At least 50 killed as suspected Shebab militants from Somalia storm into Kenyan coastal town, Nearly 50 confirmed killed during a World Cup viewing party in Kenya Somali terror group Al Shabaab'Islamists' attack

update : Al Shebaab islamist terrorist group in Somalia claims responsibility for attack on Kenyan town of Mpeketoni which killed 50 people

Somali PM condemns 'cowardly' attacks on Kenyan coastal town on his tweet.. @SomaliPM ‏@SomaliPM  5h

This attack serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent people & only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of the perpetrators.

WATCH: Suspected Al Shabaab militants rampage through Kenyan town, killing at least 50
At least 49 people were killed when suspected Shebab militants from Somalia stormed into a Kenyan coastal town and launched a major assault on a police station, hotels and government offices, officials said Monday.

Around 50 heavily-armed gunmen drove into the town of Mpeketoni, near the coastal island and popular tourist resort of Lamu, late on Sunday, officials said.

Witnesses added they first attacked a police station, before starting to randomly shoot at civilians, some of whom had been watching the World Cup in local bars and hotels.

District deputy commissioner Benson Maisori said several buildings in the town -- which is around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the border with Somalia -- were burned down including hotels, restaurants, banks and government offices.

"There were around 50 attackers, heavily armed in three vehicles, and they were flying the Shebab flag. They were shouting in Somali and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' ('God is Greatest')," he said, adding they attacked a police station but officers fought them off.

Resident Anne Gathigi, 38, a mother of five, said the attackers killed her husband.

"They forced their way into our house, found us in the bedroom. They picked up my husband and took him to the sitting room where they demanded money from him, as soon as he gave them some cash, they shot him at close range," she told AFP.

"Then they turned to me and asked me if I knew Al-Shebab. They told me since 'our government has refused to pull our soldiers from Somalia, they had come to leave us 'widows and orphans'."

Local resident and witness John Waweru, 28, said he lost two of his brothers to the attackers.

"I heard them shouting in Somali as they fired around. I lost two of my brothers, and I escaped. I ran and locked up myself in a house," he told AFP.

The fierce gun battles continued until after midnight, but by dawn on Monday the town of Mpeketoni was reported calm with security forces saying they were in pursuit of the attackers and authorities recovering the dead.

Police spokeswoman Zipporah Mboroki confirmed that 50 people had died, including at least one police officer.

"Our officers are still combing the area," Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo told AFP, adding "we suspect the involvement of Al-Shebab in this attack."

"It is an atrocity we would not want to see repeated anywhere else," he said.

- 'Bodies on the road' -

Kenyan troops crossed into southern Somalia in 2011 to fight the Shebab, later joining the now 22,000-strong African Union force battling the Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

The Shebab vowed revenge, carrying out a string of attacks on Kenyan soil, including last September's assault on Nairobi's Westgate mall in which at least 67 people were killed.

The town of Mpeketoni, a trading centre on the main coastal road, lies on the mainland some 30 kilometres (20 miles) southwest of Lamu island, a popular tourist destination whose ancient architecture is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kenyan army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir described how the gunmen had stormed the town, overwhelming local police officers, and firing from vehicles "shooting people around in town."

Chirchir also said the attackers were "likely to be Al-Shebab," although there was no immediate claim of responsiblity from the Islamists themselves.

Military surveillance planes were launched shortly after the attack began.

Attackers tried to storm a police post including an armoury, but Maisori said officers had defended the building and fought the gunmen off.

Residents in villages surrounding the town also reported that the gunmen attacked settlements as they pulled out after fighting in Mpeketoni.

"There are six bodies here, a man and a child in their house, four lying on the road," said Mohammed Hassan, a local resident of Kibaoni, a small settlement some five kilometres (three miles) outside the town.

Last month one of the Shebab's most senior commanders, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, released radio broadcasts urging fighters to strike Kenya.

Hundreds of British tourists were also evacuated last month from beach resorts near Kenya's port city of Mombasa following warnings of terror attacks from Britain's Foreign Office.

Britain this week released warnings to citizens in several East African nations -- including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, who all have troops in Somalia -- speaking of the threat of attacks at public screenings of the World Cup.

Somalia extremist makes rare threat against U.S., says holy war will come to America

                                        Swedish-Somali Al-Shabaab Leader (Fuad Mohamed Khalaf) 

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Making a rare threat against the United States, a senior member of Somalia's Islamic insurgent group that has carried out terrorist attacks abroad said Thursday that holy war will come to America and that Islam's flag will one day fly over Washington.

The al-Shabab fighter, who has a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, said in a speech broadcast on the rebels' radio station that al-Shabab fighters would carry out jihad, or holy war, in Kenya and Uganda "and afterward, with God's will, to America."

"America is waging a war in the Horn of Africa because they are responsive to the Quran verses saying that the Islamic flag will fly in every corner of the world," Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, also known as Fuad Shongole, said, referring to Islam's holy book.

U.S. officials have long feared that any of the several dozen Somali-Americans who have left the U.S. to join the extremist fighters could travel back to the United States to carry out terror attacks. Senior al-Shabab leaders have rarely, if ever, publicly threatened to carry out attacks in the U.S.

