Officially, al-Shabaab calls the famine declaration a conspiracy. It may have occurred to al-Qaeda that the Somali jihadists’ willingness to starve the country into submission might be bad for business, or there may have been private appeals from al-Shabaab. In any event, what is of additional interest to U.S. officials in this case is the […]
Kenya: Self-described member of al-Shabaab claims Nairobi grenade attacks
The good news is that Kenya apprehended this bomber. The bad news is that this pair of somewhat amateurish, opportunistic free-lance jihadist attacks is almost certain not to be al-Shabaab’s main event in Kenya. Al-Shabaab has actually denied any connection to these attacks, which fall outside of its recent tendencies toward suicide attacks, and the […]
Kenyan army advances toward jihadist-held Somali port city amid reports of broader international involvement
The Kenyan military is reported to be advancing toward Kismayo, accompanied by aerial bombardment of the city. With or without international assistance to the Kenyan military, al-Shabaab seems at last to have bitten off more than it can chew with its recent cross-border kidnappings. “Kenya Says Western Nations Join Fight in Somalia, as U.S. Denies […]
U.S. warns of imminent threat of jihadist attack in Kenya
The jihadists from Somalia’s Al-Shabaab have threatened Kenya: “your skyscrapers will be destroyed, your tourism will disappear.” In other words, they are threatening to turn the place into Somalia. “U.S. embassy warns of imminent threat in Kenya,” by Yara Bayoumy for Reuters, October 22: NAIROBI (Reuters) – The U.S. embassy in Kenya warned of a […]
Somalia: Al-Shabaab seeks ransom for body of 66-year-old, wheelchair-bound French hostage who died in captivity
Al-Shabaab finds a way to be even more evil than before: “The hostage-takers are even trying to sell the remains.” “‘Barbarians’ demand ransom for Frenchwoman’s body,” from Agence France-Presse, October 20: France on Thursday denounced as “barbarians” Somali kidnappers who were demanding a ransom for the body of a disabled Frenchwoman who died while in […]
Two “Minnesota women” convicted of funneling money to jihad terror group
What, oh what, might have moved these ordinary Minnesotans to turn to terror? Did Ali stand for the judge when the verdict was read, or continue to show proper Islamic contempt for his jahili authority? The AP article doesn’t say. “2 Minnesota Women Convicted of Funneling Money to Terror Group in Somalia,” from Associated Press, […]
Sweden: Imam’s on-air call for death for apostates from Islam on state-funded radio “not hate speech”
It sufficed for authorities that the radio show host cautioned the imam that they were in Sweden, though the imam said he didn’t care; that didn’t matter. Authorities do appear to have approached the issue with kid gloves, as one can’t help but wonder how light a touch they would have used had this exchange […]
Somali jihadists behead 17-year-old Christian
Al-Shabaab has denied the existence of a massive famine and forced Somalis seeking aid back into the famine zone. They have launched suicide bombings and killed civilians indiscriminately. And that is to say nothing of the everyday violence and abuse heaped on Somalis by al-Shabaab — all the more so for the few non-Muslims they […]
Somali jihadists threaten suicide attacks in Kenya
For the jihadists, respecting territorial integrity is a one-way street. Al-Shabaab’s kidnapping of aid workers on Kenyan territory has provoked a major military response, so much so that the group may have overreached this time. But where they lose control of territory, they can fall back on what they do best: not fighting like men, […]
Kenyan military responds to al-Shabaab’s cross-border kidnappings; al-Shabaab radio howls “Are you ready to live under Christians?”
That, after all, is one reason al-Shabaab has tried to block Somalis from aid camps and push them back into the famine zone: to “protect” them from “Christian” influences. At least that is the official line, as the jihadists attempt to starve the population into submission by controlling access to aid. But al-Shabaab’s jihad against […]