Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki
Abu Mansoor al-Amriki | |
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Somali civil war
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Omar Shafik Hammami (
Omar was raised in a
Hammami served as a commander, propagandist, and recruiter.[2] He was rumored to have been killed in March and July 2011 but later appeared again in videos. In December 2012, Al-Shabaab posted a rebuke online of what it called his "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
Hammami was president of his sophomore class at Daphne High School and was in the Advanced Placement program.[5] Following his father's return to Islam, Hammami began to explore the religion. He grew flamboyant about his faith in high school, convincing his friend Bernie Culveyhouse to convert to Islam. He left high school early to start college.[5] Friends in school thought of him as a leader.[9]
Over time, Hammami grew increasingly religious. While in college, he became influenced by Tony Salvatore Sylvester, an American convert to Islam at the Masjid in
Marriage and family
Hammami and Culveyhouse worked odd jobs. Together, they decided to move to
In June 2005, the two friends moved with their families to Alexandria, Egypt and the Hammamis' daughter was born there.[11] The men wanted to study at Al-Azhar University but neither was accepted, and Culveyhouse decided to return to the United States with his family.[5]
Joining al-Shabaab in Somalia
Through an Internet forum, Hammami met
In October 2007, Hammami appeared publicly identified as "Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki" (the American) for the first time, giving an interview for Al Jazeera.[5] Fluent in Arabic, with computer and organization skills, Hammami was noticed by his superiors.[5] In a January 2008 letter, Al-Amriki explained al-Shabaab's goal to establish an Islamic caliphate "from East to West after removing the occupier and killing the apostates."[12]
Hammami became a major leader in Al-Shabaab, "commanding guerrilla forces in the field, organizing attacks and plotting strategy with al Qaeda operatives, according to
For these activities, in 2007, Hammami was indicted in the Southern District of Alabama 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 terrorist organization. On 13 December 2007, a federal warrant for his arrest was issued by the United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama.[1]
Al-Amriki revealed his face in a 31-minute video released 31 March 2009, and in recruitment footage posted to a Somali terrorist website on 5 April 2009. He said,
The only reason we are staying here, away from our families, away from the cities, away from candy bars [and] ice, all these other things is because we are waiting to meet with the enemy. ... If you can encourage more of your children, and more of your neighbors, and anyone around you to send people ... to this Jihad, it would be a great asset for us.[9]
In the video, al-Amriki talks about preparations for an ambush and his attempt to "try to blow up as many of their vehicles as we can and kill as many of them as we can." After the ambush, al-Amriki praises a killed fighter.[13] American law enforcement authorities have claimed that Somali-Americans from Minnesota also appear in the 31 March video. One of the Americans featured in the video is Shirwa Ahmed, known to have been among four people to die in suicide attacks in October 2008 against the United Nations compound, the Ethiopian Consulate and the presidential palace in Hargeisa.[14] The two videos indicated that Al-Amriki had become a prominent figure for al-Shabaab in its effort to recruit Western Muslims to jihad. His family and friends remain shocked that he could have embraced this cause.[5]
On 8 July 2009, al-Amriki released an audiotape on jihadi websites. Billed as a "response" to U.S. President
In September 2009 Hammami contacted his sister Dena by email, saying that he had married a Somali woman and had a baby daughter. He contacted his sister intermittently. She disapproved of what he was doing but did not want to lose touch altogether.[5]
In January 2010 he uploaded a lengthy autobiography available on JIHADOLOGY.net entitled "The Story of an American Jihadi: Part One."[16] The 127-page document deals with his evolution from Muslim convert to Salafi to jihadi; enlisting in the Shabaab, life in combat fighting off hungry lions and giant ants at night. While defiant in his opposition to American government, Hammami expressed a wish to have "a three-day visit to see my mom, dad and sister."[16][17]
In April 2011, Hammami released two rap songs dealing with jihad. One song, called Send me a Cruise, praised martyrdom at the hands of US forces. The other song, Make Jihad With Me, was aimed at recruiting Islamic youth to join the al Shabaab movement.[18]
False reports of death
In March 2011, Somalian government sources reported that Hammami had been killed during fighting in Mogadishu.[19][20] Somali Defence Minister Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi subsequently told the Associated Press that Somali officials did not have a body and that the intelligence reports had not yet been confirmed.[citation needed]
In July 2011, the Sunatimes reported that Hammami had possibly been killed in a Predator
Al Shabaab denied this, saying that it was surprised by the video and that Al-Amriki "still enjoys all the privileges of brotherhood." The group added that it was attempting to verify "the authenticity as well as the motivations behind the video" and that a formal investigation was underway. On 25 May Hammami posted an audio lecture online. In the 45-minute lecture, originally posted in January but removed, he criticized jihadist organizations with a local focus, likening them to a "cancerous tumor." He also called for all Muslims to unite in a "jihad of the entire 'Ummah'" under the banner of restored caliphate.[25]
