Al-Shabab of Somalia – A Danger To All

Possible return of Islamists like Al-Shabab to power in lawless Somalia can be danger to all Somalis, neighboring states and international community. Any withdrawal of current African Union (AU) and Ethiopian Forces will leave vacuum, and enable Al-Shabab to grip the control over the country.

President-elect Barrack Obama should support the current international efforts to stabilize Somalia, including Djibouti conferences between the Prime Minister of Transitional Government of Somalia (TGS) Nur Adde and Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) led by ousted leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Somalia will loop into violence and catastrophe, if foreign forces withdraw at the current stage.

Somali Islamists like Al-Shabab are part of Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations, and even consider Osama Bin Laden as their spiritual leader. Al-Shabab vow to fight against semi-democratic areas in former Somalia including "Puntland" and neighboring Somaliland with elected president and parliament. Recently, Al-Shabab carried out suicide bombings in Hargiesa, Capital of Somaliland, and Bosasso of "Puntland". The danger of Al-Shabab will spread across Ethiopia, Kenya and peaceful parts of former Somalia in addition to independent Somaliland.

Al-Shabab, Taliban styled terrorist organization, is byproduct of ousted Islamic Courts Union. Majority of Al-Shabab leaders were trained in Afghanistan with other Al-Qaeda factions. Al-Shabab is Al-Qaeda´s wing in Africa, and mastermind of US Embassies bombing in 1998 in Nairobi and Darussalam. Al-Shabab recruits the young Somali teenagers across Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya and as far as USA.

FBI identified Shirwa Ahmed, resident of Minnesota USA, as the main suspect and architect of Hargiesa suicide bombing on 29/10/2008 that killed 40 and injured more than hundred people. Somali youth from USA and UK are joining Al-Shabab in southern Somalia.

Regional governments and semi-autonomous authorities should coordinate in fighting against terrorists before they follow them to home. Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland and semi-autonomous region of Somalia "Puntland" should form united force against terrorists. The governments in the region should carry out massive media campaign to avoid brain-washing by the terrorists, who usually use religion to achieve political and personal goals.

It will be greatest danger of all for the people of Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia would be if Somalia even again came under the rule of Islamists like Al-Shabab or other terror organizations linked to Al-Qaeda. US Pentagon expressed concern over growing terrorist militancy in Somalia.

Nowadays, Al-Shabab is increasing their attacks against AU and Ethiopian Forces in addition to suicide bombing in Somaliland and "Puntland". Furthermore, Al-Shabab is overtaking the administration of many cities and organizes public speeches to mislead the public against TGS and Ethiopia.

Al-Shabab will come back with old bad memories of killing civilians not convicted. They have executed unarmed civilians in public without filing proper court case against them. The freedom will be restricted particularly freedom of speech will be limited very much.

Somalia underwent many ups and down since the time ousted of military ruler General Mohamed Siyad Barre in 1991. Warlords paralyzed the peace process and even failed to establish functioning governments.

In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union emerged and defeated the warlords of Mogadishu and they restored law and order in Mogadishu. The hope of Somalis shined again on their faces, hoping to see their country back on its feet. But such dream varnished after extremist members of Islamic Courts Union called for Jihad against Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Terrorist has no religion and identity. A terrorist can kill his own mother/father if he sees danger to his ideologies. Terrorist don´t give reconciliation and peace a chance; terrorizing the people is the only language to communicate with outside world.

The wrong approach and politics of George W. Bush Administration in Iraq and Afghanistan led many teenagers to join the Jihadi groups worldwide, misbelieving that Christian world is against Muslims. Read my previous article on similar matter http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/61948

The international communities should support the democratic governments in Horn of Africa, to fight the growing terror threat. Terrorist are using Somalia as save-heaven for their terror attack similar to Taliban. Al-Qaeda used Afghanistan to plan 11/9 attacks in New York and Washington, which killed thousands of innocent people. Islam doesn´t justify the killing of innocent in any circumstance.

By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com