Statement from Abu Mansoor al-Amriki

What follows is most of a staetment from Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, alegedly a former US Special Forces trainer who went to Bosnia to fight, the fought and trained in Caucases, now Somalia.

He is now a Commander with the Shabaab in Somalia. He recently made a video recruiting American Muslims, and may have been involved in recruiting American Somalia Immigrant Parents to send their children, the Minnesotta Mujahadeen to Somalia, some of which ended up as suicide bombers.

What it reveals

• His believes are classic Sunni Salfist of the Qutbist vareity, cut from the same cloth as Ossamah Ben ladin, who who clearly holds in High Regard.
• His description of the differences between the Islamic Courts Union and the Shabaab is one of a first hand witness, and is therefore useful.
• He demonstrates that the Islamist's objectives will never be comfortable with any National identity for very long. That The Umma belong to the Calipha.
• He, along with other islamist true Mujahadeen, believe their lives have been and will be of the higest service to Allah, a distant and exacting God whom they love.
• He illustrates to western readers an example of the Mujadeens devotion. They will be armed Mujahadeen fighting Jihad whether on the battle field, working in western jobs, until they are in prison or dead. Then, they believe that will have earned paradise, to the best of theri ability.
• This is his life; he will choose no other.

It is saddnes to me that one of such devotion is based on a near-miss of his aim to reconcile with God. He seems destined for experiencing and creating tragedy and destruction, only to find that this his Aqidah is fraud, and that Paradise does not await him.

-Shimron

Abu Mansoor al-Amriki

I saw it very important in these recent days to clarify some facts that might be unknown to many. In specific I am referring to that which relates to the Islaamic Courts and the Shabaab.

It is well-know amongst the practicing Muslims of Somalia that these two groups have a long history and they are not from the new groups that have come on the scene. Rather, the founding officers of the Shabaab go back to the fall of Siad Barre and the first battles with the Americans.

However, more important than establishing their presence from a long time is establishing the large and essential difference between the two groups from the very beginning.

• While the Courts used to judge over each individual tribe, the Shabaab were made up of many different tribes and they used to cooperate with the Muhaajireen from the outside.
• Also, while the Courts had a goal limited to the boundaries placed by the Taaghoot, the Shabaab had a global goal including the establishment of the Islaamic Khilaafah in all parts of the world.

This difference did not go away in the days of victory nor has it gone away even up until today. But rather it has grown larger and clearer to everyone; including the stupid Kuffaar.

As for the days of victory, then it is known that the picture presented to the world was the “moderate” picture of the Courts (as they describe them) and they strived in that period to control the financial sources, the direction of the Jihaad, and the foreign affairs.

Despite these facts even the Kuffaar could see something else behind the scenes.

• They publicized that there is an “extremist” group (according to their description) lurking within the government of the Courts. They were right on about most of this except for mistakenly believing that the leader of this extremist group was Hasan Thaahir Uways.
• Therefore, more deservingly, the Shabaab also knew about this reality and they used to encounter many difficulties because of the policies of the Courts.
• Similar to them were the Muhaahijreen who were welcomed at the airport by the Islaamic Courts with terrible statements like: “We don’t need the Muhaajireen,” and they tried to send them back; if it were not for a few of the Shabaab (like Shaykh Fu’aad and Abu Talhah as-Sudaani) who saved many of these Muhaajireen at the airport and tended to their affairs.
• The situation remained like this until the defeat befell and some of the best of the Shabaab became shuhadaa’.

So due to that, many of these realities became hidden to the new fighters who had witnessed the unity in the early days (which was for the purpose of combining the strength of each group, to avoid fitnah in accordance with (Cooperate upon righteousness and piety and do not cooperate upon sin and transgression)), and in order to judge by what Allaah revealed, as all groups claimed to want)

but they did not witness the hidden reality that was lived by those who preceded them on this path.

Therefore, this matter was in need of clarification, without a doubt, but we did not realize the seriousness of this need until after the conferences in Asmara.

These conferences invoked doubt within us for several reasons:

The first : is that Eritrea has not ceased opposing the Mujaahideen in their land. So how could they want to help the Mujaahideen in the neighboring lands? There is no doubt that they are not looking out for what is in our best interest or what is in the best interests of the Jihaad.

The second : is that Eritrea rooted out the Mujaahideen in their land due to a very despicable trick on behalf of the Sudanese government. Namely, they opened the door of politics in order for them to forget armed resistance which is the true solution to the problems of the Ummah today.

