The New York Times today features an absolutely great piece of reporting on the young Somali-Americans that have disappeared from Minneapolis (amongst other places), presumably to fight with the Al Shabaab militia in Somalia. Anyone following terrorism issues in the United States has been following the developments in this story.
This article goes a long way toward answering some key questions that have been left hanging by the bits and pieces of this story that have trickled out:
- How were the young men recruited?
“The recruitment of the Twin Cities men can be traced to a group of Somali immigrants from Northern Europe and other countries who, in 2005, traveled to Somalia to fight with the Islamist movement, a senior law enforcement official said. A handful of those men later went to Minneapolis, the official said, and helped persuade the first large group from the Twin Cities to leave for Somalia starting in late 2007.”
- Have the young men been communicating with friends and family in the United States?
“An examination by The New York Times, based on interviews with close friends and relatives of the men, law enforcement officials and lawyers, as well as access to live phone calls and Facebook messages between the men and their friends in the United States, reveals how a far-flung jihadist movement found a foothold in America’s heartland.”
- Have any of the men returned to the US?
“There are indications that three Twin Cities men have returned, possibly after defecting from the Shabaab.”
The Economist also has some good coverage of the Shabaab more generally... particularly since the article's subtitle appears to (intentionally or not) mirror Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The Next Jihad: Fear and Beheadings in the Heartland of the Militants.
UPDATES (7/13/09):
- Great Video Coverage by the NYT
- The History of Shabaab from NEFA
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