U.S. Citizen Indicted For Supporting And Receiving Military Training From Al Shabaab

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Maalik Alim Jones, 31, of Maryland, was indicted based on his alleged support of al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Somalia that is allied with al Qaeda.  Jones, a U.S. citizen, was presented before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas of the Southern District of New York on Dec. 19, 2015, pursuant to a criminal complaint. 

The charges were announced today by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge Diego Rodriguez of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Commissioner William J. Bratton of the New York City Police Department.

“Maalik Alim Jones was charged with providing material support to al Shabaab and receiving training from the terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will continue to hold accountable those who seek to provide material support to terrorists.”

“As alleged, Maalik Alim Jones traveled to Somalia, received military training from al Shabaab, and took up arms as a terrorist fighter with an organization that has declared the United States a target,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara.  “Now, as ever, we are determined to protect the people of this country from the murderous designs of terrorist organizations.  Having allegedly sworn allegiance to al Shabaab, a terrorist organization bent on destroying America, Maalik Jones will now face American justice in a Manhattan federal court.”

“This case highlights the international nature of terrorism and the criminal actions taken in pursuit of attacks against others,” said Assistant Director in Charge Rodriguez.  “As alleged herein, Maalik Alim Jones, from Maryland, joined a terrorist organization in Somalia, traveled from New York to Kenya, through Morocco and the UAE, where he was trained to kill and destroy communities.  Recently he was caught trying to get to Yemen.  We applaud the thorough investigation by the agents and task force officers on FBI’s JTTF, who were able to identify his activities, stop his plans, and bring him here to face the U.S. justice system.”

“As alleged, Jones traveled to Somalia to fight on behalf of al Shabaab, learning to fire an AK-47 and rocket propelled grenade,” said Commissioner Bratton.  “He then used this training to attack the Kenyan government, fighting on behalf of this terrorist organization.  The work by detectives and agents of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force should be commended, and the prosecutors of the Southern District of New York whose efforts led to this indictment.”

According to the allegations in the indictment and the complaint, which was unsealed today:

In or about July 2011, Jones traveled via commercial aircraft from New York to Kenya, with stopovers in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.  After arriving in Kenya, Jones traveled by land from Kenya to Somalia where he trained, worked and fought with al Shabaab in Somalia.  Among other things, Jones received military training at an al Shabaab training camp, where he learned to operate an AK-47 assault rifle and rocket-propelled grenades.  Jones also became a member of al Shabaab’s specialized fighting force, Jaysh Ayman, and participated in combat against soldiers of the Kenyan government on behalf of al Shabaab. 

Jones has appeared with other al Shabaab fighters in at least two videos that were recovered from an al Shabaab fighter.  In one of the videos, Jones possessed a firearm, and is seen with several al Shabaab fighters who, on June 14, 2015, participated in an attack on a Kenyan Defense Force base in Lamu County, Kenya, during which two Kenyan soldiers were killed.

Jones is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to al Shabaab; providing, and attempting to provide, material support to al Shabaab; conspiracy to receive military-type training from al Shabaab; receipt of military-type training from al Shabaab; and possessing, carrying and using firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence.  If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the charges.  In addition, the firearms offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment.  The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the court.

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin joined U.S. Attorney Bharara in praising the investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean S. Buckley and Andrew J. DeFilippis of the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Josh Parecki of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. 

Pentagon Confirms Death of al-Shabab Co-founder

The DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2014 - Ahmed Abdi al-Muhammad, also known Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of the al-Shabab jihadist group, was killed Sept. 1 in a U.S. airstrike in Somalia, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby confirmed today.

"The U.S. military undertook operations against Godane on Sept. 1, which led to his death," Kirby said in a statement. "Removing Godane from the battlefield is a major symbolic and operational loss" to al-Shabab," Kirby said in a statement. "The United States works in coordination with its friends, allies and partners to counter the regional and global threats posed by violent extremist
organizations."

At a Sept. 2 Pentagon news conference, Kirby said manned and unmanned aircraft operated by U.S. special operations forces participated in an airstrike that destroyed an al-Shabab encampment and a vehicle located at that camp. Kirby added that the operation was a direct strike against the al-Shabab network, and specifically against Godane.