In November 2012, the FBI placed Hammami on its Most Wanted Terrorists list.[26]
On 17 December 2012, Al-Shabaab posted a message on Twitter publicly chastising Hammami for releasing videos in a "narcissistic pursuit of fame." The tweet asserted that the group had tried to talk with him privately but in vain. Al-Shabaab claimed a moral obligation to reveal Hammami's "obstinacy".[26]
On 9 May 2013, senior member of al Shabaab and militant Fuad Mohamed Shangole claimed that Abu Mansoor al Amriki had been killed by armed men loyal to the top al Shabaab leader
However, the reports of al-Amriki's death were proven wrong when he was interviewed by Voice of America on 3 September 2013.[28]
Death
Omar Hammami was killed on 12 September 2013, in an early-morning ambush by al-Shabaab militants in a village near the town of Dinsoor,[29] south-west of the capital, Mogadishu. US administration officials in the embassy of Nairobi, Kenya investigated the validity of the reports of his death.[30]
Hammami's death was eventually confirmed when the FBI removed him from their Most Wanted Terrorists list in November 2013. He was removed from the
References
- ^ a b "FBI – Omar Shafik Hammami". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Long War Journal. Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
Al Bihani traveled to Somalia to fight alongside Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in the Horn of Africa. Once in Somalia, al Bihani trained al Shabaab's fighters, including Omar Hammami, an American who serves as a al Shabaab commander, propagandist, and recruiter. Al Bihani was subsequently killed in a clash with American forces off the coast of Somalia.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Al-Amriki and al-Britani: Militants 'killed' in Somalia". BBC News. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Elliott, Andrea (27 January 2010). "The Jihadist Next Door". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ^ "American militant in Somalia craves fast food, misses family". DAWN. AFP. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ^ The Story of an American Jihaadi Part One, Azlin files
- ^ Somra, Gena (7 June 2013). "Parents despair for son who chose life of terror - CNN.com". CNN.
- ^ a b "Who is al-Amriki?". Fox News. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
- ^ Stakelbeck, Eric (3 May 2011). "Jihad Street USA: Closer Look at Domestic Terror". CBN.
- ^ Goddard, John (4 January 2010). "Fanatic convert to terrorism spent year in Toronto". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ^ Abu Mansoor al-Amriki (8 January 2008). "A Message to the Mujahideen in Particular & the Muslims in general". The Unjust Media. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ "Somali Freedom Fighters Releases Recruitment Video Featuring 'the American'". Anti-Defamation League. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Profile: Omar Hammami". Anti-Defamation League. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
- ^ Cole, Matthew (9 July 2009). "American Jihadist Attacks Obama in Extremist Audio Tape". ABC news. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
- ^ a b "An American Jihadist Now Has a Memoir Out", The New York Times, Andrea Elliott, 23 May 2012
- ^ The Story of an American Jihaadi Part One Archived 26 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine by Abu Mansuur al-Amriiki
- ^ Article in Wired
- ^ "Somali Official: American Militant Reported Killed". ABC News. 8 March 2011.
- ^ "American Fighting for Somali Terror Group Records Jihad Rap, Gives His Mom Hope". Fox News. 12 April 2011.
- ^ Roggio, Bill (10 April 2011). "American Shabaab commander Omar Hammami releases tape that mocks reports of his death". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ "Alabama-Born Al Qaeda Spokesman, Reported Dead, Releases More Hip Hop Tracks". ABC News. 12 April 2011.
- ^ Mohamed, Faud (8 July 2011). "Kenya enhances airport security". Suna Times. Mogadishu, Somalia. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ "Abu Mansur Al Amriki, U.S. Jihadi in Somalia, Reportedly Claims Comrades Want To Kill Him (VIDEO)". HuffPost. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- ^ "Alabama Jihadist Omar Hammami Resurfaces Online". Anti-Defamation League. 23 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Somalia Militant Group Publicly Rebukes American Member". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
- ^ "US most wanted terrorist killed in Somalia". Amison Daily Media Monitoring. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ "'American al-Shabab' Disavows Militant Group, al-Qaida". Voice of America. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- Longwarjournal.org. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
- Daily News. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
Further reading
- Ackerman, Spencer. "Rapping Terrorist Accused of Not Writing His Own Jihadi Rhymes." Wired. 22 February 2013.
- Ackerman, Spencer. "Rapping Jihadi Now Fears Terrorist Pals Will Kill Him." Wired. 19 March 2013.
- Ackerman, Spencer. "$5 Million Bounty Is Closest Rapping Jihadi Will Come to a Record Deal." Wired. 20 March 2013.
- Ackerman, Spencer. "'There's No Turning Back': My Interview With a Hunted American Jihadist." Wired. 4 April 2013.
- Berger, J.M. "Omar and Me." Foreign Policy. 16 September 2013.
External links
- FBI wanted poster
- FBI.gov
- "Amerikansk jihadist drepen i internt oppgjer i Al Shabab" (in Norwegian). NRK. 12 September 2013.