NEFA Foundation: Shabaab al-Mujahideen Declares Formation of the "Al-Quds Brigade"
By Evan Kohlmann
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a communiqué from Shabaab al-Mujahideen declaring the formation of the "Al-Quds Brigade." According to the statement, on October 30, 2009, “Hundreds of thousands of citizens in the Islamic districts in [the] south and middle of Somalia…came out [to the streets]…in solidarity with their brothers in occupied Palestine and as a condemnation of the crimes of the hated Jews." The communiqué continued, “Several of the leaders of The Mujahideen Youth Movement took part in it, among them Sheikh Mukhtar Rubu Ali Abu Mansour, Sheikh Fuad Muhammad Khalaf, Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Muhammad, Sheikh Ali Muhammad Hussein and Sheikh Mahed Omar/Amar Abed Al-Karim. In addition, there were several dignitaries and tribal leaders. The leadership of the movement declared the establishment of a special unit whose name is Al-Quds Brigade, and whose goal is to free the Islamic holy places. The unit has shown a very strong military parade and was supplied with different types of weapons as a welcome to the participants." Shabaab noted, “it is time for conducting an open battle with the oppressing Zionist entity as well as targeting its interests, especially in the Black Continent."
An English translation of the Shabaab communique can be accessed via the NEFA Foundation website.