The operation was carried out after actionable intelligence was obtained that suggested that Godane was present at the camp, located south of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the press secretary said at the news conference, noting that it was too early to tell whether the strike had killed him.

The aircraft fired several Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions, and no U.S. forces were present on the ground, either before or after the attack, he added.

Al-Shabab is a jihadist group based in Somalia. It has claimed responsibility for last year's attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in more than 70 deaths and 200 injured. The group is also believed to be responsible for many bombings, including suicide attacks in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, Kirby said Sept. 2.

Somali Airstrike Targeted al-Shabab Leader, Camp, Pentagon Spokesman Says

Claudette Roulo at the DoD News offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2014 - Manned and unmanned aircraft operated by U.S. special operations forces participated in an airstrike yesterday in Somalia that destroyed an al-Shabab encampment and a vehicle located at that camp, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby (seen in the above DoD photo) said today.

Kirby said the operation was a direct strike against the al-Shabab network, and specifically, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi al-Muhammad, also known Ahmed Godane. The operation was carried out after actionable intelligence was obtained that suggested that Godane was present at the camp, located south of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the press secretary said.

It's too early to know whether Godane was killed as a result of the airstrikes, Kirby said, adding that if he were, it would be a "very significant blow to their network, to their organization and, we believe, to their ability to continue to conduct terrorist attacks."

The aircraft fired several Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions, he said, noting that the Defense Department is still assessing the results of the operation. "We certainly believe that we hit what we were aiming at," the press secretary said. "And based on intelligence that, as I said, we believe was actionable -- in other words, strong enough -- we took this strike."

No U.S. forces were present on the ground, either before or after the attack, he noted. Al-Shabab is a jihadist group based in Somalia. It has claimed responsibility for last year's attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in more than 70 deaths and 200 injured. The group is also believed to be responsible for many bombings, including suicide attacks in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, the admiral said.

These attacks typically target officials and perceived allies of the current federal government of Somalia and the former transitional federal government of Somalia, Kirby said.

Al-Shabab has occupied most of southern Somalia since 2006, he said. It has claimed responsibility for the deaths of numerous government officials, aid workers, peace activists and journalists and was named as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in 2008.

"They've also continued to plan plots targeting Westerners, including U.S. personnel in East Africa," the press secretary said. "In recent months, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Djibouti that killed a Turkish national and wounded several Western soldiers, as well as a car bomb at the Mogadishu Airport that targeted and killed members of the United Nations convoy."

The operation is an example of the commitment of the U.S. government and its allies and partners to the people and government of Somalia "to detect, deter, disrupt and defeat violent extremists who threaten progress in the region, as well as threaten to conduct terrorist attacks against innocent people around the world," Kirby said.

The United States will continue to use all of the tools at its disposal, he said -- including finance, diplomacy, intelligence and military force -- to dismantle al-Shabab and other terrorist groups that threaten U.S. interests and those of U.S. allies and partners. 

Defense Secretary Praises U.S. Troops For Capture Of 'Global' Terrorist In Africa

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel commended U.S. troops here today for the capture of what he described as one of the world's most sought after terrorists. "Over the weekend, U.S. military personnel conducted targeted operations in Libya and Somalia to bring international terrorists to justice," he said. "I want to commend all of the service members who were involved in the planning and execution of these two operations, which demonstrate the unparalleled precision, global reach, and capabilities of the United States military," Hagel said. As a result of the Libya operation, the defense secretary said, one of the world's most wanted terrorists was captured and is now in U.S. custody. "Abu Anas al Libi was designated as a global terrorist by Executive Order, was a subject of the U.S. Rewards for Justice Program, and is on the UN Al Qaeda sanctions list," Hagel said. "He was also indicted for his alleged role in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, and other plots to conduct attacks against U.S. interests," he said. The defense secretary noted these operations in Libya and Somalia send a strong message to the world that the U.S. will spare no effort to hold terrorists accountable, "no matter where they hide or how long they evade justice." "We will continue to maintain relentless pressure on terrorist groups that threaten our people or our interests," Hagel said. "We will conduct direct action against them, if necessary, that is consistent with our laws and our values."

