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Somalia: Al-Shabaab out of control
[ADN Kronos] Somalia is having difficulty controlling a growing number of Al-Qaeda-linked militants inside the country, a source close to Somalian president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has told Adnkronos International (AKI). The source said that militants aligned with the hardline Islamist Al-Shabab militia, or the Young Mujahadeen, were too much for the government to handle.

"I believe that the Somalian government will be able to do something and not be defeated, but the problem is that the Al-Shabab are too many for us," he said.

The source spoke to AKI as news broke on Thursday that Al-Shabab performed double amputations on four men who reportedly admitted to several robberies.

After their conviction by an Islamic Sharia law court in the capital early this week, each man had one hand and one foot cut off with machetes as punishment for their crime before a crowd of several hundred people.

The government source said the militants were recruiting many volunteers from abroad. "They have many volunteers from other countries," said the source.
They aren't going to Iraq or Afghanistan anymore? I guess we won on both fronts. Congratulations to all who fought on the side of Good.
He said the militants are responsible for many small clashes that take place throughout the day on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu.

"Now the Young Mujahadeen and members of the Islamic party have a strong alliance even though most Al-Shabab are not happy to be commanded by Sheikh Hasan Dahir Aweys, who is willing to do anything to become the next leader of the Islamic state."

The source said there had been a mass influx of foreign volunteers invited by Al-Qaeda to the Horn of Africa to fight with the Young Mujahadeen. "In reality there are tonnes of them,
Go to Somalia in lieu of the fat farm -- it won't cost any more and the girls are prettier.
And less chance of a drone-zap. Did we mention, less chance of a drone-zap?
probably even too many for us and this is the real problem," he said.

"Young people from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many Westerners are with them, we even know that there are British and Americans with them. We do not know if there are any Italians, but at this point we cannot exclude anything."

Despite an announcement that Ethiopia and Dijbouti would not provide troops, the fragile Somalian government still hopes it will be able to defeat the Islamic militants. "It is not true when the Al-Shabab claim to be two kilometres away from Villa Somalia, the presidential palace," he said. "For weeks, they've been on the periphery, in the area past the football stadium, and have not been able to make any further advance."

Al-Shabab is an Islamic militant group, which the United States has included on the list of foreign terrorist organisations in 2008.

President Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, took office in January 2009 and introduced Sharia law to the Muslim country, but the move has failed to satisfy the hardline militants in the area.

Al-Shabab and allies have been fighting with pro-government forces since 7 May 2009.
Posted by: Fred 2009-06-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=272889