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As Power of Shaboobs Recedes, Fighters Pack It In
BAIDOA, Somalia -- Bashir was a true believer, a foot soldier who recently quit after seeing too many innocents slaughtered. Ahmed deserted the Shabab because he wanted a real family, not just a bunch of heavily armed, sociopathic militants who called themselves a "family," he said. And young Nurta was a slender assassin, with a bright purple scarf and wide, seemingly innocent eyes."There is no life with them," said Nurta, who like other Shabab defectors requested that her last name not be used for fear of reprisals. Even before its leader was cut down in an American airstrike in September, the Shabab militant group in Somalia, once one of Al Qaeda's most powerful franchises, began unraveling. In the past few months, the group has been shedding territory — and fighters. Posted by: Steve White 2014-11-08 |
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