Zawahiri's man in Shabaab's 'secret service'

[Valin]

Threat Matrix:

Thomas Joscelyn

September 30, 2013

 

(Snip)

 

But the UN Monitoring Group's report contains several other interesting observations. Here is one concerning the Amniyat, which is Shabaab's "secret service" and is "structured along the lines of a clandestine organization within the organization with the intention of surviving any kind of dissolution of Shabaab." The UN report credits the Amniyat with serving Shabaab emir Ahmed Abdi Godane's interests and allowing Godane to maintain his grip on power despite serious infighting.

 

The report's authors say that a former Amniyat operative told them about a "50-year old Sudanese national" known as "Hassan," who serves "as a senior training instructor for Shabaab and who claimed to be formerly with the Sudanese military." Hassan's other aliases include "Jimale," "Yusuf" and "Abdi Madobe."

 

The UN's source says Hassan was "specifically tasked by" Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda's emir, "to train in Somalia African jihadists who are unable to travel to Afghanistan and Pakistan." Hassan "is reportedly in contact with al Qaeda operatives as well as Godane in order to plan training strategies and programmes for Shabaab and other al Qaeda affiliates in Africa."

 

(Snip)