What Senators Didn’t Hear About Somali-American Jihadists
A serious new terrorist threat is on the horizon — but government officials are too politically correct to face it.
Since 1991, Somalia has been an ungoverned, lawless state. In recent weeks, things have gotten worse as the al-Qaeda-allied group al-Shabaab (”The Youth”) tightens its grip on the country. Earlier this week the cabinet of “president” Sheikh Sherif Ahmed endorsed a plan to institute Sharia law in areas it controls. In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Michael Maples testified that analysts expect that al-Shabaab will officially merge with al-Qaeda in the very near future.
Events in Somalia are not so distant. Since this past summer, as many as 40 Somali-American men have left the U.S. to join up with al-Shabaab and train in their terrorist camps in Somalia. And one of those men, Shirwa Ahmed, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, launched a suicide attack in northern Somalia on October 28 that killed at least 30 civilians — the first recorded case of an American suicide bomber.
And earlier this week it was reported that a federal grand jury has been impaneled to investigate the escalating issue of Somali-American jihadists and Somali terrorist groups operating in the Minneapolis area, which adds to the list of ongoing investigations in Columbus, OH; Washington, DC; San Diego, CA; Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Seattle, WA; and Portland, ME. The problem has concerned investigators to the point that high schools in some of these areas have been briefed by law enforcement to watch out for signs of radicalization among their Somali male students.
But you wouldn’t have gotten even the slightest sense of urgency or alarm if you had listened to the testimony of two government officials testifying on the matter before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday, chaired by Senator Joe Lieberman. Instead, what you would have heard about from the testimony of FBI Associate Executive Assistant Director J. Philip Mudd and National Counterterrorism Center Deputy Director Andrew M. Liepman is government inter-agency initiatives and outreach programs to selected Somali community leaders — in some cases the very individuals responsible for the radicalization and recruiting to al-Shabaab’s cause.
The primary narrative spun by these two top homeland security officials and the other three panelists is of poor Somalis deprived of any opportunities and victimized by racist America, who have no alternative but to turn to gangs and jihadists to vent their rage at American foreign policy.
These officials also sanitized their reports of any politically incorrect facts. For instance, in his published testimony Mudd assured the committee that there is no widespread support for violence and terrorism within the American Muslim community, citing a 2007 Pew poll in support. What Mudd forgot to mention was that same Pew poll, the most comprehensive survey ever of the American Muslim community, found that an astounding 26 percent of 18-to-30-year-old Muslim males — the very group being targeted by jihadist recruiters — supported suicide attacks.
The true causes of the Somali jihadists, however, are much more obvious than these officials cared to let on to the Senate committee.
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Patrick Poole is a regular contributor to Pajamas Media, and an anti-terrorism consultant to law enforcement and the military.
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32 Comments
1. Marc Malone:No sech thing as a moderate Muslim. Stealth jihadists become overt jihadists overnight. These meetings are pointless. One must assume they are all jihadists.
Mar 13, 2009 - 1:57 am 2. eon:This is a replay of the 1970s, when terrorist want-to-be’s from the U.S., Japan, and Western Europe trained in camps in Libya, Algeria, Syria, and Sudan under the auspices of the PLO (ref. “The Terror Network” by Claire Sterling). That time around, the result was Baader-Meinhof, Renko Sekigun (the Japanese Red Army), the Red Brigades, the Symbionese Liberation Army, and so on. While “officially” purely Marxist, all of these groups espoused pro-Palestinian rhetoric and positions, and provided both support and actual shooters to the Plaestinian cause when requested. The 1974 Lod Airport mass murder was planned by the PFLP, but carried out by three members of Renko Sekigun. And Ilyich Ramirez’ Sanchez, aka “Carlos”, was always ready to work for Fatah, Black September, etc.- for the right price.
This looks like the same thing all over again. And considering how well it worked the last time, it’s not surprising. Except that it’s taken this long for a repeat performance.
clear ether
eon
Mar 13, 2009 - 3:56 am 3. gboisjo:If anyone is listening to the mullahs from around the world what they are saying is ” We can’t beat the west in a war, they are to strong, however, we can beat them through attrition “. And that is what this Islamic scurge is doing all over the world including here in the US. This is while our lesders sit back and talk about multi-culturism and sensitivities like our bretheren in Europe. Islam knows this is the wests weakness and is exploiting it every chance they get. It amazes me when I see the liberal mindset reach out to people that would kill them in a heartbeat if they could. What kind of sickness is that. In my view it will be our ruination.
Mar 13, 2009 - 4:50 am 4. Camaron:What you are suggesting is opening a huge can of worms that this country is unable to stomach. The terrorists are Muslims. Their education takes place is mosques. They are not shy about their goals or tactics. If 9/11 did not open the eyes of Americans – or the government – nothing will.
