tagged w/ al-Shabab
-
-
Omar Hammami, the American-born jihadist profiled by Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel in last year's "American Jihadi," may be dead, according to reports.
Somali efforts to fight the Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, have been ongoing.
Watch the full episode of "American Jihadi," only on Current.com:
In this video update from last fall, Putzel discusses the long history of violence in Somalia:
Omar Hammami, the American-born jihadist profiled by Vanguard correspondent Christof... more
-
-
shana
-
added this
-
11 months ago
- |
-
A great story to follow up on Christof's piece from last season. A young Brit gets pulled into al-Shabab...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11667690A great story to follow up on Christof's piece from last season. A young Brit... more
-
-
Two workers for Save the Children were kidnapped in Somalia by gunmen who are unknown though the BBC states the town they were in Adado is currently under the control of al-Shabab.
"But a moderate Islamist group allied to the UN-backed government is trying to wrest away control of the town and there is heavy fighting near the airport, our reporter says."-BBC
It is believed the aid worker and the security consultant were in Adado to see if it would be possible to set up a base for Save the Children there. The charity group states they haven't yet heard about the welfare of the kidnapped workers, but the article note other kidnapping usually result in a ransom demand.Two workers for Save the Children were kidnapped in Somalia by gunmen who are unknown... more
-
-
Unbeknownst to many Americans, the United States has pledged more than $185 million in support of the African Union’s military mission in Somalia, which has been battling against an insurgency intent on preventing a UN-backed government from being installed and imposed upon them. This past week saw some of the heaviest fighting this year. The United Nations reported that combat in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, caused the displacement of at least 22,000 more civilians and forced relief agencies to curtail their operations in the city.Unbeknownst to many Americans, the United States has pledged more than $185 million in... more
-
-
Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel has reported on the failed state of Somalia since 2006 -- but the chaos in the east African nation dates back almost 20 years. Fighting between forces of the Transitional Federal Government and terrorist group Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu continues. More than 230 civilians were killed and at least 400 more were wounded over a two week period.
In this exclusive update, Christof breaks down the current situation in Somalia and talks about why Al-Shabaab -- which has claimed responsibility for both a major suicide attack in Somalia that targeted members of parliament and a bombing at a popular expatriate cafe in Uganda during the World Cup -- should be taken very seriously.
"Vanguard," airing weekly on Current TV Wednesdays at 10/9c, is a no-limits documentary series whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. Unlike sound-bite driven reporting, the show's correspondents, Adam Yamaguchi, Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel and Mariana van Zeller, serve as trusted guides who take viewers on in-depth real life adventures in pursuit of some of the world's most important stories.
For more, go to http://current.com/vanguard.Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel has reported on the failed state of Somalia... more
-
-
It's been almost two decades since U.S troops were forced out of Somalia after the "Black Hawk Down" battle. Now, the U.S. is backing a push by African states to add troops to combat Somali militants. But Somalia experts who have watched violence spin in circles for nearly 20 years are warning that more troops will not bring peace.It's been almost two decades since U.S troops were forced out of Somalia after... more
-
-
In this extra scene from Vanguard's "American Jihadi," Christof Putzel interviews a young Somali-Canadian man who explains his decision to fight along Al-Shabaab -- and then to leave that fight and come home.
In "American Jihadi," Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel traces the journey of a small town kid from Alabama to Somalia, where as part of Al-Shabaab he is now recruiting young Muslims from the west to wage jihad overseas.
"Vanguard," airing weekly on Current TV Wednesdays at 10/9c, is a no-limits documentary series whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. Unlike sound-bite driven reporting, the show's correspondents, Adam Yamaguchi, Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel and Mariana van Zeller, serve as trusted guides who take viewers on in-depth real life adventures in pursuit of some of the world's most important stories.
For more, go to http://current.com/vanguard.In this extra scene from Vanguard's "American Jihadi," Christof Putzel... more
-
-
An African Union peacekeeping force, funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from the United States and its allies, has killed, wounded and displaced hundreds of Somali civilians in a stepped-up campaign against insurgent militants, according to medical officials, human rights activists and victims.An African Union peacekeeping force, funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from... more
-
-
Bombers Kill at Least 50 (Including Foreigners) in Attacks in Uganda Capital
By JOSH KRON
Published: July 11, 2010
KAMPALA, Uganda — At least three bombs exploded Sunday in a synchronized attack on large gatherings of World Cup soccer fans watching the televised final on outdoor screens in this normally peaceful capital, turning a boisterous night of cheering into scenes of death and panic. The police and witnesses said more than 50 people were killed including some foreigners, among them at least one American.