The threat comes amid a heightening of security by the U.S. Embassy in neighboring Kenya.

The U.S. ambassador in Nairobi, in a letter sent to embassy employees last week, said he has requested additional Kenyan and American security personnel and is reducing the size of the embassy staff because of an increase in terrorist threats in Kenya. The letter said additional police are already patrolling around the embassy and that more assets would arrive from Washington.

U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec called the number of recent terror attacks, threats and warnings in Kenya "deeply concerning."

Al-Shabab carried out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda during the 2010 World Cup final, killing 70 people. Al-Shabab gunmen in September attacked Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people.

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, which was relocated after al-Qaida's 1998 bombing attack on both the facility and the embassy in Tanzania, killing 224 people in total, sits far off the road and is surrounded by thick walls. Armed Marines have recently begun patrolling the grounds wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets.

The U.S. Treasury Department in 2010 imposed sanctions on Shongole, which froze any assets he had in U.S. jurisdictions. Shongole sought asylum in Sweden in the 1990s and has Swedish citizenship. He returned to Somalia in the mid-2000s to fight with the Islamic Courts Union, a militant group that preceded al-Shabab.

In his radio message, Shongole also threatened to launch more attacks in Kenya and Uganda. Both countries contribute troops to the African Union force waging war against al-Shabab inside Somalia.

"We swear by the almighty Allah that we'll move the war into Kenya, so let's see who suffers most," said Shongole, who spoke before a noisy crowd of supporters. "If one Somali girl is killed by their soldiers in Somalia, we shall murder their girls at home."

Somalia: Open Letter to Al-Shabaab Leader Reveals - 'Yes, There Are Problems'

scathing letter addressed to al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane from one of the group's top foreign fighters has exposed the deepening mistrust and communication breakdown between various factions within the al-Qaeda-allied organisation.

Little is known about the author -- al-Zubayr al-Muhajir -- but from the letter it is evident that he is a high ranking official in al-Shabaab closely connected to the muhajireen (foreign fighters).

In the letter, al-Muhajir explains how Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu al-Zubayr, appointed him as a member of al-Shabaab's Shura Council and as chairman of a special sharia court that mediated between Godane and movement's other top three leaders -- Ibrahim al-Afghani (whose real name is Ibrahim Haji Jama Meeaad and is also known as Abu Bakr al-Zaylai), Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali (or Abu Mansur) and Fuad Mohamed Khalaf.

In al-Muhajir's 12-page letter, which was posted on several jihadist websites on April 20th and titled "Yes, there are problems", he said his purpose in writing the letter was to "relieve myself in front of God and the nation of all the aggressions and legal violations committed by some of us [... and to] warn all lovers of jihad among the muhajireen inside or outside the country that the situation is not as it is depicted by the movement".

Communication breakdown within al-Shabaab

Al-Muhajir explained that he resorted to posting an open letter on the internet because all other means of communication had failed.

Several months ago he said he had passed along a message to Godane through members of the Shura Council "to clarify some issues relating to the arrest of some mujahedeen brothers with no clear charges while their families do not know anything about their situation or even their place of detention".

After not receiving a reply, al-Muhajir said he went to a mosque where al-Shabaab officials were to speak to the "mujahedeen and Muslims and warn them of the dire consequences of our sins and vices, fearing that they, along with other aggressions, would be the reasons for defeat", but was stopped before he could finish and banned from the mosque.

According to the letter, al-Muhajir tried to then set up a face-to-face meeting with Godane, but was refused, and then finally tried to meet with the official Godane appointed to represent the muhajireen, yet was refused again.

"You did not leave me any other choice," he wrote referring to Godane, "except to keep silent while seeing the miserable situation of the mujahedeen and Muslims. This is not acceptable in sharia."

Pressure mounts on foreign fighters

Al-Muhajir goes on to list a litany of problems facing the muhajireen in Somalia, including:

"Spokesman for the army said that any muhajir who leaves Somalia without permission from [Godane] is considered an apostate."

"You [Godane] have not met for years, even once, with all the muhajireen to speak with them and check their situation directly with no mediation."

"You [Godane] arrest some of the muhajireen without any charges and you do not tell their families or brothers about their whereabouts or conditions. You ban any visits for them and reject trying them in front of a public court."

"You [Godane] took a secret decision not to receive the muhajireen coming from abroad, whether individuals or families, but you did not declare this decision ... and they would travel and suffer the difficulties of emigration, only to end up either not participating in jihad or in the prisons of the infidels."

"You arrested some of the muhajireen, accusing them of following the apostates. In spite of the decision of the secret court that proved their innocence, they are still treated like criminals. You have banished some to the lands of infidels while you are hunting down the others."

Al-Muhajir even accused al-Shabaab security officials of raping the wives of muhajireen who left to go to the frontlines. He explained that in one instance, a muhajir official submitted a rape complaint against an al-Shabaab member to one of Godane's officials who "insisted that he concede and withdraw the complaint. The brother found that this is an obstruction of God's judgments, so he fled the country out of fear."

"Some of the foreigners have been tortured to death in your secret prisons and you have not prosecuted your security members who have committed such crimes," al-Muhajir continued.

