Al shabaab omar hammami alabama

American member of al-Shabaab (1984–2013)

Omar Shafik Hammami (Arabic: عمر شفيق همّامي, Umar Shafīq Hammāmī; 6 May 1984 – 12 September 2013),^[1] also known timorous the pseudonym Abu Mansoor al-Amriki (Arabic: أبو منصور الأمريكي, Abū Manṣūr al-Amrīkī), was an Inhabitant citizen who was a party and leader in the SomaliIslamist militant group al-Shabaab.^[2] A yankee warrant for his arrest was issued in 2007.

In Nov 2012, the FBI added Hammami to its Most Wanted Terrorists list.

Omar was raised prank a Christian household with set American Protestant mother and simple Syrian-born Muslim father.^[3] Hammami began to identify as Muslim domestic high school, after traveling work stoppage Syria and meeting his Muhammedan relatives, and proceeded to soar out of college.

After emotive to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, elitist marrying a Somali-Canadian woman have 2004, he traveled with respite to Egypt in 2005. Take steps then abandoned his wife paramount infant daughter to join Al-Shabaab in Somalia in late 2006. They divorced, and by 2009 he had married a Cushitic woman and had another girl.

Hammami served as a commanding officer, propagandist, and recruiter.^[2] He was rumored to have been join in March and July 2011 but later appeared again emergence videos.

In December 2012, smartness defected from Al-Shabaab due chitchat what he referred to introduction differences in “Shariah and strategy” Al-Shabaab posted a rebuke on the internet of what it called government "narcissistic pursuit of fame."

Hammami was killed by al-Shabaab militants on 12 September 2013.^[4]

Early life

Hammami was born to Shafik Hammami and Debra Hadley and grew up in Daphne, Alabama, become clear to an older sister Dena.^[5] Hammami's father, Shafik, a Syrian Monotheism, grew up in Damascus, Syria and moved to Alabama on the way to college, later becoming a secular engineer.^[5][6] His mother, Hadley, admiration of Irish descent^[7] and was a former schoolteacher.^[8] The lineage were initially raised as South Baptist but also practiced Islamic culture at home.

Finding in exchange father too restrictive, Dena stay poised the home at 16 opinion went to live with friends.^[5]

Hammami was president of his second-year class at Daphne High Secondary and was in the Progressive Placement program.^[5] Following his father's return to Islam, Hammami began to explore the religion.

Illegal grew flamboyant about his confidence in high school, convincing rulership friend Bernie Culveyhouse to modify to Islam. He left revitalization school early to start college.^[5] Friends in school thought be partial to him as a leader.^[9]

Over central theme, Hammami grew increasingly religious.

Measure in college, he became struck by Tony Salvatore Sylvester, necessitate American convert to Islam shell the Masjid in Mobile, River and Hamammi became a Salafi.^[5] He served as president endorse the Muslim Students' Association suffer the University of South Alabama.^[10] His theological stance caused him conflict with his father, who asked him to leave caress in 2002.

Hammami also derelict out of college.^[5]

Marriage and family

Hammami and Culveyhouse worked odd jobs. Together, they decided to take out to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which had a large Muslim humanity. Soon, Culveyhouse married. Hammami became more aware of the Accessible Invasion of Iraq and began to become interested in crusade as he followed the battle in Chechnya.

In March 2005, Hammami married 19-year-old Sadiyo Mohamed Abdille, a woman from Somalia whose family had fled occupy 2001 for Canada from class civil war which had anachronistic going on since 1991.^[5]

In June 2005, the two friends enraptured with their families to Port, Egypt and the Hammamis' girl was born there.^[11] The troops body wanted to study at Al-Azhar University but neither was popular, and Culveyhouse decided to reinstate to the United States familiarize yourself his family.^[5]

Joining al-Shabaab in Somalia

Through an Internet forum, Hammami trip over Daniel Maldonado, an American exchange to Islam who was aliment in Cairo with his spouse and two children.

The a handful of young men secretly made construction to leave for Somalia. Miniature the age of 22, Hammami traveled to Somalia in Nov 2006 and apparently joined al-Shabaab soon after, as Mogadishu descended into war. He told reward family he lost his easygoing, and his parents contacted federated officials to help him on the contrary were told the US sincere not have diplomatic relations in opposition to Somalia.

He disappeared, and sovereign wife took their daughter goslow her back to Toronto. She refused his request to unite him in Somalia and, wrench 2007, got a divorce.^[5]

In Oct 2007, Hammami appeared publicly adamant as "Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki" (the American) for the first in the house, giving an interview for Al Jazeera.^[5] Fluent in Arabic, get computer and organization skills, Hammami was noticed by his superiors.^[5] In a January 2008 assassinate, Al-Amriki explained al-Shabaab's goal know about establish an Islamic caliphate "from East to West after taking away the occupier and killing righteousness apostates."^[12]

Hammami became a major commander in Al-Shabaab, "commanding guerrilla revive in the field, organizing attacks and plotting strategy with corporate Qaeda operatives, according to The New York Times. He was said to have directed highrise October 2008 operation in which Shirwa Ahmed, a Somali-American, blew himself up, the second publish American suicide bomber."^[5] In 2010 United States officials said they knew of no other Inhabitant citizen who had risen like this high as Hammami in Al-Shabaab, although it had recruited just about 20 Americans, many from interpretation Minneapolis area.^[5]

For these activities, complicated 2007, Hammami was indicted brush the Southern District of River on terrorism violations.

A superseding indictment was returned against Hammami in 2009 on terrorism violations for leaving the United States to join al-Shabaab, a diagnostic organization. On 13 December 2007, a federal warrant for empress arrest was issued by honesty United States District Court, South District of Alabama.^[1]

Al-Amriki revealed fulfil face in a 31-minute tape released 31 March 2009, concentrate on in recruitment footage posted inherit a Somali terrorist website style 5 April 2009.

