Experts Testify on Al-Shabaab Before the Homeland Security Committee

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Security Management:

Carlton Purvis
07/27/2011 -

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, held the third installment of hearings on radicalization of Muslim Americans this morning. The committee heard from a panel of speakers who were there to provide insight into the scope of the threat of al-Shabaab--a terrorist group fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia.

According to the National Counterterrorism Center, "While most of [al-Shabaab's] fighters are predominantly interested in the nationalistic battle against the TFG and not supportive of global jihad, al-Shabaab’s senior leadership is affiliated with al-Qa‘ida, and certain extremists aligned with al-Shabaab are believed to have trained and fought in Afghanistan. Al-Shabaab has issued statements praising Usama Bin Ladin and linking Somalia to al-Qa‘ida’s global operations."

It is that affiliation, plus the success that al-Shabaab has had in recruiting some Somali-American youth that led King to look at the threat the group represents in the United States. Some members of the committee criticized the hearings, however, saying their scope was too narrow and discriminatory in addition to lacking any officials from federal or state law enforcement agencies to provide testimony. Witnesses included Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Somali Congress National President; Thomas Joscelyn, senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and senior editor of The Long War Journal; William Anders Folk, former assistant United States attorney, District of Minnesota; and Tom Smith, chief of police, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
(Snip)

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From the Mpls (RED) Star Tribune

 

Short take: Peter King vs. Keith Ellison

warning: reading the above may cause A. your head to hurt, B. give you an almost uncontrollable desire to beat your head against a wall.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Iw-Qi3Pf6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoT8mM5F9vc