So here we have the members of the Courts in the lands of the Kuffaar, underneath their control, sitting in the road of politics which leads to the loss and defeat they were running from.

The third : is that they chose a nationalistic look for these conferences. The very name of their party indicates that this issue is strictly Somali, leaving no room for interference from foreigners (as they call the Muhaajireen) unless the interference comes from John, or Tom, or George! In that case such interference is allowed!

• So, while they deny the presence of Muhaajireen in Somalia (despite the fact that I was seen on al-Jazeerah in a Somali training camp under the name of the Courts before realizing that the Manhaj had become extremely distorted)
• and while they say that they are not in any need of foreigners, their actions indicate that they ARE in need of the apostates from ‘Abdullaah Yusuf’s parliament and the original Kuffaar of Eritrea. Subhaan Allaah! How have the scales of allegiance and enmity been flipped!

The fourth : is that they tried to steal the efforts of the Shabaab by claiming that they are in control of the direction of the Jihaad and the events taking place on the ground from their hotels.All of these affairs would have lead- if not for the proclamation of innocence from these conferences on behalf of the Shabaab- to many problems:

• The first is a lack of clarity of the issue for the Muslims on the outside (even for those on the inside as we have seen from some of the fighters) who might aid us with self, wealth, or supplication.
• The second is a lack of a clear example to guide the Mujaahideen in the future. We see that despite the fact that the Ikhwaan had a good example in Sayyid Qutub and al-Mawdoodi –who both refused to accept entering into the kaafir governments as a solution- it seems that there is no other solution for the problems of the Ummah, according to those who ascribe themselves to the Ikhwaan today, except for the ballot box!

So how would it have been if their beginning was characterized by their exemplary figure compromising his principles and having an unclear manhaj?

• The third is that this matter will be unclear to the populace after coming to power. If the Shabaab differ with the Courts after obtaining victory, the people will see the Shabaab like the Khawaarij, or Jamaa’ah at-Takfeer, or benefit seekers (similar to how they said that the Courts are just one tribe and they didn’t really want to establish Shari’ah in the days of victory). This will lead to many tribulations and a loss of previous gains.
• The fourth is a lack of ability to control the direction of the Jihaad because the wealth and media is in their hands.

Therefore, due to this huge danger the Shabaab- may Allaah reward them- announced that they are free of these conferences.

• At the same time the Muhaajireen (who came to Somalia after the capture of Mogadishu in stages) also felt the need to do this. In due course the Muhaajireen wrote a word of advice to some of those in charge of the Courts regarding these matters.
• Then, after learning that they will continue upon this dangerous path, the Muhaajireen declared their innocence from the Courts alongside their brothers from the Shabaab.

Here now is their announcement that they are free of the deviant leadership of the Courts before all of the Muslims.

This is in regards to what we have seen of the Courts. As for the Manhaj of the Shabaab then we see that they are focused upon the pure manhaj which is adopted by the Mujaahideen in the rest of the blessed lands of Jihaad.

It is the same manhaj repeatedly heard from the mouth of the mujaahid shaykh Usaamah bin Laden. It is the same manhaj heard in the addresses of the lion, the genius, the doctor Ayman ath-Thawaahiri and the one heard in the advices of the shaheed (in shaa’ Allaah), the hero, Abu Mus’ab az-Zarqaawi .The list of the heroes of this time goes on.

We stress here that we are striving to establish the Islaamic Khilaafah from East to West after removing the occupier and killing the apostates.

We will do this while holding on to the Book and the Sunnah, upon the manhaj of the salaf, with the mus-haf in one hand and the sword in the other, beneath the black banner.

We do not care about the blame of the blamers or the threats of scarce provision and we do not need doubtful finances....

...Here is an important point that must be made. Indeed this point is that it is befitting to cooperate with any group from the Muslims (as long as they are truly Muslims) whether the group is the Courts or otherwise.

This must, of course, be in accordance with the guidelines of the correct manhaj.

Finally, before closing this address of mine I would like to mention that there has not ceased to be sincere people amongst the Islaamic Courts. I see them to be sincere, but Allaah is the One who will truly bring them to account.

Therefore, these words do not mean that all of them want to destroy the religion and betray the Somali Jihaad.

However, sometimes unmindful people require a harsh reminder to wake them from their deep sleep......

Abu Mansoor al-Amriki

The Rest @ Prisoner of Joy