Yes, the DHS is following the example of J. Edgar: Mafia does not exist; no need to fight it.
Mar 13, 2009 - 7:32 am 5. Stew:Hey, look at the bright side. At least this form of religion is protected by our government, you know the government that knows best for our every need. Our gracious and kind government has freed us from the bonds of Judiaism and Christianity and their teachings of peace and love to allow us freedom of religion and full participation in the benevolent religion that employs suicide bombers. Who knows maybe the radical jihadist will protect us from the Mexican drug cartels.
Wake up America.
Mar 13, 2009 - 7:50 am 6. savage24:The congress is to busy spending money they don’t have to be concerned with radical jihadist. Besides that, it is not politically correct to call a terrorist a terrorist, they may be freedom fighters. Along with congress the terrorist are fighting to take our freedom from us. We can expect no help.
Mar 13, 2009 - 8:53 am 7. ElvenPhoenix:Just wait. The Congresscritters and government bureaucrats will ignore this and then there will be a devastating attack on the Homeland by one (or more) of these radicals, causing aforementioned Congresscritters government bureaucrats to point fingers and scream as they try to place blame somewhere else.
Mar 13, 2009 - 10:05 am 8. UKpatriot:You’d better try and wake your people up over there in that great country to the planned take-over of western culture including the USA. Over here in the UK it is almost too late as our traitorous polititians are handing the country over to Islam bit by bit, using our taxes to do it. Hope is at hand however as the British National Party is managing to wake the voters up, in escalating numbers, to the disaster that is unfolding in the UK. You must form a political party like this if you are to have any hope of survival. Check it out at bnp.org.uk or google ‘bnp’ to see how we are confronting the dangerous forces at work in the UK.
Mar 13, 2009 - 2:08 pm 9. submandave:One problem is the hyperlegalization of every aspect of American life, public and private. Once upon a time reasonable people could have looked at the circumstances surrounding Abubakar as-Siddique Mosque and said “kicking these nuts out of the US is not an attack on free speech, religion or Muslims in general, it is an attack against this specific group and their specific teachings.” To day, however, everyone is too scared of being called racist and of getting in trouble for using their judgement that it is left for lawyers to dictate the guiding principles for entire way of living.
Ignoring the problem before us will lead to one of two results: willing subjugation to sharia or extreme, possibly indiscriminate, retaliation for a future action by these nuts. Neither, from my perspective, are desired.
Mar 13, 2009 - 2:15 pm 10. Self-hating Boomer:We have the leftist churches to thank for this situation. They brought “refugees” here with no screening, dumped them off at the welfare office, and went back for more.
People are acting surprised that we’ve recently discovered jihadi tendencies in the Somali neighborhoods. Where was everyone the night of 9/11, when they were having loud block parties, and told the cops to f*** off when they came to say that they were too loud at 3 a.m.?
We’re just discovering now what people in cities with Somali neighborhoods have known for 7 years. The Somali neighborhoods are rife with islamofascism and crime.
Hello. Anybody home???
Mar 13, 2009 - 4:04 pm 11. Jack L. Cannon, USMC Ret:Anyone with one eye and half sense would realize that the best way to combat this problem would be to round up all these “people” , And get them back to their country of origin.If this isn’t done, In the near future there will be a problem in the USA the like of which you cannot imagine. Not to mention an OPEN SEASON like you wont believe.
Mar 13, 2009 - 4:55 pm 12. D Foster:This is what happens when we have witnessed the ACLU and the various Civil Liberty Nuts gaining a foothold in the Courts and challenging every civil right of the majority.
Mar 13, 2009 - 5:54 pm 13. Moogie:These are the same groups that would eliminate the 2nd admendment and revise the 1st, so they could have the separation of Church and State, to their model.
Plus we have unelected Judges for Life, ruling against the Constitution every day, and no one can say anything because of Political Correctness. Think ,that if a organization spoke against the Somali as Terrorist, they could find themseles in court, by the ACLU and defending themselves from a “Hate Speech” accusation. This is how it was done in 1935. When will it become apparent to our Legal System and Politician, “THE TERRORIST WILL NOT REQUIRE THEIR HELP, ONCE THAY ARE IN CHARGE. THERE WILL BE NO INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM” Why is it, our most educated, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Chicago are not aware of Individual Freedom and that America is unique with this Freedom.
One of the aspects of certain Islamic practices is the marrying of multiple wives, thereby producing a hyper-family of 20-40 children. That type of procreation is akin to a swarm. Now you take all of those children, and indoctrinate them into jihadist ideology, and you have a ready-made battalion made up of hive-mind extremists.