Al-Muhajir concluded his letter by saying, "This is the situation of the foreigners, oh Emir, and if you are unaware of this situation, then this is a calamity, and if you do know this, it is an even greater tragedy."

"Do not oppress people even if you could, because most of the time, injustice leads to regret. You will sleep while the oppressed will stay awake praying for God to avenge him. God does not forsake the oppressed."

 

Al-Shabaab Leader Given a Death Sentence in Absentia

Ahmed Abdi Godane "Abu Zubeir" with Ahmad Madobe

 

A court in Puntland has passed a death sentence against Ahmed Abdi Godane "Abu Zubeir", the leader of Al-Shabaab, for his role in masterminding the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Hajji Abdirahman in Bosasso. Sheikh Ahmed was assassinated on December 5, last year outside a mosque in Bosasso, shortly after attending Morning Prayers in the mosque. A commission of inquiry concluded Al-Shabaab was responsible for the killing.

Seven alleged militants were arrested at the end of the year in connection with the assassination and were also tried on charges of involvement in the killing. Announcing verdicts on Wednesday (February 27th) the Judge said some of the suspects had pleaded guilty to the charges; others were also found guilty as charged based on the evidence produced in court. All the accused received death sentences.

In June last year, the US offered a US$7million reward for information on the whereabouts of Ahmed Godane as well as up to US$5 million of information about other Al-Shabaab leaders including Ibrahim Haji Jama, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud and Mukhtar Robow.

Rewards for Justice releases wanted poster for Shabaab leaders

The Rewards for Justice program has created a poster listing the seven senior Shabaab leaders who were added to the wanted list on June 7. The poster [below], which was obtained by The Long War Journal, is titled "Faces of Terrorism" and contains pictures of five of the seven wanted Shabaab leaders: Ahmed Abdi Aw Mohamed (a.k.a. Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubayr and Godane), Sheikh Abu Mukhtar Robow, Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, Sheikh Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, and Abdullahi Yare.Two of the wanted leaders, Ibrahim Haji Jama and Sheikh Hassan "Turki" Abdullahi Hersi (a.k.a. Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi), are not pictured as images of them are not available.Shabaab officially merged with al Qaeda in February, but had been working closely with the terror group for years. The two terror groups intentionally obscured their ties at the behest of Osama bin Laden.
For more information on the Shabaab leaders, see LWJ report, 7 Shabaab leaders added to Rewards for Justice most wanted list.

A jihadist propaganda website releases a statement bounty on President Barack Obama. Somali Islamists Offer 10 Camels As Bounty For Obama (Somali militants mock US bounty )

Johnnie Carson visits Mogadishu. US to act firmly on 'spoiler' Somalis

 U.S Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson

The U.S Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson on Sunday visited the Somali capital, Mogadishu.During his arrival at the Mogadishu airport, Carson was welcomed by top government officials where they held talks with the.Although details of what they discussed still remain scanty, sources close to the meeting confirmed that the work plan of the road map and the recent military achievement by the Somali government dominated the talks.Carson’s unannounced visit to Mogadishu is said to be the first of its kind since he assumed office.

US to act firmly on 'spoiler' Somalis

The United States will impose travel sanctions and freeze assets of Somalis who hinder a political roadmap towards a new constitution and president in the Horn-of-Africa nation, a senior State Department official said on Sunday.

Somalia faces an August deadline to achieve both targets, which are a key step towards restoring stability after more than two decades of turmoil following the overthrow of Honourable Mohamed Siad Barre.US Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs Johnnie Carson told a news conference in the Kenyan capital that the sanctions would apply to members of the Transitional Federal Government as well as to people outside of it."The kind of action we must take against spoilers range from visa sanctions to travel sanctions to asset freezes. There is a level of vulnerability for all of those who might be spoilers," he said after a one-day visit to Mogadishu.During the trip, which was the first by a senior ranking US official in nearly two decades, Carson met President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the prime minister and the ministers of defence and foreign affairs.He joined a growing chorus of optimism on the country, after African Union forces (AMISOM) engaged in hard battles with the militant group al-Shabaab and were able to restore a measure of normality in the capital Mogadishu.Asked if his visit was a precursor to Washington re-opening its embassy in Mogadishu, Carson said the United States would continue to monitor the progress being made before making a decision."When we believe that it is both appropriate and safe, we will consider stationing officials there," he said.A number of countries, including Turkey, have put up permanent or semi-permanent diplomatic missions in the Somali capital over the last year.Carson declined to comment on an offer of 10 camels by al-Shabaab for information on the whereabouts of President Barack Obama and of several chickens for the same information on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, dismissing a reporter's question on it as "absurd".Fuad Muhammad Khalaf of the Shabaab group made the offer after Friday prayers, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant organisations, mocking the millions of dollars the United States has offered for leaders of the organisation.

- Reuters

Somalis Say US Rewards Will Help End 'Reign of Terror' By Al Qaeda Offshoot

 General AbdiKadir Diini Interview

(NEW YORK) -- The Somali government and Somali observers say the new $33 million U.S. bounty on the heads of seven al Shabaab leaders may be just what is needed to help crush the al Qaeda affiliate, which is already reeling from military assaults on all sides and from the air.