The Long Arm Of The Law: FBI Snatches Alleged Pirate Inside Somalia

As the late President Ronald Reagan said as a warning to international terrorists and criminals some years ago, "You can run, but you can't hide."

Keith Johnson at The Wall Street Journal reports that FBI agents traveled to Africa to arrrest a suspected pirate. 

In a first for U.S. anti-piracy efforts, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents ventured into Somalia to arrest the man who allegedly oversaw ransom negotiations for four Americans held hostage and later killed by pirates.

Mohammad Shibin, 50 years old, was captured in a joint operation, led by the FBI and coordinated with Somali authorities.

U.S. agents had never before apprehended an alleged pirate on land, though it has prosecuted a number of Somali pirates caught attacking U.S. ships in the Arabian Sea. To date, counter-piracy efforts had been waged almost exclusively in millions of square miles of ocean off the Horn of Africa.

You can read the rest of the newspaper story via the below link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704547804576261301548767880.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

My Crime Beat Column: Black Hawk Down Revisited

A friend told me he has finally seen the film Black Hawk Down on DVD and that he liked the film very much.

I liked the Ridley Scott film as well. I believe it is one of the best war films made in recent times.

The 2001 film, based on Mark Bowden’s book of the same title, portrays American soldiers at their best, despite overwhelming odds, during the 1993 mission to capture key lieutenants to the top warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Bowden, then a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, first serialized the story in the newspaper. Bowden tells the dramatic story of what he calls the biggest single gunfight since the Vietnam War.

“The battle in Mogadishu was a 15-hour-long gunfight pitting 120 American soldiers against thousands of Somali irregulars,” Bowden wrote in response to a question asked on the newspaper’s website.

The Philadelphia Inquirer still has the series and additional material on their web page at http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia.

After interviewing the father of a soldier who died in Somali, Bowden became interested in the battle. He was later surprised to learn that there was so little coverage of the amazing battle.

Although he did not have a military background and he was not a seasoned military journalist, he set out to report on the battle.

He said his first interviews were with Rangers from Fort Benning and pilots from Fort Campbell. As many of the active duty troops kept in touch with former servicemen, Bowden learned the names and telephone numbers of former servicemen and he interviewed many of them as well.

“Eventually my list of men who had fought that day in Mogadishu was too long for me to keep up,” Bowden stated.

Bowden went on to state that he interviewed more than 70 soldiers and airmen and he also interviewed the brass from General Colin Powell (who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) on down. He also read official battle accounts and timelines and he was able to watch videotapes and listen to audiotapes of the battle.

One notable person Bowden did not interview was Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, who was then the commanding officer of Delta Force.

When I interviewed the retired general for Counterterrorism, I asked him why his role had been omitted from the book and film.

“When Mark Bowden was writing that book he started out by writing in The Philadelphia Inquirer. I knew where he was getting his information and at that time everything was still classified,” Boykin told me. “He was getting his information from a former Delta noncommissioned officer who had a personal axe to grind with Captain Mike Steele, who was the Ranger company commander.”

Boykin went on to say that the soldier’s personal vendetta against Captain Steele was quite a problem for him.

“When I realized that he was the one who was providing the information to Mark Bowden, I decided that I would have nothing to do with Bowden’s effort to write this book. Bowden called me. I didn’t talk to him. I had my lawyer and public affairs officer talk to him,” Boykin said.

“He wanted me to help him write the book. Number one, I’m not going to help you, and I don’t want you to indicate that I did help you. And Number two, I do not want to be mentioned in your book. He honored that,” Boykin said. “Mark Bowden later wrote about operations against Pablo Escabar and he liberally used my name and never checked with me or talked to me about how I felt about it.”

I asked the general if he read Black Hawk Down or saw the film and he replied that he hadn’t read the book, but he went to the preview of the film when it was shown to the troops who fought in the battle.

“I thought that the movie was surprisingly accurate,” Boykin said. “But there were a number of things that were not correct, starting in the beginning of the movie when Osmon Atto was smoking cigars and talking.”

In the film the captured Somali is seen smoking a good cigar defiantly and making rude remarks about the cheaper cigar General Harrison, the commanding officer of Task Force Ranger, was smoking as the two were in an interrogation room.

