4 Mar 4, 2009 - 1:59:30 PM
BAIDOA, Somalia Mar 4 (Garowe Online) - The spokesman of Somalia's armed guerrillas Al Shabaab says the group is not a part of the Al Qaeda international terrorist organization, but admitted that the two groups have connections, Radio Garowe reports.
Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur" told the Arabic-language Al Jazeera TV that Al Shabaab was created by Somalis, while rejecting notions that foreigners took part in the establishment of the armed group.
"We [Al Shabaab] have foreigners among us and connections with the Al Qaeda organization, but that does not mean that we are part of them [Al Qaeda]," Abu Mansur said, adding that the two groups have the common goal of establishing Islamic law in Muslim societies.
He stated that Al Shabaab intends to rule Somalia under Islamic law, saying: "It is false that we intend to continue the war until Alaska State." Media reports had previously linked Al Shabaab fighters as vowing to wage war until they establish an Islamic court in the U.S. State of Alaska.
Abu Mansur, whose comments seemed more reconciliatory than before, indicated that Al Shabaab's intentions were limited to ruling Somalia under Islamic law in order to "fix the country."
Answering a question about ransacking gravesites, Abu Mansur replied: "There are graves in all the places Al Shabaab controls, which are never touched. Do not believe if you are told that Al Shabaab destroys graves."
Al Shabaab fighters were accused of destroying tombs belonging to sheikhs revered by the Sufi group, prompting clan militias fighting under the Sufi banner of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a to violently oust Al Shabaab guerrillas from the central region of Galgadud.
"It is impossible to kill a person [simply] because they oppose your idea…such propaganda is spread by our enemies," Abu Mansur said. Al Shabaab fighters have been repeatedly accused of targeted assassinations of businessmen, aid workers and journalists across Somalia in recent years.
Abu Mansur was asked why Al Shabaab opposes the new government of Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Islamic Courts movement, which Al Shabaab was part of in 2006.
"Sheikh Sharif's government has the same constitution we refused from [ex-President] Abdullahi Yusuf. We did not fight against Abdullahi Yusuf because he came from Puntland, but we fought against him because the constitution is anti-Islam," Abu Mansur said.
He angrily rejected connections to Somali pirates, comparing such connections to accusations of killing people for their views.
Al Shabaab controls many regions in south-central Somalia, including the key towns of Kismayo, Baidoa and Marka.
The group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 11 African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu last month.
The U.S. government considers Al Shabaab a terrorist organization.
Source: http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2...aab_spokesman_says_not_part_of_Al_Qaeda.shtml
BAIDOA, Somalia Mar 4 (Garowe Online) - The spokesman of Somalia's armed guerrillas Al Shabaab says the group is not a part of the Al Qaeda international terrorist organization, but admitted that the two groups have connections, Radio Garowe reports.
Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur" told the Arabic-language Al Jazeera TV that Al Shabaab was created by Somalis, while rejecting notions that foreigners took part in the establishment of the armed group.
"We [Al Shabaab] have foreigners among us and connections with the Al Qaeda organization, but that does not mean that we are part of them [Al Qaeda]," Abu Mansur said, adding that the two groups have the common goal of establishing Islamic law in Muslim societies.
He stated that Al Shabaab intends to rule Somalia under Islamic law, saying: "It is false that we intend to continue the war until Alaska State." Media reports had previously linked Al Shabaab fighters as vowing to wage war until they establish an Islamic court in the U.S. State of Alaska.
Abu Mansur, whose comments seemed more reconciliatory than before, indicated that Al Shabaab's intentions were limited to ruling Somalia under Islamic law in order to "fix the country."
Answering a question about ransacking gravesites, Abu Mansur replied: "There are graves in all the places Al Shabaab controls, which are never touched. Do not believe if you are told that Al Shabaab destroys graves."
Al Shabaab fighters were accused of destroying tombs belonging to sheikhs revered by the Sufi group, prompting clan militias fighting under the Sufi banner of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a to violently oust Al Shabaab guerrillas from the central region of Galgadud.
"It is impossible to kill a person [simply] because they oppose your idea…such propaganda is spread by our enemies," Abu Mansur said. Al Shabaab fighters have been repeatedly accused of targeted assassinations of businessmen, aid workers and journalists across Somalia in recent years.
Abu Mansur was asked why Al Shabaab opposes the new government of Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the former leader of the Islamic Courts movement, which Al Shabaab was part of in 2006.
"Sheikh Sharif's government has the same constitution we refused from [ex-President] Abdullahi Yusuf. We did not fight against Abdullahi Yusuf because he came from Puntland, but we fought against him because the constitution is anti-Islam," Abu Mansur said.
He angrily rejected connections to Somali pirates, comparing such connections to accusations of killing people for their views.
Al Shabaab controls many regions in south-central Somalia, including the key towns of Kismayo, Baidoa and Marka.
The group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 11 African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu last month.
The U.S. government considers Al Shabaab a terrorist organization.
Source: http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2...aab_spokesman_says_not_part_of_Al_Qaeda.shtml
thats correct, but their senior leader was in the terror list even before the creation of Al Shabaab.