"The announcement from the U.S. government . . . will certainly help the Somali government's efforts to end al Qaeda's reign of terror in Somalia," said Somalia's transitional government in a statement Thursday. "This is an important juncture in Somali history, where the possibility of full recovery from years of chaos is within reach."

Through its Rewards for Justice program, the State Department this week offered $7 million for information leading to the capture of al-Shabaab founder and commander Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed, AKA Godane or Mukhtar Abu Zubeir, $5 million apiece for four other Shabaab leaders and $3 million a head for two more. By comparison, the U.S. had offered only $1 million for Abu Yahya al-Libi, who was killed in a U.S. strike in Pakistan on Monday and was described by U.S. officials as a bin Laden confidante and al Qaeda's second-in-command.

The $33 million in Shabaab bounties comes as the al Qaeda affiliate, which once controlled large swathes of Somalia, is being squeezed into a smaller and smaller pocket of the country by multiple armies. Somali government forces are pushing on one side, while Ethiopian, Kenyan and African Union troops are pushing on other fronts and the U.S. launches drone strikes from the air.

In May, the Somali Army, supported by Burundian troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) took control of some of al Shabaab last remaining strongholds in the Afgoi Corridor. AMISOM and Somali troops have been pushing Shabaab out of the capital city of Mogadishu since last August. Shabaab announced that they had abandoned Mogadishu but continued to use guerilla and terror attacks, including an attack on a Mogadishu theater in April that killed top sports officials but spared the Somali prime minister.

Professor Yahye Sheik Amir, dean of economics at Mogadishu University, said the new bounties would make Shabaab's already furtive leadership even more "unlikely to appear in public gatherings and mosques," though some of those named by the State Department had once made public appearances.

"They don't have a big space to hide since they are losing territory," said Prof. Amir, "and this reduces their ability to work within the group." Amir also said the Shabaab leaders were likely to become distrustful of "everyone, suspecting their guards, relatives and wives."

Local residents also welcomed the rewards. Said Mohamed Awale, an engineer, "[Shabaab] is running short of funds and losing territories. They have nothing to defend themselves with and will possibly be caught." The Somali government took particular note of the U.S. offer of $7 million for information leading to the capture of al-Shabaab founder Godane.

"As the leader of terror," said the statement, "Godane is responsible for the killing of innocent civilians across Somalia, including series of terror attacks that al-Shabaab operated in neighboring countries." Analysts also believe that three men for whom the U.S. offered $5 million a head, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, Mukhtra Robow and Bashir Mohamed Mohamoud, were integral to the group's operations and that forcing them into hiding could cripple Shabaab's ability to act.   Via - ABC

A jihadist propaganda website releases a statement bounty on President Barack Obama. Somali Islamists Offer 10 Camels As Bounty For Obama (Somali militants mock US bounty )

Jihadist   Fuad Mohamed Khalaf  (Somali militants mock US bounty)

 update on

$7 million for information on Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, the group's founder and overall commander.

The United States offers millions for information leading to the capture of the world's most wanted terrorists.A Somali militant group has purportedly countered with an offer of camels for U.S. officials.Al-Shabaab has placed a bounty of 10 camels for President Barack Obama and two camels for information on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.An audio statement posted on jihadist websites purportedly from Al-Shabaab jeered news that the United States is offering millions of dollars for information on seven key members of al-Shabaab through its Rewards for Justice program.The man on the audio claimed to be Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, considered by the State Department to be Al-Shabaab's leading fundraiser. The United States has offered $5 million for information of his whereabouts."Whoever brings the mujahidin information about the whereabouts of infidel Obama and the lady of Bill Clinton, the woman named Hillary Clinton, I will give a reward," the man said.A study by Galkayo University, which looked at the effects of drought on livestock, said the average cost of a camel in Somalia is $700.CNN can not independently verify the authenticity of the audio recording, which was purportedly made by Khalaf during a speech to followers in the southern port city of Merca.The U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering $7 million for information on the location of Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed, the founder of the Islamist group in Somalia.This year, he and al Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released a joint video formally announcing a merger between the terror groups.In announcing the bounties on Mohamed and his key associates Thursday, the State Department called al-Shabaab "a threat to the stability of East Africa and to the national security interests of the United States."The State Department said it is also offering up to $5 million each for information leading to the location of four of Aw-Mohamed's associates, including Khalaf. In addition, it is offering up to $3 million each for two of the terror group's other leaders.   Via CNN

Somali insurgents offer 10 camels to locate Obama, 10 roosters for Clinton

U.S. offers millions in bounty for top Somali militants

You Know What i  Hate all types of terrorist.   everyone in the media   manages to miss the point entirely .. ...The funny thing about this story is..about form of discrimination and oppression against woman in islam . considering me as Patriotic American immigrants from Somalia, and  lived  her  most of my adult life , I did some research and found out.. Somali Clan leaders are known in Somalia as 'Ugas', 'Sultan', 'Garaad', ...or any Leadership position Society roles..According to Somali customary law..compensation, actual price paid is 100 camels..The Somalia-based Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabaab  basically suggesting that  .. he's less than a man.   The media did not   pick up the important part  of the "story,"    i repeatedly suggested that Obama is weak on terror.  "Just wanted to let you folks know   The price is not right. I think shabaab  should be carpet bombed into the stone age ,for Disrespecting Our President Obama

