http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/02/the-mysterious-figure-the-u-s-targeted-in-somalia/
The mysterious figure the U.S. targeted in Somalia
By Adam Taylor September 2 at 7:36 PM
While the world was discussing U.S. strikes on the Islamic State in Iraq
and debating the merits of action within Syria last week, American
officials were apparently planning military action somewhere quite
different: Barawe, Somalia.
The target of that attack – a drone strike that took place on Monday – was
Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, a man also known as "Godane" and the leader of the
militant group al-Shabab. It is currently unclear if Zubeyr was killed,
Pentagon sources have told The Post.
Contrasted to Islamic State and other militant groups that have grabbed the
headlines recently, Godane and al-Shabab may seem an obscure enemy. But the
group is clearly seen as a threat by the United States.
Below, we profile al-Shabab and Godane, and explain why they are a concern
to Washington.
Al-Shabab
In this Feb.17, 2011, file photo, hundreds of newly trained al-Shabab
fighters perform military exercises in the Lafofe area some 12 miles south
of Mogadishu, Somalia. U.S. military forces targeted the Islamist extremist
network in an operation Monday, Sept. 1, 2014, the Pentagon said. (AP
Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)
Al-Shabab means "the Youth" in Arabic, though the group refers to itself as
Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (HSM). It was once a part of the Islamic
Courts Union, a coalition of Sharia courts that had gained control of much
of the country in 2006, though other analysts point back further and link
its leadership to the al-Qaeda-linked Somali Salafist group Al-Ittihad
Al-Islami that fought throughout the 1990s.
After the Council of Islamic Courts was defeated by troops loyal to the
Somalia transitional government and Ethiopia in 2007, al Shabab fighters
retreated to the country side, where they heeded calls from al-Qaeda to
turn to guerrilla attacks and suicide bombings. They became particularly
notorious in the West after reports emerged of them stoning school girls,
attacking soccer fans and carrying out beheadings. In 2008, the U.S.
government designated al-Shabab as a foreign terrorist organization.
While many fighters in the group appear to be motivated by nationalist and
local concerns, its believed that many of the group's senior members have
links to al-Qaeda and may have fought in Afghanistan. In 2012, the group
publicly affiliated itself with al-Qaeda's brand of global jihad, and
pledged allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Al Shabab has attacked targets outside of Somalia, notably Uganda and
Kenya, prompting the latter to militarily intervene in Somalia in 2011. In
what was apparently a response to this, on Sept. 21, 2013, gunmen seized
control of the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, prompting a spectacular
standoff that lasted several days and left the mall devastated. Al-Shabab
later claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused the deaths of at
least 67 people.
Godane
This undated and unlocated picture provided by the U.S. Web site 'Rewards
for Justice' shows top al-Shabab leader, Somali Ahmed Abdi Godane also
known as Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed. (AFP/Getty Images)
Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, believed to be the main target for Monday's strike and
better known as "Godane," is said to have been the mastermind of the Kenyan
mall attack. Godane had emerged victorious in a power struggle against
rival al-Shabab commanders just months before. He had at least four of his
rivals killed because they did not favor his more internationalist approach
to the group's Jihadist struggle, the Guardian's Simon Tisdall has reported.
Reportedly born in the breakaway state of Somaliland in 1977, Godane was a
bright student and earned scholarships to study in Sudan and Pakistan. In a
2013 profile of the al-Shabab leader, The Post's Sudarsan Raghavan reported
he was "bookish, eloquent in both Arabic and Somali, recites poetry and is
known to quote from obscure academic journals." His time studying wasn't
all spent in the library, however – he was believed to have traveled to
Afghanistan and possibly received military training there.
Upon his return to Somalia, Godane wound up becoming affiliated with
Al-Ittihad Al-Islami, and may have been involved in the murder of a British
couple who ran a school in Somalialand. He went on to hold senior positions
in Islamic Courts Union, and joined al-Shabab in 2007, eventually becoming
its top commander after a U.S. missile strike killed its supreme leader,
Aden Hashi Ayro.
The success of the Kenya mall attack brought the group a renewed focus
from the West. Less than a month later, the United States mounted a raid on
an al-Shabab compound in Barawe, ultimately backing off because too many
women and children could have been hurt by the ensuing gunfight. While the
stated target of that raid was Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir, allegedly the
main planner for attacks outside of Somalia, there were suspicions that
Godane was the real target.
The State Department currently offers a reward of up to $7 million for
information about Godane.
The U.S. role
Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby speaks during a briefing
at the Pentagon, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
American intervention in Somalia has a troubled history. In 1993, an
attempt by the U.S. military to capture a number of Somali rebel leaders in
Mogadishu resulted in two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters being shot down. The
ensuing battle between U.S. troops and Somali militia men was dubbed the
Battle of Mogadishu and immortalized in the film "Black Hawk Down." The
deaths of 18 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somalis led to a public outcry
and for years afterward the United States was said to be more hesitant to
intervene abroad.
Over the past few years, however, the United States has quietly expanded
its position in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa; it has a major drone base
at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti that houses 4,000 troops, for example. And
while the CIA has maintained a base in Somalia for years, earlier this year
a small number of U.S. military personnel were secretly deployed to the
country – the first time this has happened since 1993.
Monday's strike may be a reflection that the international global jihad
Godane espoused is seen as a clear threat to the United States and its
allies in Africa. "This action was taken because of the history of
terrorist attacks and violence that this organization is responsible for
and continues to be responsible for,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon
press secretary, said Tuesday. The group is said to have attracted a number
of young American recruits of Somali origin. Additionally, it may reflect a
growing general concern about jihadist groups in Africa: In 2012, the head
of the U.S. military’s Africa Command said that al-Shabab, al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb, and Boko Haram were attempting to “coordinate and
synchronize” their actions.
However, there may also be an element of opportunism to the strike. The
Post's Craig Whitlock reports that Godane is said to hold unequaled power
within al-Shabab and had killed many of his successors. And unlike in many
other parts of the world, drone reconnaissance appears to have provided a
good picture of Godane's movements: Al Shabab has confirmed he was in the
convoy targeted, but has not said if he is among the dead.
*****
Adam Taylor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post.
Originally from London, he studied at the University of Manchester and
Columbia University.
Received on Wed Sep 03 2014 - 10:10:59 EDT