Marc Hofer/Associated Press
Photo: A man attended to an injured woman after a bomb went off in a restaurant in Kampala’s Kabalagala district on Sunday.
People carried an injured man at the Mulago Hospital in Kampala on Sunday.
The bombs struck at 10:30 p.m. local time in the middle of the match between Spain and the Netherlands under way in South Africa, hitting a popular Ethiopian garden restaurant and a large rugby field in a different Kampala neighborhood where hundreds of people had massed to watch the game.
Ugandan police officials said they suspected that the Shabab, a militant Islamic group in nearby Somalia, might have been behind the bombings. If so, it would be that group’s first attack outside Somalia. But the police said it was premature to draw conclusions.
“We can’t rule anything out,” said Kale Kayihura, Uganda’s police inspector general, at the scene of one of the attacks. “This was obviously terrorism, from the way it was targeted at World Cup watchers in public places.”
Joan Lockard, a spokeswoman at the American Embassy in Kampala, confirmed that at least one American was killed. She did not identify the victim.
Local journalists at a major hospital said an unidentified number of American citizens were among the wounded.
The Shabab group, one of the more fearsome militias vying for power in Somalia, bans music, dancing and sports, has links to Al Qaeda and has repeatedly threatened targets in Uganda as well as in Burundi because both countries contribute to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, a lawless nation in the Horn of Africa.
The police said other suspects were former rebels in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo with connections to Uganda.
The Ugandan capital is relatively safe and relaxed compared with other big cities in Africa, and such bombings are extremely rare. But the city turned tense and fearful early on Monday, as military vehicles and ambulances screeched through the streets and Kampala’s bars and discos emptied.
At the Ethiopian restaurant that was attacked, an outdoor cafe with lawn tables known as the Ethiopian Village, soldiers and onlookers watched side by side as rescue crews extracted the dead and the wounded from the wreckage. The police said the bomb appeared to have been placed under a dining table where a group of foreigners, including some Americans, had been sitting.
At least 15 people were killed in that blast, police officials witnesses said.
“It was so loud,” said a woman named Mami, one of the owners of the restaurant, which had become popular with soccer fans because it showed the games on an outdoor screen. “I am so confused. My God. My God. My God.”
At the rugby field where fans had gone to watch the final game on a large screen, police and witnesses said they counted at least 44 bodies. Lines of chairs had been blown apart. One middle-aged woman sat dead, her head hung back, blood dripping.
“We were just watching football when the two bombs went off,” said Brian Bomakech, a Ugandan fan at the field. “So many people were hurt, so many people have died.”
In Mogadishu, the Somalian capital, Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa, a Shabab commander, was quoted by The Associated Press early Monday as saying he was happy with the attacks in Uganda. The sheik refused to confirm or deny any responsibility by the Shabab.
“Uganda is one of our enemies,” The A.P. quoted him as saying. “Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah’s anger be upon those who are against us.”
The bombings came two days after another Shabab commander, Sheik Muktar Robow, called during Friday Prayer in Somalia for militants to attack sites in Uganda and Burundi.
In Washington, a White House spokesman, Tommy Vietor, said late Sunday that the United States was prepared to provide assistance to Uganda.
“The president is deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from these deplorable and cowardly attacks, and sends his condolences to the people of Uganda and the loved ones of those who have been killed or injured,” he said.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/07/12/world/12uganda1/12uganda1-hpMedium.jpgBombers Kill at Least 50 (Including Foreigners) in Attacks in Uganda Capital
By JOSH... more
-
-
-
Correspondent Kaj Larsen investigates the alarming rise in the number of soldiers who have been traumatized by war and are now accused of bringing the violence home. Of the more than two million men and women who have served in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as many as a third of them may now have post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. A growing number of these vets are being charged with violent crimes, and Kaj travels to prisons and mental health facilities in Arizona, Colorado and Oregon to hear their stories.
"War Crimes" premieres Wednesday, July 7 at 10/9c on Current TV.
"Vanguard," airing weekly on Current TV Wednesdays at 10/9c, is a no-limits documentary series whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. Unlike sound-bite driven reporting, the show's correspondents, Adam Yamaguchi, Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel and Mariana van Zeller, serve as trusted guides who take viewers on in-depth real life adventures in pursuit of some of the world's most important stories.
For more, go to http://current.com/vanguard.Correspondent Kaj Larsen investigates the alarming rise in the number of soldiers who... more
-
-
Kaj
-
added this
-
1 year ago
- |
-
In "American Jihadi," Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel traces the journey of a small town kid from Alabama to Somalia, where as part of Al-Shabaab he is now recruiting young Muslims from the west to wage jihad overseas.