U.S. offers millions in bounty for top Somali militants

Members of al-Shabaab, a group linked to al-Qaida, in Somalia. The United States is offering rewards of up to $7 million for information leading to The location of seven key leaders of Somalia's al Shabaab, seeking for the first time to target top echelons of the al-Qaida-linked 

 

WASHINGTON - The United States is offering rewards of up to $7 million for information leading to the location of seven key leaders of Somalia's al Shabaab, seeking for the first time to target top echelons of the al-Qaida-linked militant group.U.S. officials said the rewards, to be announced on the State Department's "Rewards for Justice" website on Thursday, opened a new front in the battle against al Shabaab and signaled Washington's determination to press the fight against terrorism across Africa."This is the first time we've had key leaders of al Shabaab as part of the Rewards for Justice program," said Robert Hartung, an assistant director at the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which administers the program.

"Every time we add someone to the Rewards for Justice site, that is a signal that the U.S. government is sending that it takes the fight against terrorism very seriously," Hartung said.The U.S. government in 2008 named al Shabaab to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, imposing financial and other restrictions on the group that had seized control of large areas of south and central Somalia and sought to impose its strict version of Islam on the impoverished Horn of Africa nation.The United States has also joined international efforts to bolster Somalia in the face of its multiple crises, pledging $300 million to support an African Union force battling al Shabaab and $250 million for humanitarian relief after drought struck the region last year.
"What we're about in Somalia is a comprehensive broad effort with a variety of partners in the region and around the world to bring stability to Somalia," said Karl Wycoff, deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

PRICE ON THEIR HEADS

Thursday's announcement will for the first time set specific prices on the heads of al Shabaab leaders, topped by a reward of up to $7 million for information on the whereabouts of Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, the group's founder and overall commander.Rewards of up to $5 million are being offered for Ibrahim Haji Jama, another al Shabaab co-founder, and group financier Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, along with military commander Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud and Mukhtar Robow, who often serves as the group's spokesman.The U.S. government will pay rewards of up to $3 million for information on the whereabouts of intelligence chief Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi and Abdullahi Yare, another senior figure, Hartung said.
U.S. officials say the Rewards for Justice program has paid out more than $100 million to more than 70 informants since it was established in 1984 and helped to find and convict 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, among others.The program has not been without recent controversy. The State Department in April placed a $10 million bounty on Hafiz Saeed, suspected of masterminding the 2008 attack in Mumbai, India, that killed 166 people. Saeed's whereabouts in Pakistan were not usually a mystery, and he responded to the U.S. move by holding a news conference mocking it.
Counterterrorism analysts said the new rewards could boost pressure on al Shabaab as it faces a three-pronged offensive by Kenyan troops in the south, Ethiopian troops in central Somalia and an African Union force near the capital, Mogadishu."Al Shabaab is starting to show some signs of fatigue and fissures that are going to hinder the group," said Rick "Ozzie" Nelson, a senior security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies."Putting these individuals on Rewards for Justice at this juncture is another thing which might encourage the demise of al Shabaab. We are at a tipping point here."Other analysts said that while the Rewards for Justice program had shown only moderate success in capturing senior leaders, it was useful as a signpost of U.S. priorities."The large rewards haven't had an impact in bringing the top guys to justice, but these notices are important to help define the enemy and informing people about who we believe to be the top-level threats," said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of its "Long War Journal" on counterterrorism efforts.Hartung said he was sure the large U.S. reward offers would tease out new clues about the whereabouts of al Shabaab's top leaders."We are confident that we will receive information pertaining to these seven," Hartung said. "What we do with that information, and the quality of that information, we'll have to wait and ."Reuters

Al-Shabab executes American-born terrorist

 UPDATE ON Al- Shabaab's Abu Mansour Al-Amriki appears to be in trouble

Somalia: Al-Shabab Militants Arrest a U.S.-Born Jihadist

American Traitor Claims Shabaab Trying to Kill Him Foreign Fighters Being Arrested, Killed by al Shabaab? al-Shabaab Responds in Press Release(UPDATED:BUMPED),US fighter in Somalia says threatened by fellow militants.US-born al-Shabab fighter Omar Hamami, better known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki 'fears for life'

The Somali al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabab, has executed an American terrorist according to media reports in Somalia.
 

The al-Qaeda-allied group al-Shabaab executed US-born jihadist Omar Hammami on April 5th, according to unconfirmed Somali media reports.
Hammami, known as Abu Mansour al-Amriki, said he feared for his life from other al-Shabaab leaders because of strategic and ideological differences in a statement released last month.
According to Somalia's Gedo Online, Hammami was the only one absent from a recent meeting attended by top al-Shabaab leaders in Baraawe.
Al-Shabaab reportedly hunted down Hammami after he left Marka in the Lower Shabelle region. He was reportedly beheaded on the spot and buried somewhere between Marka and Baraawe.
According to the report, the alleged execution angered some al-Shabaab leaders, who accused al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane of ordering the execution.
A group of foreign fighters and other top al-Shabaab members, including Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, also known as Fuad Shongoole, reportedly fled to the Galgala Mountains following the news of the execution.