Next, you start buying up real estate, so that you now have your little battalion of jihadist soldiers firmly staked in whatever country you are attempting to over-run.
The “attack” is happening right now, right here in America and all over the globe. It’s been going on for a long time, and those little jihadist soldiers are growing up, receiving comprehensive training, and waiting for orders.
Meanwhile, our PC elite continue conducting foreign policy with blinders on, and our ineffectual Commander in Chief talks about sitting down and having nice little talks with the very same progenerators of the swarm, sans pre-conditions.
Mar 13, 2009 - 6:57 pm 14. steel pipe:community leaders yes
Mar 14, 2009 - 12:18 am 15. PatriotUSA:The threat from islamofacists is very real and not just from the sewer of what is Somalia. Jihadists are here and they are inflitrating this country on every level. I would suggest that all who are concerned and what to see what we are REALLY up against read the following book; “Stealth Jihad” by Robert Spencer. What UK Patriot said in his post is very true!
You’d better try and wake your people up over there in that great country to the planned take-over of western culture including the USA. Over here in the UK it is almost too late as our traitorous polititians are handing the country over to Islam bit by bit, using our taxes to do it.
The same is happening here, all over the United
Mar 14, 2009 - 12:46 am 16. Libertyship46:States. We have become so politically correct and multiculturally IGNORANT that islam is rapidly becoming a creeping cancer that can and will affect us all. Those who want to play this down and whitewash islam are fools and ignorant of islam, the qur’an and hadiths. Yes, I have read much of the qur’an and there is NOTHING peaceful about an ideaology that is based on waging jihad by whatever means possible. Violence and death are NOT in short supply with islam. There is no peace in islam and there can be no peace with islam, period.
What will happen is that Federal agencies, like the FBI, will keep coming up with excuses on why not to do anything about this growing, and incredibly dangerous, threat. Congress will do the same thing because they are gutless wonders who don’t want to offend anyone because it may cost them some votes in the next election. Then we will be attacked, many Americans will die, and then Congress will do what it always does, and that’s create a “9/11-type fact-finding commission” to see how this could have happened on American soil. And if you don’t think home-grown jihadists could ever harm America, just look at Great Britain. They already suffered a major terrorist attack and all of the suicide bombers were raised in England. The London bombings of a few years ago should have put everyone on notice that domestic jihadists in Western nations are a very real threat. Evidently, the FBI and Congress are determined to ignore that threat. How many more Americans need to die before we don’t make the same mistakes again and again. But don’t worry, the FBI, the same people who didn’t prevent 9/11 from happening here in America (let alone was even aware that it was coming), says that there is nothing to worry about. Wow, that takes a load off my mind!
Mar 14, 2009 - 3:18 am 17. tanstaafl:If Senator Lieberman and his Homeland Security Committee colleagues want to avoid a potential homegrown 9/11, they’re going to have to circumvent the official channels and the politically correct agency propaganda to get an accurate assessment of how serious the threat is and how rapidly it is growing.
And while that Senate committee is casting about for accurate assessments, maybe they could look at monetary support for and recruitment to Hezbollah, especially in and around Dearborn, Michigan.
It would seem that Homeland Security bureaucrats are mainly intent on CYA in testimony before Senate committees.
It’s sad when America is so lame that its governmental agencies & officials continue to avoid acknowledging the stark facts in all of this fundraising & recruitment activity going on under their very noses.
Mar 14, 2009 - 4:50 am 18. Pops in Vienna:#13 – Moogie: You raised very good points. The only thing you didn’t mention is that they are not afraid to die and that makes them super dangerous….much more so than just their numbers.
We all need to watch Black Hawk Down over the weekend.
Mar 14, 2009 - 5:12 am 19. Dazed:Apparently no one at Homeland Security reads the newspapers? Hmmmm Must be they’re too busy keeping us believing they’re keeping us safe.
Mar 14, 2009 - 6:44 am 20. Moogie:#18 – Pops: Thanks for the reminder! Yes, how could I forget that their idea of death and our idea of death are worlds apart? They are more than willing to die for their beliefs, plus they have the goal of creating “chaos” here in order to bring back the Twelve Imams.
Mar 14, 2009 - 9:20 am 21. JD:If the terrorist imam wants out of the country let him out to Gitmo. I am sure we could find some adequate accommodations there.
The sooner we the people of the United States of America realize we’re fighting a war of defense against a religious jihad, a religious war, and act upon it the better off we will be.
But also remember, dear reader, you are a member of that ‘we the people’ who elected Obama. With his election we signed our own death warrants.
“How much damage could be do in only 4 years?”
