Al-Qaeda Fights for Control of Somalia

By Erick Stakelbeck

CBN News-Terror Analyst

November 16, 2006

CBNNews.com -- Jihadists are about to establish another Islamic state that supports terrorism, and it is not in the Middle East.

A group some call Africa's version of the Taliban is on the verge of seizing control in Somalia.

Somalia is a country living in chaos. Much of that chaos reached the world's eyes through the movie, Blackhawk Down. It centered on a 1993 incident that killed 18 U.S. troops in the capital of Mogadishu and led to a change in U.S. policy there. In the past 13 years, things have only gone from bad to worse.

"You've had a lot of competing warlord factions and a country with no strong centralized government, and a lot of lawlessness," said David Gartenstein-Ross of the Gerard Group. "The incidents of rape, the incidents of armed robbery, the incidents of other crimes of violence are very high throughout the country.

Now the frightening name al-Qaeda emerges in the struggle for control of this country on the African horn. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, an ally of the terror group, leads the Islamic Courts Union, or ICU. In June, it seized Mogadishu and has now taken over other key Somali cities. The U.S. labels the Sheikh a global terrorist.

"What he's been doing is basically conquering the region of southern and central Somalia. Area by area, he's developed an army of thousands of militiamen. When he conquers an enemy militia group, he will kill the leadership and incorporate the fighters into the group," said military analyst Bill Roggio.

The ICU also establishes Islamic Sharia law.

So far, it has closed down radio stations, conducted mass arrests, cracked down on live music and mixing of the sexes, stifled freedom of the press, and even banned people from watching soccer matches.

Adam Hassan works for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

He said, "They see themselves primarily as Muslims, not as Somalis. Somalia is only the front,"

The U.N. helped form the group in 2004, hoping to finally stabilize the country. But it has had trouble gaining a foothold outside of the Somali city of Baidoa.

Analysts fear the ICU will attack Baidoa and wipe out the transitional government once and for all.

Hassan said they have even bigger plans.

"The very design, like al-Qaeda, is not a national design. It's not something meant for Somalia. It's something that's global. It's the works of al-Qaeda," said Hassan.

He says fighters from Pakistan and Afghanistan have converged on Somalia to help the ICU wage Jihad. Osama bin-Laden is also paying attention. In a recent audiotape, he warned the countries of the world not to accept a U.S. proposal to send international forces to Somalia.

Ethiopia has sent in forces to help Somalia's transitional government in its fight against the jihadists. But analysts say the Islamic Courts may soon seize the entire country--transforming it into a Taliban-like Islamic state and terrorist haven.

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