Short Prison Term For Man Who Lied In Somali Case, Somali man who lied to FBI to spend 4 months in prison

update from Prosecutor: Somali Man Lied When Truth Mattered
Somali man who lied to FBI to spend 4 months in prison
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― A Minnesota man who lied to FBI agents investigating whether local Somalis had traveled to their homeland to join a terror group was sentenced Friday to four months in prison, less than half the minimum term sought by prosecutors.Abdow Munye Abdow, 26, is among more than a dozen people facing various charges in the government's investigation. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after lying about a cross-country trip he took with four men, including one on a terror watch list.The judge said that although Abdow eventually cooperated with investigators, he committed a serious crime because the government has concerns that people trained in terror tactics could pose a threat to the U.S.

"You knew very well what you were doing and you lied," U.S. District Judge James Rosenbaum said. "This is a serious matter."Abdow, a U.S. citizen of Somali descent, did not travel to Somalia. He has no connection to any terrorist group, defense attorney Earl Gray told the judge."He got into something and once he realized what he got into, he got out of it," Gray said.Rosenbaum said he factored Abdow's prior clean record and eventual cooperation with investigators into his decision. He ordered Abdow to spend four months on home detention after his prison term, even though prosecutors wanted him to spend 10 to 16 months in prison, as federal guidelines recommend. Defense attorneys had argued for probation.Before the sentence was announced, Abdow apologized and told the judge, "You will never see me in this situation ever again."Authorities are investigating the travels of roughly 20 men who left Minnesota starting in late 2007. All but one of the men were of Somali descent, and investigators believe they wanted to join al-Shabab, a violent group that wants to establish an Islamic state in Somalia. U.S. security officials believe the group has ties to al-Qaida.Abdow, of Chanhassen, lied to FBI agents last October about a trip he took with four men, one of whom was on a terror watch list and is now at large. Prosecutors said in a court filing that Abdow obstructed a "fast-moving" investigation into the disappearance of three men from Minnesota.When he was interviewed by the FBI, Abdow at first told agents he was with one other person. He then admitted there were more, but said he did not know their names or who paid for the car. He eventually said he'd rented the car and knew the names or nicknames of all the men.The car was stopped by Nevada Highway Patrol troopers on Oct. 6, 2009. The group told troopers they were headed to San Diego for a friend's wedding, but they gave inconsistent explanations about how they knew each other and who was getting married.The troopers learned that the driver, Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, was on a terrorist watch list, but there were no outstanding warrants so the group was allowed to leave.Faarax and one other person in Abdow's car were among three people later seen being dropped off by taxi at a Mexican border crossing near San Diego. The men told a border official they were flying from Tijuana to Mexico City.Faarax and at least one of the other men are now believed to be outside the U.S.Assistant U.S. Attorney Anders Folk said in court Friday that Abdow had several opportunities to tell the truth. Instead, he told investigators that he would "take his chances," according to a federal affidavit."He took those chances, Your Honor, and that's why he's here today," Folk said. "You don't get to lie to the FBI."Gray, Abdow's attorney, noted that Abdow spent six years in a refugee camp before coming to the U.S., where he learned English, graduated from a St. Paul high school and received training as a medical technician. The married father of two lost the job because of the criminal charge.More than a dozen friends and family members were in the courtroom to support Abdow. They declined comment after the hearing. Folk also declined comment, while Gray's only comment was that Abdow is "a good kid."Rosenbaum said Abdow must report to prison on or before Aug. 16. He said Abdow will be on electronic monitoring while on home detention, and must comply with other conditions.