Hammami grew up in Alabama and turned jihadist sometime after he dropped out of college in 2002. He traveled with a friend to Somalia and joined up with the al-Shabab terrorist outfit.
Huffington Post reports that Hammami feared for his life from his comrades due to disputes over the interpretation of Sharia law.

Hammami, known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki, or "the American," appears in a video saying he has disagreed with his comrades in the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militia on Islam's Sharia law and strategy. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

He thumbed his nose at the US because of several erroneous reports that he had been killed in drone attacks. He isn't laughing anymore now that his head has been separated from his body and his carcass dumped into an unmarked grave.
May all American-born jihadists enjoy the same fate. VIA americanthinker.com  ...My Articles on  American Thinker
Background and Related Stories

Al Qaeda-Linked American Terrorist Unveiled, as Charges Await Him in U.S.

 

The Jihadist Next Door

Shabab mourning the death of usama : American in al-Qaida linked group in wartorn Somalia vows revenge for bin Laden's death.The Shabaab al-Mujahideen Movement in Somalia has reportedly organized a rally south of Mogadishu under the slogan "All of Us Are Usama."

How Nice, AlQaeda's AlShabaab Hold's A Festival For The Kiddies Featuring American Traitor Abu Mansour Al-Amriki

'Make jihad with me': The all-American high school class president who went from sweet home Alabama to rapping for Al Qaeda. American militant in Somalia releases martyr's rap - FoxNews.com

America's newest terrorist threat: Officials eye Somali extremist group Al-Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s emerging Africa enterprise

Somali-Swedish militant Islamist Sheikh Fu'ad Mohamed daydreaming Somalia: Al Shabaab Say It Will Destroy the U.S., UN...SOME GOOD NEWS ..The administration of Ahlu Sunna Waljama ASWJ in central Somalia threatened they will kill anyone suspected of having links with the Al Qaeda inspired group of Al shabaab.

According to :Habar-Gidir Hawiye Terrorist apologist Radio Shabelle

Somalia's al Qaeda inspired al Shabaab on Sunday unveiled that it is committed to destroying the United States and the United Nations.Sheikh Fu'ad Mohamed Khalaf, a high ranking al Shabaab officer, said they will continue their battles against government of Somalia and then will tear down power of the United States and the UN since al Shabaab fighter is alive.He was speaking at a seminar held for some elders from Digil and Mirifle clans in Marka town, about 90 kilometers south of war-ridden Mogadishu.Khalaf said their fighters are committed to dedicating their lives because of that cause.The comments of the al Shabaab officer comes a month after fleeing Mogadishu, the capital of the horn of African nation after four year insurgency to dethrone the internationally recognized Somalia government.He called for the people in Somalia to join in al Shabaab's struggle against the Somali government and African Union forces in Mogadishu.He also talked about the famine and drought in the horn of African nation, spelling out that Al shabaab stood to help the famine victims.He called for the drought displaced people in Mogadishu to return to their regions and villages and resume their normal life.

The administration of Ahlu Sunna Waljama ASWJ in central Somalia threatened they will kill anyone suspected of having links with the Al Qaeda inspired group of Al shabaab.

Dhusamareb — The administration of Ahlu Sunna Waljama ASWJ in central Somalia threatened they will kill anyone suspected of having links with the Al Qaeda inspired group of Al shabaab.Sheikh Mohamed Yusuf Hefow, the chairman of Ahlu Sunna's executive committee made the statements while addressing to hundreds of people in the town of Dhusamareb, the regional capital of Galgudud region of central Somalia.The chairman said there are individuals in the town who are working with the militant group doing various activities.He reiterated that they will execute any person is seen or captured working for the Al shabaab movement.Mr. Hefow they will do more charges in the areas under the Ahlu Sunna Waljma control in country's center.
VIA . allAfrica.com

Overseas Clerics Undermining Al-Shabaab's Struggle According To Somali Jehadest

More than 150 hardline Somali clerics have called on overseas-based clerics to stop opposing the extreme views of militant Islamist group al-Shabaab, saying it is undermining efforts to defeat African Union peacekeepers and the Western-backed government in the capital Mogadishu.

A seven-day meeting gathered the pro al-Qaeda al-Shabaab council of clerics, founded in February 2009 and chaired by Sheikh Nor Maalim Abdirahman. "We know those who claim to be Sheikhs are against the Jihad, causing confusion among Somali people,” Sheikh Nor said in a speech. “Jihad is compulsory, let us fight and teach lessons to those who invaded our Muslim country.”

Somali Jehadest Al-Shabaab senior leaders, including Swedish-Somali military leader Sheikh Fuad Mohamed Khalaf (Shangole) and the group’s Banadir region commissioner, attended the meeting.

Shangole told the clerics that their voices and preaching could gather more popularity for al-Shabaab, but also accused some of the clerics of not encouraging Jihad among their communities.

Farhan Dol, a scholar at the Mogadishu University told Somalia Report that efforts must be made to counter extremist ideology lest it woo impressionable youngsters into joining the insurgency.