Boykin explained that the captured Somali was the number one financier and closest ally of Adid, the Somali warlord. Without Osmon Atto, Boykin said, Aidid was in serious trouble. Boykin said that they knew that if they captured him they would deal Aidid a severe blow. So they went out and captured him.

“After we captured him, it was not like it was portrayed in the film,” Boykin told me. “There was only one person guarding him and that was Captain Steele himself. There were no discussions with Osmon Atto. There were no cigars being smoked. None of that nonsense. He was scared to death.”

Boykin recounted how he walked in and asked the Somali if he were Osmon Atto and he said yes. Boykin thought that Atto figured he was going to kill him.

In response to a public comment Atto made earlier about God being on the Somalia side, Boykin told him “Mr. Atto, you underestimated our God.”

“That was the entire discussion,” Boykin said. “So none of that stuff in the movie was true.”

I told General Boykin that I liked actor Sam Shepard’s portrayal as General Garrison. Did he nail the general?

Boykin said that Shepard was close, although there is no other General Garrison.

“Garrison is a great American and sadly, he took the fall for the whole thing,” Boykin said.

I mentioned that Mark Bowden has written other books about Delta Force and that General Boykin was mentioned in those books.

“Bowden obviously has some pretty good sources there that are giving him some very detailed information,” Boykin said. “When he wrote Killing Pablo he has some direct quotes from conversations I had with people like Ambassador Busby and the commander of the Southern Command at that time, so obviously he talked to them. I think he does a very good job.”

In General Boykin’s memoir Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom (FaithWords, Hachette Book Group, USA), he tells of his meeting with the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and their discussion of the battle in Mogadishu.

Rumsfeld questioned why people believed the battle was a U.S. failure, when U.S. troops killed and wounded 1, 100 and lost 18 Americans and 76 were wounded. In my Q & A with the general for the journal I asked him about this conversation.

“It was a great media event and they turned it into a failure rather than acknowledging that we had succeeded in our mission and we had done a lot of damage to the Habr Gidr clan,” General Boykin replied.

“The second thing was we had an administration of neophytes," Bokin said. "Bill Clinton had a bunch of folks in there that had no idea of what that environment was like, the difficulty of the task, and they were totally unprepared to accept any kind of casualties. I blame that administration largely for the perception of failure there. If you are going to commit the military into an environment that is as hostile as that was, then you got to be prepared to deal with the issue of casualties and you got to be sure that it’s worth the cost.”

The perception of failure was also no doubt cast by the television images of slain American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. The same was true of the TV scenes of the Viet Cong Tet Offensive in 1968. Although American and South Vietnamese forces quickly defeated the Viet Cong, the TV images of Viet Cong attacks made a great and lasting impression on the American public.

Walter Cronkite, the popular TV news anchor famously declared that the war was lost, although in truth, the resounding defeat of the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive eliminated them as a major fighting force in the following years of the Viet Nam War.

American troops entered Somalia in 1992 to deliver humanitarian aid to a country that Boykin describes as torn by civil war and drought. In his memoir, Boykin explains that U.S. forces landed with 19 other nations as part of Operation Restore Hope, a mission to provide secure distribution of food and relief supplies.

Aidid not only hindered the peace talks between more than a dozen warring factions, his Habr Gidr militia ambushed and killed 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in June 0f 1993. A week later the United Nations issued a warrant for his arrest.

In my view, had the Pentagon given Task Force Ranger the armored vehicles, Spectre gunships and the other equipment they requested, we might not have lost the 18 men to the “Sammies,” which is what our guys called the hostile Somalis.

But Boykin said the Clinton administration did not want to look “provocative.” And although General Colin Powell advocated “overwhelming force” as a military war-fighting philosophy, he allowed Task Force Ranger to go to Africa with a total force of only 450 men.

Yet what those few men did was truly amazing. In Black Hawk Down we were made aware of the bravery and camaraderie of the American Rangers, the Army Delta and Navy SEAL operators, the Air Force parajunpers and the pilots, and for that we should thank author Mark Bowden and film producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Ridley Scott.

We should also be thankful that we have the high caliber of military people like General Boykin and the troops of Task Force Ranger who fought in Mogadishu, as well as the troops who fight today in the ongoing war on terrorism.