The question is being answered in front of your eyes. Those of you who did not vote for the admittedly pathetic McCain should be especially humbled and should feel especially ashamed of their decisions. As sure as there is right and there is wrong you did wrong. And now we are all going to pay for it.
{^_^}
Mar 14, 2009 - 9:25 am 22. Pops in Vienna:Woe to the vanquished
Mar 14, 2009 - 10:37 am 23. Kill Terrorist:It’s not only the somalis,it reached to a billion people mind.It is the “book”stupid thing.
Mar 14, 2009 - 1:48 pm 24. Northern light:The “book” teaches them to kill the infidels and Jewish people inorder to get 72 virgins.We are living with enemies.
Before the Somali arrive, we have annual beautiful Cedar festival at Cedar street. The somalis have literally chased away every American from the area. The historical Cedar st. is converted to something unrecognizable. There is no multiculturalism there. It is just Islam, Islam and Islam with poor schools and radicalized youth.
I wish that America shall watch what is going on in Minneapolis. They are reproducing like any thing from their multiple wives. Recently, a Somali leader openly spoke it will not take as a quarter of a century before we transform Minnesota into New Somalia. I am scared.
Mar 14, 2009 - 4:39 pm 25. Moogie:#31 JD: This “we the people” did NOT elect Obama. This “we the people” watched with dismay as the election results came in and more and more states were turning blue. The dismay turned to outright despondency when the election was called before my state’s (Washington) votes were even counted.
One thing I can say for Obama: his actions and “words” haven’t surprised me one bit.
Mar 14, 2009 - 5:18 pm 26. Pops in Vienna:#25 Moogie: I am still trying to figure out how John McCain got the Republican nomination. As Stalin said, ‘it’s not important who people vote for, it’s important who counts the votes.’ People living in Washington State and Minnesota can identify with that statement, I am sure.
I am awaiting the big Somali terror attack in the USA. We only seem to pay attention to this stuff after something horrible happens. Obama will make a brilliant funeral oration (with Teleprompter)and he’ll appoint a special envoy to fly to Somalia to make nice-nice. The American public will go back to watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. All will be well again.
Mar 15, 2009 - 12:14 am 27. tanstaafl:Over here in the UK it is almost too late as our traitorous polititians are handing the country over to Islam bit by bit, using our taxes to do it.
When radical Islamist Anjem Choudary tells his followers in Britain to divert their monies to support of the “mujaheddin”, there is no ambiguity as to what, exactly, he is telling them to do.
Osama bin laden has waxed eloquent on the mujaheddin as God’s holy warriors, individuals in (violent) service to Islam’s dominance in every corner of the Earth.
“When people like Choudary say mujaheddin, they mean armed struggle against Britain and America.”
Choudary should be arrested, tried & exiled from Britain.
Hate cleric leads jihad cash appeal
Mar 15, 2009 - 7:37 am 28. samuel:Dear Patrick Poole ,
Mar 15, 2009 - 10:35 am 29. Solomon:This is a nice article with a detailed assesment of th Jihadists movement. But you never mentioned the threats Ethiopians are facing as a nighbouring nation. You never mentioned the tremendous sacrifice the Ethiopian Government and people are paying, to tackle this problem. You let it look like these guys are a threat only to West, and not to poor nation like Ethiopia.
Yeah these people are a real threat not only to the west,but also to countries around their homeland(Somalia),but what the Ethiopian army did will teach these jihadists a lesson they will not forget…America and the west should stop trying to appease these vermins coz their aim is to expand and change the demographics(multiple wives??)DHS should wake up and smell the coffee!!
Mar 15, 2009 - 10:54 pm 30. Camaron:What is there to figure out anymore? The Muslims have demonstrated their objective and means to achieve it in numerous countries and in the United States. In addition to the law enforcement, I’d accuse the press for not doing its job. It is hard, if not impossible, for an ordinary American to comprehend what is going on in Muslim America. All the news are about how terribly Muslims are treated in America, or, that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism.
No doubt about it, the Muslims are winning this war by the way of deception. Are we really that dense? If so, we deserve anything coming our way.
Infidel News
Mar 16, 2009 - 11:35 am 31. Marc Malone:The only answer is to fight the Jihad (the Holy War). Before you nati-religion nuts get into a froth, let me just say, that the war already exists.
Unfortunately, our hearts aren’t in it. Our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan dealt Islam a sever blow, but the current administration is preparing to throw it all away.
Mar 16, 2009 - 1:38 pm 32. LibMeNoMore:What are the chances of a follow up to this piece? It’s the first I’d heard of an American involved in this way. Chances are pretty good I’m not alone.
May 9, 2009 - 1:32 pm