Minnesota / Somali men were stopped for speeding, prosecutors contend

update on 8 charged in US-Somali youth terror network.Charges unsealed in missing Somalis terror probe‎ -
 
The five men were traveling 4 mph over the speed limit and that gave state troopers the only reason they needed to pull their vehicle over, federal prosecutors contended Tuesday in the case of a man charged in connection with the exodus of Somali men to their homeland.In a motion filed in the case of Abdow Munye Abdow, government lawyers say that the stop was legal and that any statements the man made should not be suppressed, as his lawyer has requested Abdow's lawyer claimed Nevada state troopers stopped the car Abdow and four other Somali men were riding in north of Las Vegas last October because of their skin color.
But in a 25-page reply to the defense's motion to suppress, federal prosecutors said race or ethnicity had nothing to do with the stop, but speeding did."The troopers had reasonable suspicion that the vehicle in which the defendant was traveling was involved in criminal activity," the memorandum said. "The vehicle was traveling at 79 mph despite the posted maximum speed limit was 75 mph."Abdow, 26, of Chanhassen, was indicted last year on two counts of lying to federal agents. FBI agents had questioned him after he returned to the Twin Cities from Nevada, and he allegedly lied to them about who had rented the car and whether he knew the other passengers. Records showed he had rented the vehicle.Abdow, a medical technician, is among 14 men who have been charged as part of an investigation into the exodus of several young local Somali men back to Africa. Prosecutors are trying to determine if the men were recruited to fight in Somalia by a group known as al-Shabaab, which the U.S. State Department says is linked to al-Qaida. Nevada State Patrol troopers Gary Smith and Neil Ferguson were parked along Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas on the night of Oct. 6 when they noticed a Chevrolet HHR drive past, they later testified. They said the vehicle got their attention because it was speeding.Statistics from the Nevada Department of Transportation show that 61 percent of vehicles along that stretch of interstate are going faster than 75 mph. Citing that and other factors, Abdow's lawyer, Earl Gray, argued that the troopers stopped the vehicle because of the occupants' race.The troopers got identification from only three of the five men: Abdow; driver Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, 33, of Bloomington; and Adam Bonaya Ali, 23, of St. Paul. When they radioed the information to their dispatcher, they were told Faarax might be involved in a terrorist group and were warned to "use caution," the government's memorandum says.Although the men in the car gave inconsistent answers about where they were going and why, the troopers decided there was no reason to detain them and told them they could leave. They then asked Abdow if they could search the car. He signed a consent form, and the troopers found nothing illegal.Gray has argued that the traffic stop was illegal and that, because it was the stop that prompted FBI agents to question Abdow two days later, any statements he made to the agents should be thrown out. And, he argued, because those alleged statements provide the basis for the criminal charges, they should be thrown out, too.But prosecutors said the troopers had reasonable suspicions and enough reasons to pull the car over."(T)he time of day, the deserted location in Nevada, and the position of the patrol vehicle when it first encountered defendant's vehicle are all consistent with a speeding violation as opposed to troopers randomly choosing a vehicle to pull over," the government's motion says. "The violation of Nevada law provided Trooper Ferguson a reasonable and articulable basis — indeed, it provided him with probable cause — to stop the defendant's vehicle."Two days after the traffic stop, Faarax and another man believed to have been in the car, Abdiweli Yassin Isse, 24, of Minneapolis, crossed the border into Mexico at San Ysidro, Calif. Faarax and Isse were later charged with conspiracy to kidnap, kill, maim and injure people outside of the U.S., and they have not been apprehended.
Ali has not been charged.
David Hanners can be reached at 612-338-6516.

Prosecutor: Somali Man Lied When Truth Mattered

UPDATE ON Minn. Somali to plead guilty to lying to FBI
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―Prosecutors say a Somali man who lied to FBI agents obstructed a "fast-moving" investigation into the disappearance of three men from Minnesota.Assistant U.S. Attorney Anders Folk wrote Tuesday that Abdow Munye Abdow lied when the truth mattered most. Folk says Abdow should get between 10 to 16 months at Friday's sentencing on an obstruction of justice charge.Folk says Abdow lied in October about a Trip he took with four others to San Diego. The filing says the trip was planned, and other documents show at least one of the men Abdow left in San Diego was on a terror watch list and is now at large. Abdow's attorney is asking for probation, saying Abdow has no prior arrests.
The FBI is investigating the Travels of roughly 20 men who went to Somalia to join al-Shabab. Abdow was not among them.