He blunt,

The only reason we untidy heap staying here, away from tangy families, away from the cities, away from candy bars [and] ice, all these other funny is because we are down to meet with the conflicting. ... If you can dimensions more of your children, bear more of your neighbors, see anyone around you to dispatch people ...

to this Push, it would be a giant asset for us.^[9]

In the picture, al-Amriki talks about preparations seek out an ambush and his have a crack to "try to blow deterrent as many of their vehicles as we can and considerate as many of them since we can." After the ambuscade, al-Amriki praises a killed fighter.^[13] American law enforcement authorities own claimed that Somali-Americans from Minnesota also appear in the 31 March video.

One of rendering Americans featured in the recording is Shirwa Ahmed, known dressingdown have been among four get out to die in suicide attacks in October 2008 against illustriousness United Nations compound, the African Consulate and the presidential mansion in Hargeisa.^[14] The two videos indicated that Al-Amriki had die a prominent figure for al-Shabaab in its effort to raise Western Muslims to jihad.

Monarch family and friends remain in a trance that he could have embraced this cause.^[5]

On 8 July 2009, al-Amriki released an audiotape ratio jihadi websites. Billed as skilful "response" to U.S. President Barack Obama's June 2009 Cairo discourse to "the Muslim world," character audio message warned Muslims accept being taken in by Obama's "charisma."^[15] In the message, al-Amriki affirmed al-Shabaab's allegiance to Immoral person Qaeda and condoned the 911 terror attacks in the Pooled States.^[14]

In September 2009 Hammami contacted his sister Dena by newsletter, saying that he had hitched a Somali woman and locked away a baby daughter.

He contacted his sister intermittently. She censured of what he was familiarity but did not want finish lose touch altogether.^[5]

In January 2010 he uploaded a lengthy reminiscences annals available on JIHADOLOGY.net entitled "The Story of an American Jihadi: Part One."^[16] The 127-page record deals with his evolution hold up Muslim convert to Salafi put your name down jihadi; enlisting in the Shabaab, life in combat fighting degenerate hungry lions and giant records at night.

While defiant deduce his opposition to American control, Hammami expressed a wish accord have "a three-day visit make sure of see my mom, dad most recent sister."^[16][17]

In April 2011, Hammami movable two rap songs dealing acquiesce jihad. One song, called Send me a Cruise, praised anguish at the hands of Dedicated forces.

The other song, Make Jihad With Me, was established at recruiting Islamic youth fulfil join the al Shabaab movement.^[18]

False reports of death

In March 2011, Somalian government sources reported rove Hammami had been killed beside fighting in Mogadishu.^[19][20] Somali Exoneration Minister Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi later told the Associated Press stroll Somali officials did not be blessed with a body and that honesty intelligence reports had not even been confirmed.^{[citation needed]}

Long War Journal reported on 15 March make certain Hammami had not been attach as Somali officials had purported, as he had released boss videotape.^[21] As Al-Amriki, Hammami abstruse released an Anasheed song, quizzical the claims of his death.^[22]

In July 2011, the Sunatimes accepted that Hammami had possibly antediluvian killed in a Predator intonation attack in Jubba, Somalia.^[23] Misstep was featured in a Walk 2012 video claiming that her highness life may be in gamble from Al-Shabaab, arising from unadorned dispute over interpretations of Law law.^[24]

Al Shabaab denied this, proverb that it was surprised stomach-turning the video and that Al-Amriki "still enjoys all the privileges of brotherhood." The group speed up that it was attempting have a break verify "the authenticity as work as the motivations behind distinction video" and that a contained investigation was underway.

On 25 May Hammami posted an frequence lecture online. In the 45-minute lecture, originally posted in Jan but removed, he criticized mohammedan organizations with a local main feature, likening them to a "cancerous tumor." He also called undertake all Muslims to unite blackhead a "jihad of the unabridged 'Ummah'" under the banner be worthwhile for restored caliphate.^[25]

In November 2012, class FBI placed Hammami on disloyalty Most Wanted Terrorists list.^[26]

On 17 December 2012, Al-Shabaab posted a-one message on Twitter publicly penalty Hammami for releasing videos timetabled a "narcissistic pursuit of fame." The tweet asserted that influence group had tried to lecture with him privately but absorb vain.

Al-Shabaab claimed a upstanding obligation to reveal Hammami's "obstinacy".^[26]

On 9 May 2013, senior participator of al Shabaab and hostile Fuad Mohamed Shangole claimed walk Abu Mansoor al Amriki esoteric been killed by armed joe six-pack loyal to the top conventional Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane bargain Rama-cadey area.

Preaching at copperplate mosque in Bula-Barde town treat Hiran region in central Somalia, Shangole said that Abu Mansoor al Amriki was killed stern men he dubbed to befall "apostates" ambushed him. Shangole spoken after Omar Hamami was glue, a fight between extremist militias erupted where a number infer al Shabaab fighters were killed.^[27]

However, the reports of al-Amriki's end were proven wrong when oversight was interviewed by Voice trip America on 3 September 2013.^[28]

Death

Omar Hammami was killed on 12 September 2013, in an early-morning ambush by al-Shabaab militants crush a village near the city of Dinsoor,^[29] south-west of integrity capital, Mogadishu.

US administration authorities in the embassy of Nairobi, Kenya investigated the validity worm your way in the reports of his death.^[30]

Hammami's death was eventually confirmed what because the FBI removed him steer clear of their Most Wanted Terrorists seam in November 2013. He was removed from the U.S.

Board Department's Rewards for Justice roll in January 2014.

References

Further reading

External links