"American Jihadi" premieres on Current TV on Wednesday, June 30 at 10/9c.
"Vanguard," airing weekly on Current TV Wednesdays at 10/9c, is a no-limits documentary series whose award-winning correspondents put themselves in extraordinary situations to immerse viewers in global issues that have a large social significance. Unlike sound-bite driven reporting, the show's correspondents, Adam Yamaguchi, Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel and Mariana van Zeller, serve as trusted guides who take viewers on in-depth real life adventures in pursuit of some of the world's most important stories.
For more, go to http://current.com/vanguard.In "American Jihadi," Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel traces the... more
-
-
The New York Times reports that the United States government is paying for children in Somalia to help defend what many argue is a near-non-existent government in one of the most impoverished and violent countries in the world, Somalia. How are US taxpayers doing this? Arming children, some as young as nine-years-old, with Kalashnikov assault rifles.The New York Times reports that the United States government is paying for children in... more
-
-
Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh is warning that Somalia's Western-backed transitional government may not survive the intensified conflict with armed insurgents.
Guelleh appeared before the United Nations Security Council in New York to plead for action, saying “I cannot see how we can avert the possibility of Somalia's plunge into an avoidable disintegration.”Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh is warning that Somalia's... more
-
-
Hundreds of Somali soldiers trained with US funding have deserted, with some crossing over to the insurgents they are supposed to be fighting.Hundreds of Somali soldiers trained with US funding have deserted, with some crossing... more
-
-
This week, most Somalian radio stations abruptly stopped playing music or international news programs.
According to the New York Times:
At least 14 radio stations...stopped broadcasting music on Tuesday, heeding an ultimatum by an Islamist insurgent group to stop playing songs or face "serious consequences." ...
The insurgent group, Hizbul Islam, issued its ultimatum 10 days ago and set Tuesday as the deadline to comply, saying that music was “un-Islamic.” In other parts of the country, insurgents have taken over or shut down some radio stations. Last week, the Shabab, the country’s most powerful insurgent group, said it was banning foreign programs like those broadcast by the BBC and Voice of America, calling them Western propaganda that violated Islam.
I interviewed the leader of Hizbul-Islam, Sheikh Hassan Aweys, back in 2006 when Kaj and I were in Somalia shooting "Mogadishu Madness" for Vanguard.
Back then he was the spiritual leader of the Islamic Court Union. In the piece, we covered his earlier attempts at helping the ICU implement Sharia law and the reaction from the Somali community when he did so.
We captured exclusive footage of the uneasy peace that prevailed, albeit briefly, and interviewed other Islamist leaders who held the city, exposing the stated goals and fears of people the U.S. government branded as terrorists.
Shortly after we returned to the U.S. to show viewers what we had seen, Ethiopian troops, backed by U.S. forces, invaded Somalia and drove the Islamists into hiding. The country returned to a state of war. In retrospect, was the U.S. justified in backing Ethiopia to invade Somalia so they could overthrow the Islamic government that Aweys had helped establish?
Things certainly got a whole lot worse. As a journalist, of course I cringe at the idea of banning a free press. But if 20 years of fighting has taught us anything, its that its time to start thinking outside the box when it comes to bringing stability to Somalia.
I wonder if Aweys would grant us an interview today or if we’d be banned along with the rest of the press. Certainly makes me look at this whole radio ban differently.This week, most Somalian radio stations abruptly stopped playing music or... more
-
-
The Somali government is preparing a major offensive to dislodge al-Shabab rebels from the capital, Mogadishu, with the surreptitious help of the United States. The effort may see US Special Forces there on the ground.The Somali government is preparing a major offensive to dislodge al-Shabab rebels from... more
-
-
Al-Shabab continues to stone men, women and children to death in Somalia. Recently a 13 year old Somali girl was stoned to death after being gang raped. The girl was buried in a hole up to her neck and then stoned to death by 50 men, while over a 1,000 spectators looked on.
Al-Shabab is a radical Islamist faction controlling much of the region in southern Somalia. Their brutal interpretation of Sharia law is responsible for multiple stonings in the last few months. Just last Tuesday Halima Ibrahim Abdurrahman, age 29, was stoned to death after having been convicted of adultery in a village called El-Bon.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10853-Portland-Humanist-Examiner~y2009m11d21-AlShabab-stoning-men-women-children-in-SomaliaAl-Shabab continues to stone men, women and children to death in Somalia. Recently a... more
-
-
According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, Somali politicians are saying there is mounting evidence that U.S. weapons and Somali soldiers are ending up under the control of insurgents.According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, Somali politicians are saying there is... more
-
