Introduction
Who is Alshabaab?
This is one question that lingers in minds of many people locally and internationally.Al-Shabaab is believed to be a Somali group that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in early March 2008. It has always been seen that the group’s intention is to make Somalia a fundamentalist Islamic state. This is according to the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.
This group is responsible for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and peacekeepers according to their leaders who usually rush to the media to claim responsibility after the attacks. In the recent past, Alshabaab has struck abroad, was responsible for the July 2010 suicide bombings in Uganda’s capital, that saw more than 70 people lose their lives, while gathered to watch a World Cup final soccer match in one of the entertainment points.
The total size of the group is not yet known. But anonymous sources reveal that Al-Shabaab is estimated to control up to 1,000 fighters in almost every east Africa’s country. A U.N. report identified one of the group’s leaders who is believed to command an estimated force of between 300 and 500 fighters, most of them who are Kenyans. The group is also believed to have links to other groups. This is evident as In February 2012, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, and al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video giving a signal of the alliance for the two organizations.
Though Al-Shabaab's size may not be well known, its potential for causing terror is evident. According to Gen. Carter Ham in 2011, when he was commander of the U.S. Africa Command, Al-Shabaab and the violent extremists that they rep...
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...ith links to Al-Shabab, on public screenings of films and football matches has cut off the income of many video parlours in the most affected areas or targeted. Alshabaab acts and threats can disrupt lives; deny young children, poor families and women the support they need most.
Budget pressure
Budgets have considerably increased for the organizations operating in the prone areas; this has forced many of them to evaluate some of their projects in areas along the border. The expenditure on security is enormous; many projects are at risk of collapsing especially those dealing with programmes perceived to be anti-Islam. Health programmes such as child immunization suffer the most, with some community organizations unable to monitor their projects. According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, the insecurity has also complicated the planning of prompt disaster response.
attacks of terrorist cells, such as al-Qaeda. The strategic location of the base in Djibouti, Africa
For approximately the past three decades, a terrorist group has come to plague the world with its activities (Gunaratna, 2002). This group is known as Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda, when translated means “The Base”. It is a terrorist organization that seeks to remove western influence from the Middle East and spread its radical Islamic views. Al Qaeda’s most prominent leader was Osama bin Laden, until his death during a raid upon his compound in Pakistan. The Al Qaeda’s motivation stems primarily from extreme and deeply rooted religious beliefs. Their most used method of attack is through suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. This organization has also used chemical warfare and at this time is believed to still actively seek to utilize chemical and biological agents as means to battle.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists (with strong ties to Al Qaeda), on four separate planes, slaughtered almost 3000 civilians at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon ("9/11 Attacks"). Al Qaeda is widely known as the most feared terrorist organization. It is a global Islamic militant organization, and its location cannot be determined because of its secrecy and the fact that its militants operate all over the world. It commits acts that are considered terrorism. Terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims (Currie 70). Al Qaeda plans to do just this with the terror that they invoke. Al Qaeda did not start as an organization made for terror. Instead, it started as a legitimate military base for the training of the mujahideen, who were the group fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden started Al Qaeda with the money that his wealthy Saudi father left him when he died, when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan (Moyer). He called the invasion an attack on Islam itself. Soon enough, though, Al Qaeda grew into a group recruiting bloody jihadis, spreading fear, and punishing those against their views. (Currie 70-71)
Al Qaeda’s history began during the Cold War. Western countries, such as the United States, and its allies supported militant units within Islam to fight the Soviet Union. The United States formed an alliance with the Pakistan Interservice Intelligence Agency (ISI) (White, 2012). The ISI is equivalent to the United States intelligence agency CIA. The ISI, along with the United States began training and arming the mujahedeen (holy warriors) to fight the Soviet Union. In 1979, Afghan mujahedeen along with Saudi Arabia fought the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan (White, 2012). The United States supported the Afghan mujahedeen along with any other form of Islam to combat the Soviet Union. The United States developed an unde...
ISIS used to be funded by wealthy donors and charities across the Middle East, but acording to “today ISIS is mostly funding itself through oil sales, kidnap ransoms, smuggling, extortion, taxes, looting, and bank robberies.” Some wealthy individuals from the Persian gulf still contribute but not nearly as much as past years(Brooks-Pollock,2016). ISIS main source of income appears to be the sale of oil(Swanson,2015). According to an estimate in 2015 published in Newsweek, ISIS has raised around 40 million dollars from wealthy donors in the past two years, but “ISIS’s oil income can vary between $1.5 million and $3.6 million a day”. Not only are people worried about where ISIS is getting it’s money but also their weaponry. They are taking possession of large amounts of weaponry after seizing governments territory. Also most of the ammunition that ISIS is using is either made in America, China, or Russia(Brooks-Pollock,2016). Unlike many terrorist groups, which finance themselves mainly through wealthy donors, ISIS uses control over a large territory and millions of people to develop an income. The Islamic State generates and spends within its own territory and tries to avoid international finances which makes it harder for the U.S to
Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization established in Peshawar, Pakistan, between 1988 or 1989 by Osama bin laden and his teacher Abullah Yusuf Azzam. Al-Qaeda is an international terrorist network that considered the top terrorist threat to the United States. Al Qaeda is seeking to get rid of all westerns from Muslims territory and replace their own Islamic regime. They are a group of people who work to gather to plan act of terrorism against Muslim and non Muslim especially United State. Al Qaeda believes that they are fighting a holy war against enemy of their religion. People from many countries have joined this group including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Britain. This paper is going to present a brief historical background of Al Qaeda that how it emerged with their ideology, view, believe, and goals they have and also it presents the Activities which this group has been done before and after the very massive attack they had in US in September 11, 2001 and the international responses to this act of violence. Finally this paper will end up with comparing this Organization (Al Qaeda) with Reverend Mike Bray the Christian terrorist.