Indictment of 4th man in Somali exodus shows it continues, Jamal says,Man On Terror Watch list Stopped Then Let Go

The arrest of a Chanhassen man last week shows that young Somali men in the Twin Cities are still returning to their homeland to fight, but a federal investigation of the exodus has driven the recruitment of the would-be fighters "underground," a local Somali leader said Wednesday. "We hope this pressure will stop the recruitment process," said Omar Jamal, director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center. "The sooner it comes to an end, the better for the Somali community." Jamal also said that while nobody seems to have an accounting of how many local Somali men returned to Somalia to fight with a group allegedly linked to al-Qaida, it is probably greater than the 20 often cited in media accounts.

"The numbers now are probably much higher than 20. Definitely," he said.

Jamal spoke hours after federal prosecutors filed a two-count indictment against Abdow Munye Abdow, 25, for allegedly making false statements to FBI agents. The FBI has been investigating the movement of Somali men out of the country, and Abdow became the fourth local man charged in the case. Jamal's comments during the investigation have at times drawn ire from other Somalis. Among other things, he has called for a wider investigation into alleged recruiting at Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center in Minneapolis. The head imam there has denied claims that anyone connected with the mosque has been involved with the travel of local Somalis back to Africa...more..http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_13564976

Man On Terror Watch list Stopped Then Let Go

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/14/man-on-terror-watchlist-stopped-then-let-go/?test=latestnews

Terror Suspects Free Minn. Terror Case, Judge keeps electronic monitoring for Somali man

update Judge keeps electronic monitoring for Somali man
From Minneapolis to Mogadishu
MINNEAPOLIS – When Minnesota Somalis began traveling to their war-torn homeland to take up arms nearly three years ago, authorities initially feared they might someday return as domestic terrorists.But recent court activity suggests at least some of the men are not as dangerous as once feared. Five have been allowed to go free with various conditions as their cases work through the court system, including two who admitted spending time in a terrorist training camp. After months in custody, the pair have gradually received more freedom, and are now living with family members."Judges tend to err on the side of caution in these cases," said Stephen Vladeck, an associate law professor at American University in Washington. So for a court to release a terrorism suspect, the judge "found clearly and convincingly that the defendant is not a threat."Roughly 20 men — all but one of Somali descent — left Minnesota from December 2007 through October 2009 to join al-Shabab, a violent group that seeks to establish an Islamic state in Somalia. The federal government designated al-Shabab a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008, and said it has ties to al-Qaida.The threat posed by al-Shabab took on more urgency last week, when the group claimed responsibility for twin bombings in Uganda that killed 76 people during the World Cup final. It was the first time al-Shabab had struck outside Somalia's borders. In a new audio message released Thursday, the militant group's leader threatened further attacks.It's unclear whether any Minnesota men were involved in the attack. The FBI is assisting the investigation in Uganda.Federal officials are still seeking some of the Minnesota suspects, and authorities warn the group could still pose a threat in the future."These individuals still present a dangerousness because of the ideology involved and the training that they get in camps," said E.K. Wilson, an FBI spokesman in Minneapolis.At least initially, many of the men appear to have been motivated not by anger at America but at turmoil in their Somali homeland, which has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew siad barre and then turned on each other, plunging the African nation of 7 million into chaos.

