack in Uganda.
On Wednesday, a man was charged with attempting to support al-Qaeda and al-Shabab.

'Providing resources'
The indictments unsealed on Thursday make reference to four specific individuals as well as a group of 10 men charged with providing resources to al-Shabab, which has close ties to al-Qaeda.In two separate indictments, prosecutors charged Shafik Hammami, a former resident of the US state of Alabama, and Jehad Serwan Mostafa, formerly of California, with providing material support to al-Shabab.
In the District of Minnesota, prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mahamed Hassan with providing funds to the Somalia-based militant group. Both defendants, who are naturalised citizens were arrested on Thursday.The two are accused of having raised money in Somali communities in the US and Canada, telling people the funds would help the poor and needy in Somalia.Prosecutors in Minnesota also charged 10 men with terrorism offences for leaving the United States to join al-Shabab - seven of them have been previously charged.US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a news conference a total of 19 defendants had now been charged in connection with the ongoing investigation. Mr Holder said nine of the suspects had been arrested, with five pleading guilty. "The indictments unsealed today shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to the al-Shabab terror organisation from cities across the United States," Mr Holder said.

He said the latest charges reflected a growing trend in the US - one which leaders of Muslim communities were trying to help the authorities address.
"As demonstrated by the charges unsealed today, we are seeing an increasing number of individuals - including US citizens - who have become captivated by extremist ideology and have taken steps to carry out terrorist objectives, either at home or abroad
"It's a disturbing trend that we have been intensely investigating in recent years and will continue to investigate and root out. But we must also work to prevent this type of radicalisation from ever taking hold," he added.
Overseas fighters
Officials believe up to 50 US citizens may be fighting with al-Shabab in Somalia, according to NBC News. Some of these individuals are believed to be from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Columbus, Ohio.
In 2008, the US government designated al-Shabab, which seeks to establish an Islamic state within Somalia, a foreign terrorist organisation.Al-Shabab is believed to have recruited Somali-Americans to take part in suicide bombings in Somalia, and US officials are now growing concerned about the potential for an attack within the US.Al-Shabab - which has been fighting the Somali government since 2006 - wants to establish an Islamist administration and is said to have thousands of fighters.Last month, the group said it had been responsible for two bomb blasts in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, which killed 76 people during the World Cup.

Fourteen charged in the US for supporting terrorist group al-Shabaab
WASHINGTON D.C. (Tf.SF NEWS) – Fourteen individuals were charged in four separate indictments in Minnesota, Alabama and California for providing material support to the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab, the Justice Department announced on Thursday. In Alabama, a superseding indictment charged Omar Shafik Hammami, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Alabama, with providing material support to al-Shabaab. In California, Jehad Serwan Mostafa, also a U.S. citizen and former California resident, was charged with the same offense. In Minnesota, two indictments were unsealed, one charging Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan for providing funds to the Somali terrorist organization and were arrested this day. The other indictment charged 10 individuals with terrorism offenses for leaving the U.S. to join al-Shabaab. "The indictments unsealed today shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to the al-Shabaab terror organization from cities across the United States," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said. "These arrests and charges should serve as an unmistakable warning to others considering joining terrorist groups like al-Shabaab." Hammami, 26, allegedly provided material support to al-Shabaab and faces a potential sentence of 15 years in prison for each of the three counts of the indictment. He is not in custody and authorities believe he is currently in Somalia. Mostafa, 28, also provided material support as well as offering himself as personnel to al-Shabaab. He faces 15 years of imprisonment for each count and is also believed to be in Somalia at the moment.
Ali, 33, and Hassan, 63, are both naturalized U.S. citizens and resident of Rochester, Minnesota. They were charged with one count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization each. Ali is also charged with 12 substantive counts of providing material support. Hassan is also charged with three counts of making false statements. Ali and Hassan allegedly raised funds for al-Shabaab requested by telephone by unknown people in Somalia. They solicited funds door-to-door in various U.S. and Canadian communities. Ali even lied to donors by saying that the funds were intended for the needy and poor. Twelve transactions were made by Ali and Hassan to the Somali terror group. They were arrested by the FBI. If convicted, they face a potential 15 years in prison on the conspiracy count. Ali also faces a potential 15 years in prison on each material support count, and Hassan also faces a potential eight years in prison on each false statement count. The third superseding indictment unsealed in Minnesota charged Abdikadir Ali Abdi, 19; Abdisalan Hussein Ali, 21; Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, 33; Farah Mohamed Beledi, 26; and Abdiweli Yassin Isse, 26. They are accused of providing material support and conspiring to kill, maim and injure persons abroad.
Five additional people that were previously charged were named in the third indictment too. The y are Ahmed Ali Omar, 27; Khalid Mohamud Abshir, 27; Zakaria Maruf, 31; Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, 22; and Mustafa Ali Salat, 20. These individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support terrorists and foreign terrorist organizations; conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad; possessing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Nine of these Minnesota defendants have been arrested in the United States or overseas.