How many Somalis are in Al Qaeda?

[Voltage]

Or how many Somalis have actually fought in Afghanistan? I think this is something even we don't talk about but when you look at the fact all of Al Shabaab's leadership including Abu Mansuur, Godane, Abu Zubayr, etc are men who have fought in Afghanistan and look at this week's death of Al Qaeda's number 4 man who was incharge of their international operations Salah al Somali, how far reaching exactly is the link between Somalis and Al Qaeda?

Reports of the likely death of Saleh al-Somali, a Somali-born key al Qaeda operational planner, in a U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan Tuesday prompted at least one knowledgeable Arab diplomat in the country to describe him as "a lynchpin in al Qaeda's well-considered new strategy."

According to the diplomat who spoke to CBS NEWS on condition of anonymity, al-Somali's responsibilities included plotting al Qaeda's attacks and plans beyond the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

"Since the summer of 2008, I believe he was involved with planning to shift some of al Qaeda's Arab fighters to Yemen" - the conservative state in the Arabian peninsula alongside Saudi Arabia's southern border, where al Qaeda has pushed an increasingly violent insurgency in the past year.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/ ... 1263.shtml

[Dhaga Bacayl]

Miyaa lagu soo diray?

Waxaaso kaloo public forum lagagama hadlo.

[xoogSADE14]

These senior shabab leaders of today where in their teens to early twenties during the Al-Itihad days. After the defeat of Al-Itihad they were recruited by the Arabs and completely indoctrinated into Al Qaeda's ideology far beyond the senior AIAI leaders were.

[AbdiWahab252]

Miyaa lagu soo diray?

Waxaaso kaloo public forum lagagama hadlo.

[The Nomad]

Not very many.

It certainly isn't in the thousands like the media would have you believe. If you take their stats at face value, namely 700+ Somalis on hand to engage in a minor skirmish in Lebanon of all places, it would stand to reason that far more than that are in Afghanistan, probably some ridiculous number like 10,000.

Good thing they were wrong. Judging from reliable sources, outside of affiliation the relationship isn't worth mentioning. They stand in solidarity with the Taliban, etc. but Somalis are not fighting in Afghanistan. Some may ave trained there, but that's it.

[Cali_Gaab]

Al-Itihad, the good days.

[xoogSADE14]

Al-Itihad, the good days.

More like Shabab lite.

[King-of-Awdal]

Some dude i knew growing up all my life went away and i saw him a month ago with a full beard and wearing a Hat and those pants that are short and his whole life outlook changed. I think maybe he joined them.

[xoogSADE14]

KOA

Thats a possibility, or maybe he just became religious the right way?

[sadeboi]

KOA

Thats a possibility, or maybe he just became religious the right way?

there are a lot of people with beards and short pants...koa

[Voltage]

Lol @ Xoog. I think even the U.S would love it if Al Itihad was back and Al Shabaab disappeared. When the Saudi government sent Mohammed Haji Yusuf to them in 2007, he came back saying "isma fahano".

[Voltage]

Not very many.

It certainly isn't in the thousands like the media would have you believe.

What do you consider "many"? Couple dozen is "many" for a small nation like Somalia that is pretty much a powder keg. The footsoldiers are many...war-afflicted uneducated young men who who want to belong to something. You need one true Al Qaeda trained leader for every couple hundred foot soldiers and you have an army.

[King-of-Awdal]

xoogSADE14

Leaving Your Finals year of university, getting married in none other place than Kismaayo to some teenager and coming back is no joke. He is just different and doesnt even play ball anymore with us.

SB

I only see people who were those pants and hat that are Pakistani.

[The Nomad]

What do you consider "many"? Couple dozen is "many" for a small nation like Somalia that is pretty much a powder keg. The footsoldiers are many...war-afflicted uneducated young men who who want to belong to something. You need one true Al Qaeda trained leader for every couple hundred foot soldiers and you have an army.

Well, taking into account that a few men trained in Afghanistan managed to change the entire landscape of Somalia, 'a few' depending on whether you support Shabab could be thought of as 'too many', but it's asinine to believe that thousands of Somalis are in Afghanistan.

Is 700 Somalis in Lebanon fighting on behalf of Hezbollah plausible?

It may have been a necessity for Godane, etc. to seek training elsewhere back when there weren't an abundance of training facilities in Somalia, but now? There's no reason for Somalis to be traveling abroad. You can completely rule out the thought of Al-Shabab sending foot soldiers to aid the Taliban. Even the most liberal of estimates' concerning Shabab's numerical strength wouldn't put them in a position to be throwing men at a quagmire a continent away.

[Cali_Gaab]

Lol @ Xoog. I think even the U.S would love it if Al Itihad was back and Al Shabaab disappeared. When the Saudi government sent Mohammed Haji Yusuf to them in 2007, he came back saying "isma fahano".

Is that the marexaan al itihaad member, former judge, who fled to Kenya after the arrival of Ethiopian forces?