“Instead of paying millions of dollars for security issue which have progressed little, why is the world blind to the possibility of initiating awareness programs against the so-called Jihad that has caused thousands to die meaninglessly?" he asked.

BREAKIGN NEWS BARRE HIIRAALE IMPRISONED BY ETHIOPIA. Ethiopian dictator Undermining the War on Terrorism. ( Ethiopian dictator Undermining critical time Mareehan clan Heartland Region Awakening)

 aminarts on the gedo conflict.. Ethiopia Detector  said 'US aid will stop  If you killed  them ALL

update on Mareehan clan Heartland Region Awakening 26 Killed in Fighting Between Somali Forces, Militants

Mareehan clan Heartland Region Awakening UPDATE Swedish-Somali Al-Shabaab Leader Reported Dead . Fuad Mohamed Khalaf aka Fuad Shongole, Deputy commander of Al-Shabaab Bites the Dust

Dollow Somalia: Ethiopian troops at the border town of Dollow jailed Somali Member of Parliament who was also the former Somali defense minister Col. Barre Adan Shire well-known “Barre Hiiraale”. News broke out today after friends and family members made contact with Gedoonline website. All effort to reach the Ethiopian command center at the border town of Dollow failed and the only sources available are his close staff members who confirmed the arrest. He jailed after he went to meet Ethiopian military personnel to discuss an ongoing military operation in the southern Somali region of Gedo.There are no details from the Ethiopian and the Somali governments. His family members in Nairobi confirmed that they informed the matter to the Somali transitional government in Mogadishu and are hoping the minister will get his freedom back. It is the first Somali high ranking official deliberately jailed by the Ethiopian government since the Somali Ethiopian war in 1977.Col. Barre is very prominent figure in the Somali politics; he was one of the signatories at the Somali Peace Talks Nairobi Kenya that established the current Transitional Government mandate in 2004. He was the chairman of The Jubba Valley Alliance – JVA a regional administration of five southern Somali region from 1997 to 2004. His JVA local administration was destroyed by the Islamic Courts Union and Al-shabab Islamist groups. For the last three years Barre was preparing a Somali military force against Al-shabab that controls much of the south. He was based at Dollow the border side of Somalia. He was safe at this town because of the Ethiopian military base at the other side of the border.He gained strength and organized one of the most committed, trained and prepared Somali military force against Al-shabab. His effort was part of the Transitional Federal Movement overall strategy to destroy the Islamists and secure the country. Most of his men are from his clan base (Mareehan) and he enjoys their loyalty to face the mostly powerful enemy of the Somali Nation (Al-shabaab).Late February 2011, he launched a very successful operation and defeated Al-shabaab forces in Gedo region. His troops now control most of Gedo region bordering Ethiopia and Kenya. Both Ethiopian and Kenya supported this operation to keep border areas secure and had a good relationship with Col. Barre. The news that the Ethiopian troops detained Col. creates distrust towards the whole operation to defeat the Islamist groups in control of the south.There is no effective central government in Somalia since the collapse of the central government in 1991. Somalia is divided into small localities controlled by local administrations or religious extremist groups and the Somali Transitional government is a very weak one. International and Regional efforts to rebuild Somali government has failed quite a number of times and the situation looks bleak every before

Somali military forces capture Garbahaarey town (Mareehan clan Heartland Region Awakening) Pro-government forces take town in southern Somalia

Find MORE about  Ethiopia Detector

Wikileaks dispatch exposes Meles Zenawi as a mercenary

Absolutely no common : brutal Ethiopia dictator daughter along with her friends

Swedish-Somali Al-Shabaab Leader Reported Dead . Fuad Mohamed Khalaf aka Fuad Shongole, Deputy commander of Al-Shabaab Bites the Dust

update SomaliaReport: Al-Shabaab Leader Shangole Alive and Well

Gifts That Keep on Giving.Swedish-Somali Al-Shabaab Leader (Fuad Mohamed Khalaf) Reported Dead
TFG claims to have killed infidel Shongole:
The head of Gedo region administration, "Mohamed Abdi Kalil" said today in short statement , thay have killed  Fuad Mohamed Khalaf aka  Shongole,along with Four foreign Fighters, heavy fighting in west of Garbaharey town


update

Swedish-Somali Al-Shabaab Leader Reported Dead

TFG Says Fuad Shangole Killed in Garbaharey Clashes

A senior al-Shabaab commander, Swedish-Somali Fuad Mohmaed Qalaf (Shangole), has reportedly been killed in fierce fighting between pro-government forces and the insurgent group in Garbaharey, Gedo Region.
The Transitional Federal Government’s Gedo Governor, Mohamed Kalil, told the UN-funded Radio Bar Kulan that Shangole was among the dead as al-Shabaab launched a fierce counter-attack on Garbaharey, which the government seized control of without a fight last week.
Local sources told Somalia Report at least 28 combatants were killed when hundreds of al-Shabaab fighters launched mortar attacks and waves of ground troops against the forces of the TFG and moderate Islamist militia Ahlu Sunna wal Jamaa (ASWJ) after morning prayers.
Sources close to al-Shabaab in Bardera, south of Garbaharey, confirmed some senior officials were among the dead - one of them al-Shabaab regional head of public awareness, Sheikh Mohamed Mohamoud. An AWSJ senior commander who spoke to Somalia Report could not confirm the names of those killed, but said the identities of four senior al-Shabaab leaders and foreign Jihadists would be disclosed to the media Tuesday. Kalil said that passports and photographs of the dead would also be revealed.
Shangole spent 12 years in Sweden as an asylum seeker, working as an Imam, before returning to join the Islamic Court Union. When Ethiopian forces ousted the Islamist regime in 2006, Shangole joined the al-Shabaab insurgency. According to Swedish media, he was personally involved in stoning to death a 13-year-old girl and cutting off the hand of a man accused of theft.

