Terrorism in the USA:threat & response

[davidbfpo]

A couple of points having quickly looked through the comments here, after the Fort Dix verdicts. I've also looked at the article cited by Steve Metz, after the London and Glasgow attacks in July 2007: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

The article looks rather different after the trial of one bomber (who survived the Glasgow airport attack and found guilty) and a suspected accomplice (found not guilty). There are many articles on the case and one nearly slipped past that one of the bombers had appeared in a Security Service / Police surveillance of suspects and had been excluded as a person worth investigating: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...wn-to-MI5.html

Behind all the policy announcemets over prevention at home, part of the UK's CT strategy (known as Operation Contest), there is a fine plan largely borrowed from the UK model of intervention with prolific / persistent criminals (often juveniles) and INHO little practical knowledge. I liken this to a desperate search for the right "tools" and the correct "repair" manual. As you may detect I am not convinced a national bureaucratic response is the answer.

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

A fascinating NYT article on the home grown radicalized Somali youth from Minneapolis, who are reported to have left for Somalia and an active part in the violent Jihad: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/us...pagewanted=all

It has all the ingredients of the process - as the NYPD report illustrated.

The FBI are investigating and the community itself has taken some action, e.g. parents hiding children's (US) passports.

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

From this across the water vantage point the tiny exodus of US born Somali male youths to Somalia appears to have "fallen off the radar", although I know Bruce Hoffman reminds audiences here the exodus is part of a worrying trend in the USA.

On November 23, federal prosecutors in the United States unsealed indictments against members of a group of Minneapolis natives accused of being at the heart of a cell sending men and boys to fight with al-Shabaab, a radical Islamist movement in Somalia with close ties to al-Qaeda.

...the role of a former fighter in the recruitment of others highlights the risk of such individuals returning home.

Using that and other open sources Raffaello Pantucci has added a commentary:
http://raffaellopantucci.wordpress.c...ihad/#more-181

[jmm99]

The court documents are linked at this post, Multiple Minneapolis indictments unsealed.

Given the situation in Somalia (3 cabinet ministers KIA in last blast), the presence of jihadists among its diaspora should not cause surprise.

Cheers

Mike

[europhobe]

An interesting addenda to this is why is it that there are so many foreigners who appear to get involved in suicide attacks in Somalia? Are they simply more zealous? or is this some tactic?

[davidbfpo]

An interesting addenda to this is why is it that there are so many foreigners who appear to get involved in suicide attacks in Somalia? Are they simply more zealous? or is this some tactic?

I am sure the motivation aspect of suicide bombing was covered on the main, if not only thread on that topic: http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=2304

Have a look there and give a thought to providing some introductory remarks, within privacy and OPSEC; many here like to know what lies behind the posts and it can be on your profile or in the 'Hail & Farewell' thread.

IIRC in Iraq at one point many suicide bombers were not Iraqis and in the Lebanon it was inter-denominational locals.

[davidbfpo]

Two articles by the IPT on the flow of Somali youths to Somalia to join Al-Shabab, from Minneapolis and Canada. They do add new aspects, like the effect on the families and a Canadian reaction: http://www.investigativeproject.org/...-western-youth and http://www.investigativeproject.org/...l-one-american

Placed here as this thread contains earlier references, although there is another 'live' thread on radicalisation.