In late 2006, Ethiopian soldiers were brought into Somalia by a weak U.N.-backed government that was struggling to regain control of the country. Many Somalis saw that occupation as an invasion, and they viewed the Ethiopian soldiers as abusive and heavy-handed.In Minnesota, home of the largest population of Somali immigrants in the United States, anti-Ethiopian sentiment became commonplace — in coffee shops, households and public venues.By the fall of 2007, some Somali men were holding secret meetings at Minneapolis mosques and homes, plotting ways to fight the Ethiopians, court documents said.The men were accused of varying degrees of involvement in the movement to return to Somalia. Court documents say some helped pay for weapons or travel. Another person came up with a fundraising scheme. Others went to Somalia to learn to use machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. At least one man helped ambush Ethiopian troops. Someone else carried out a suicide bombing."Nationalism may have played a role in the initial attraction or initial draw of these individuals, but radicalism and violent extremism at some point was introduced to many of them," Wilson said.Charges have been filed against 14 men — including some people who traveled to Somalia and some who did not. Seven of those charged are still at large. One man is in the Netherlands fighting extradition to the U.S., a process that could take many more months.All except one of the men who are in Minnesota were deemed fit for release with some conditions. For instance, Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse both went to Somalia and later pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists. Their restrictions were gradually lifted over time — to the point where they are now at family homes and no longer on electronic monitoring.Attorneys for the two said their clients went to Somalia to fight the Ethiopian army, but left the training camps before al-Shabab was declared a terrorist organization. Ahmed helped clear brush and trees for a camp, and Isse helped build a camp, according to court documents.It's not clear when they will be sentenced. Their attorneys declined to make them available for interviewsThe others who are free include one man who awaits trial for allegedly helping some of the travelers, and one who pleaded guilty to perjury. Another man, Abdow Munye Abdow, was sentenced Friday to four months in prison, followed by four months' home detention, for obstruction of justice. Abdow, who did not travel to Somalia but lied to investigators, is free while awaiting his prison assignment. The only suspect to remain in custody in Minnesota is Kamal Said Hassan, who is accused of traveling to Somalia in December 2007 with Ahmed, staying al-Shabab training camps, and continuing to work with al-Shabab after his training. He has pleaded guilty to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and other charges. The Minnesota investigation is not over. Authorities say the case is complex because of national security issues, the number of suspects, and the geography and the lawlessness of Somalia. A significant part of the case is at an "advanced stage," Wilson said, but "there are still questions that we have, questions that we are trying to answer."

How al-Shabaab Targets Western Youth

Africa’s growing terrorism infestation makes way for al-Shabaab
Relative confirms death of fourth young man from Minnesota in Somalia
FBI raids 3 Minneapolis money-transfer businesses, looking for records of Africa transactions

Al Shabaab's Recruiting Efforts in the West,Involving local Somali leaders will keep al-Shabaab at bay

The Center for Terrorism Research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has released the first issue of CTR Vantage. Each issue of CTR Vantage will focus on a specific terrorism-related theme. This first issue examines al-Shabaab's recruitment tactics in the West, and efforts that have been made to minimize Shabaab's potential allure in Somali diaspora communities. The lead article discusses the October 13th indictment of Somali-American, Abbow Munye Abdow, and the application of "false statement" charges in terrorism cases. The second article is a comprehensive backgrounder on al-Shabaab and the history of the Islamist groups in Somalia.The third article, titled "Al-Shabaab Recruiting in the West," takes a comprehensive look at what we know about the group's efforts to recruit fighters in the United States, and in other Western countries. The final article concerns the efficacy of the Somali president's recent diplomatic efforts in Minneapolis, Columbus, OH, and Chicago. Future issues of CTR Vantage will cover aspects of the Black Nationalist/Islamist movement in the U.S., lessons learned from the terror plots of 2009. CTR Vantage will be published every two to three weeks. CTR Vantage is co-written and co-edited by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (also a CT Blog contributor) and Madeleine Gruen, with contributions from the staff of the Center for Terrorism Research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. You may view the current issue of CTR Vantage by clicking here.
Involving local Somali leaders will keep al-Shabaab at bay
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/20/699934