Pro-government forces in Garbaharey claimed victory in the fighting, but the situation was still tense late Monday and TFG and ASWJ forces could be seen in and around the town. Reports from Dolow, a border town near Ethiopia, said TFG and ASWJ fighters were sent to Garbaharey to reinforce to the troops.
Residents in Garbaharey had been expecting a fight since Saturday, when al-Shabaab began to dig in around 3 kilometers outside the town.
The government has been making gains in Gedo, a region that borders Kenya and Ethiopia, seizing key towns from al-Shabaab. The militants have shifted to ambushes, laying landmines and launching hit-and-run attacks in an attempt to halt the advance.
We'll keep you posted as we know more about the  details.
26 Killed in Fighting Between Somali Forces, Militants
 Garbaharey seems to be deathbed of them. It is also where Abdalla Al-Sudani, the former right hand of Bin Laden in Sudan and a Sudanese, was killed two years ago. I guess judging from Abu Mansuur and Shongole's rallying in the area before the Dollow move as well as Ali Raage's stay in Baardheere, it stands to be mentioned they considered the Dollow movement and the events in Gedo even more important than Mogadishu. Gedo under one control means overnight handover of Kismaayo. They can't have that. I am sure Godane is in Buurdhuubo tonight unless he was injured or killed in the Garbahareey area.

Here we go again : Al Shabaab Leader Sends Message to Burundi. Al-Shabaab calls for revolts in Ethiopia and Kenya

Audio from today's  somalia jihadist websites.

here's another propaganda message with another EMPTY HOLE. ...

update on Somalia's al Shabaab threatens to attack Kenya


Mogadishu(tf,sf) — Al Shabab  Terrorist leader Ahmed Godane aka  Terrorist  Sheik Mokhtar Abu-Zubeyr  From Somaliland Region of Somalia .Wednesday sent a message to the people of Burundi and informed to work how Burundian forces withdraw Somalia.In an audio taped message, Abu Zubeyr said they held captive a number of Burundian soldiers during Mogadishu battles that forced  Terrorist  Al shabaab to abandon some of their key military positions."This message is to inform the Burundians that their forces in Somalia don't know the facts exist in this country. You know that many forces from the world and from Ethiopia have failed to do any thing in Somalia and dragging of AU soldiers in Mogadishu is a clear sign for their failure" said the leader of Al shabaab.

He reiterated that the Burundian forces, who are part in African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, will leave Somalia having failed to reach their goals...bla bla blaa blaa.
related stores

Al-Shabaab calls for revolts in Ethiopia and Kenya
A top Somali radicals al-Shabaab official has urged Muslims in Ethiopia and Kenya to rise up against their governments.Sheikh Mahad Omar Abdikarim made the call on Thursday at a gathering in Baidoa town, 240km southwest of the capital Mogadishu.Sheikh Abdikarim said Muslims in Kenya and Ethiopia were oppressed, adding that they ought to ‘liberate’ themselves from Christian domination.“You can get all the help you need,” he said without specifying the sort of assistance and from which sources. He also urged the Muslims in the two countries to send jihadists (holy warriors) to Mogadishu.
Issuing threats
Senior al-Shabaab officials, including Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali Abu Mansur, the deputy leader of the group and Sheikh Fu’ad Mohamed Khalaf Shongole, the movement’s chief awareness officer, were present.
Al-Shabaab militias are fighting the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces that are supported by the peacekeepers serving the AU Mission in Somalia (Amisom).Last month, the movement’s fighters lost their main base in Mogadishu to pro-government forces. Al-Shabaab has recently been issuing threats to countries neighbouring Somalia.On February 27, the group’s spokesperson, Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Raghe, said they would take stern action against Kenya for supporting pro-Somalia Government forces along its border.
They have also asked Burundi to withdraw its peacekeepers from Mogadishu. via african review

Some background on shabaab leader. hometown
Secessionist Somaliland and Al Shabaab two faces of the Same Token (Al Shabaab Puzzle!)
The Evil Triangle in Somalia: Secessionist Somaliland, Al Shabaab, and Dahabshiil Money Transfer Company
Somaliland Link With Al Shabaab
Shabab leaders from the Northern Somalia are mainly to blame for destroying Southern Somalia.
Danish cartoonist of Muhammad caricature to face attacker in court as terror trial starts>the is attacker originally from One-Clan secessionist Enclave. aka Somaliland aka isaaq clan . The regions of northern Somalia