Another American killed fighting for Shabaab

shabaab_080908.jpg

Image of a Shabaab fighter from the terror group’s website.

The disturbing trend of US citizens being killed while fighting for al Qaeda-linked Shabaab in Somalia continues. From The Media Line, the fifth US citizen was killed during fighting in Mogadishu over the weekend:

Al Shabaab fighters said Mohamed Hassan, a 21-year old American from Minnesota, was among the dead. At the time of printing it was not clear when Mr Hassan had arrived in Somalia.

U.S. officials believe that dozens of Americans have entered Somalia to join Al Shabaab’s ranks. At least three Americans have been killed fighting for Al Shabaab, including a Somali-American who killed himself in a suicide attack last year.

“They are recruiting youth not only from America but also from Europe,” Goth said. “They want to send a message that we can recruit your people and we can harm you.” “This is a very dangerous development,” he warned. “A suicide bomber can get anywhere, and these people could come back at any time and cause lots of damage.”

Contemporary reports put the number of Americans recruited to fight with Shabaab in Somalia in the dozens, but my sources say more than 50 Americans have been recruited and trained. A handful are thought to have returned to the US.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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4 Comments

  • Zalmay says:

    What is about this Somalia fight that is drawing so many Americas to the fight? This is far more than the number of Americans who have gone to fight in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq on the side of takfiris.
    Are they all Somali Americans or even regular African Americans? Is there something about this conflict, perhaps an ethnic dimension or any other very specific thing that is evoking people to join the fight in Somalia?
    If this was just a simple case of the global takfiri movement these Americans would be more useful in striking in the US.

  • KW64 says:

    This fellow had blessings in life that millions around the world would jump through hopes to acquire; yet he threw them away.
    While it is sad that some American family is greiving for this seriously led astray young man, I am glad that at least he will not be returning to create havoc here or delude more American youths to help kill other Americans.
    Hopefully parents will hear about stories like this and make more effort to shield their impressionable kids from Al Queda/Islamist snake oil salesmen. In some cases, that means firing Imams who do not live up to “the religion of peace” label.

  • ehunter says:

    Any one care to disagree with the Political Correctness mantra “Diversity is Our Strength”. Now, thanks to mass immigration and the MultiCulturalists we have
    Islam in America..and soon we will have suicide bombers in our midst. So when the bomb goes off in
    a shopping mall in Minneapolis at Christmas you will know who to thank

  • Mr. Wolf says:

    Diversity is our strength.
    It really is. How else do you suppose we will break up the bomber lifeline to the US? We can’t really send in Irish Americans with red hair and fair skin to a questionable mosque in MN, and expect they will walk away with the names, places, and timetables needed by law enforcement.
    For every one of these jihadists, there are 20 “normal” Somalis that have rejected that mantra and accept that to be free, you must accept the diversity of others.
    The “bombs at Christmas” charge will always happen if we keep looking elsewhere for the discontent. I will bet that this call for jihad was a response to a slight, ever so subtle, to those “opportunities” that they were promised in MN. Such as jobs, peace, or prosperity. Or just became frustrated with the news every night.
    As kids talk, they get other stories, and then decide to make a go at it for a little while… get out of the cold, away from any racism they experienced, and just maybe have some stories for the grand kids (much like our WWII gen).
    Our best defense is to include everyone, but not to deviate from the path of diversity. A whabbi school is just as bad as a KKK one. Diversity does not discriminate from life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: as long as that pursuit does not infringe upon anothers’ right to happiness. (ie: does not BLOW PEOPLE UP)

Iraq

Islamic state

Syria

Aqap

Al shabaab

Boko Haram

Isis