Al-Shabaab Terrorist Is Public Enemy Number One

There is no doubt to many Muslims that the armed Islamist group called Al-Shabaab Terrorist of Somalia is indeed the number one enemy of Islam. The primary objective of Al-Shabaab Terrorist is not to fight the enemy of Islam or reunite the Somali people but rather destroy the culture of compassion, tolerance, and knowledge that is the trademark of many Muslims around the world including Somalians. Consequently, if this so called Islamist group is against everything Islam stands for, then who is the real enemy of Islam? Is killing Muslims including innocent children and women in relation to fighting the enemy of Islam?
Somalia is the only nation in Africa where 100% of their citizens are Sunni Muslims. This was major achievement that was accomplished without any blood shed hundreds of years prior to Al-Shabaab. May Allah reward scholars such us Sheikh Aweis Mohammed Baraawi, Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Gebro, Sheikh Abdirahmaan Zeilawi, Sheikh Ali Maye Durogba, Sheikh Mohammed Guled Al Rashidi, and Sheikh Abdirahman Abdulah who made this possible. These scholars devoted their entire lives for the sake of Allah traveling from place to place to teach Islam to the nomadic and endogenous Somalians who often new nothing or very little about Islam. The teachings of these scholars gave many Somali people the academic resources needed to become and stay a faithful Muslims. The enormity of their success did not come from AK47 or intimidation but from a Dikr such as Qadiriyyah, Idrisiyyah, or Salihiyyah, a religious orders Al-Shabaab is seeking to eradicate from the daily lives of many faithful Muslims in Somalia.
Since taking control of Bay, Juba, and Shabelle regions of Somalia, Al-Shabaab Terrorist has imposed a Taliban-style restrictions and destroyed many historic grave sites belonging to some of these well-respected scholars who helped spread the religion of Islam in Somalia. Among the graves destroyed and the remains removed include those of Sheikh Nureni Ahmed Sabir, Sheikh Kassim Baraawi, and Sheikh Mohamoud Wa’ays who were all buried in Brava city. In addition, the group also removed the remains of Sharif Mubiidi and Sharifah Daada Maasiti both the descendants of the prophet SCW who were also buried in Brava. Furthermore, Al-Shabaab has as well removed the remains of Sheikh Aweis Mohammed Baraawi from his grave site. Does Islam permit to disturb, destroy, and disseminate any grave site regardless of religious affiliations whether Jew, Christian, Muslim, or even atheists?
As recent as March 30, 2009 information received from the coastal city of Brava reports the arrests of several religious scholars, leaders, and Imams of Ahlu-Sunnah Waljamaa’a of Brava city. These scholars remain jailed without committing any crimes or wrong doings, and no one knows the motive behind the impulsive arrests of these scholars. Then again, these scholars were present when Al-Shabaab Terrorist destroyed the grave sites of the beloved scholars and witnessed several foreign individuals removing and hauling away the remains. Perhaps this is an attempt to eliminate and extinguish any reference of religion order that does not share Al-Shabaab’s Terrorist interpretations of the Quran. Additionally, this extremist group is trying to discredit, humiliate, and character assassinate any Muslim scholar or leader dead or alive who fails to share their philosophy, while creating Fitna (upheaval) and deceiving other Muslims with a profoundly tinted religious exteriors that are in opposition to the teachings and religious orders of Islam.
The historians indisputably confirmed that Brava City was the center of Islamic Studies for the whole Juba and lower Shabelle regions and many Somalians traveled to the city to study Islam. The city was home to number of Muslim Scholars and their knowledge reached beyond the limits of Brava. Many native scholars including Sheikh Aweis Al-Qadiri the great Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Nureni Ahmed Sabir, Sheik Kassim Al-Barawi, Sheikh Hajji Sadiq, Sheikh Moalin Nur Hajji Abdulkadir, Sharif Mubiidi, Akhwaan Abdow Munye, Sheikh Omar Hiraale, and Sheikh Mohamed Gaduudow have taught others the Islamic practices and the following of the Shari’a. These scholars demonstrated and advocated for patience, kindness, reconciliation of differences, and dialogue instead of bloodshed, these are virtues that Al-Shabaab Terrorist unquestionably lacking. Regrettably, the grave sites and the remains Al-Shabaab destroyed belonged to those same scholars who taught and spread Islam to many parts of Somalia.
For the past eighteen years the people who are claiming to be Islamist group were the very same people behind the hideous crimes of looting, killing, raping, and torturing of innocent Muslims, and now they are twisting and misinterpreting the Quran. This group has absolutely no reasoning, and not a single ounce of evidence from Islam to why they must destroy and remove the remains of the beloved scholars who have sacrificed a great deal for the sake of Allah. Al-Shabaab has adopted Khawaarij ideology that makes them the only ones on the true and the righteous path, and considers anyone else who does not share their radical extremist views to be an atheist, infidel, hypocrite, and evil.