Extremism manifests itself dangerously in the Islam religion (Palmer, Monte, and Princess Palmer, 37). The Muslim religion has some laws and believes that no one should question their design, origin or application. Good people should punish immoral people in Islam religion without showing mercy to them. In Islam, human beings have no right to offer forgiveness to others that can easily lead to and create peace to oneself in the society. The unforgiving nature makes human rights groups in many ways try to change and support governments that try to overthrow Muslim extremist governments. Such an approach creates a war never ending between the Muslim governments and other governments that fight the extremist ideals. In East Africa, Somalia presents a case example by observing how the Government is not able to control the ever fighting and dreadful Al-Shabaab. The “Al-Shabaab” is an Arab name for Muslim youth who over the years try to use enforce extremist rulers in governing the country and hence controlling the resources. Muslim fighters and rebels arm themselves with arsenals they use to fight groups that oppose them by killing and torturing them. The al-Shabaab launches attacks that kill people and openly claim responsibility for the losses and the deaths they cause. They also punish members who commit sin using the retrogressive laws of the Quran on the people they label sinners. Other extremist
The Isis group is quite popular topic for all kinds of media. Isis is known as a terrorist group, which developed from a group of Iraq soldiers (Miller 2015). Most of these soldiers spent time in military training. The aim of Isis is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria (Ferran 2015). When people talk about Isis and Islam, as they are today and will surely be for some time in the wake of the Paris attack, it is important to remember that Islam do not promote violence (Guinyard 2002). They are taking the lives of innocent people, and slaughtering them in the worst ways possible. Terrorist groups are a threat to everyone and anyone everywhere. They must be eliminated before more harm
Through researching ISIS, we can come to the conclusion that they are a dangerous terrorist group that is growing quickly, they aim to conquer through fear, and they are doing this because of their radical Muslim beliefs. This is important because they are now not only affecting the Middle East, but threatening America. They are a growing group whose numbers keep increasing. “ISIS can count on about 10,000 fighters. However, the basin of sympathizers and supporters from where it can draw resources is much broader”(Grassi 1). 10,000 people is more than double the amount of students that attend Southeastern, however this number of 10,000 only accounts for the number of fighters. The amount of supporters is much bigger! Thirty-five organizations
Al-Shabaab also known as the “Youth” or Hirakata al Shabaab al mujahidin "movement of striving youth" are a terrorist group in Somalia who have a link with Al-Qaeda since 2012. According to CNN journalist Holly Yan “In February 2012, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, and al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video announcing the alliance of the two organizations”. (CNN Yan) There are many factors that attribute to their start. Apparently, Somalia was in chaos in the past 25 years, people were in between clan war and world-lard. how did they originate and how did they manage to become powerful and control almost half of Somalia? According to article “Al-Shabaab” written by Jonathon Masters and published on Council on Foreign Relations, this group was originated from Al-Etihad Al-Islamic that was established by Somali Extremists who were educated in the middle east. Also, this group was
On September 11th, 2001, 2,753 people were killed in a terrorist attack on United States soil well known as “9-11”. (cnn.com) Two planes, flown by 19 men, were purposely crashed straight into the world trade centers. (cnn.com) Later, another plane was flown into the pentagon, a United States government building located in Washington, DC. Almost 3,000 people were killed by 19 members of one single terrorist group. The group’s name is Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda, meaning “The Base” in Arabic, is a terrorist group that was formed in 1989 to get rid of non-islamic government influences from the west.
Now that we know some information pertaining to the current leader of ISIS, let’s figure out as to why such a group would exist. Al Qaeda practices the beliefs of the al-salaf al-salih (their ancestors), who were companions of Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad and his companions established an Islamic state or a caliphate which constitutes where these practices and beliefs can be applied. These practices and beliefs focus on the concept of tawhid (oneness/unity of God). Such a religion enforces their vision of Islam’s views, where they believe in waging
The group’s leader name is Usama bin Ladin are linked to other countries that share their organization. They get people from other countries and take them to Afghanistan where kids or adults train in the camps that they have. After the people get done with the learning at the camps they go home or to other countries to plot evil. Usama bin Ladin has a big influence of the people in Afghanistan because they support the Taliban regime which controls most of the country. Many of the Afghanistan people are starving, brutalized, and some of them have fled the country. They only allow men in school because the women are not allowed to attend school. If their people owned a television they would be put in jail for having one in their home.
Al Qaeda, or Al Qaida, is a global militant Islamist organization. It was agreed upon as a terrorist organization by almost every nation such as the United States, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty), the European Union, United Kingdom, United Nations, India, and many more countries. Al Qaeda is a organization or network comprising of both a stateless and ruthless army with a radical Sunni Muslim movement that has a strict interpretation of Sharia Law, moral law, and their main goal is to achieve global Jihad, the religious duties of all Muslims.
Toney, Michael S. Organizational Behavior Profile Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb AQIM. Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Independent Platform, 2013. Print.