The federal government filed its latest trial brief in the Omer Abdi Mohamed case, alleging that in 2007 Mohamed was a key part of an al-Shabab conspiracy to recruit young Americans to fight alongside the terrorist group in repelling an Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. Not much that’s terribly new here, but I just want to point this out, from the brief:
To raise money, the group solicited donations from unsuspecting members of the Somali community under false pretenses. The defendant and his conspirators went to local malls and apartment buildings to ask for money, claiming it would be used to build a mosque or to assist with relief efforts in Somalia. In fact, the money was to pay for the airfare and travel expenses of the group of men to join in the conspiracy.
The defendant and his conspirators strove to keep the plan secret, reminding members not to discuss it with anyone outside of the conspiracy, and policing entry into the group. They decided that two individuals were too young to travel in the fall of 2007, as it would draw attention from members of the community to the trip. They challenged members of the conspiracy who had planned to travel, questioning their commitment, dedication, and knowledge of both the religion and events in Somalia, before ultimately assisting them with the trip.
Consider: If the prevailing Republican narrative, that American Muslims are largely sympathetic to extremism and most mosques serve as incubators for terrorism were actually true, none of this deception would be necessary. They would not have to lie to donors in the community, they could raise funds by informing communities of their attempt to wage jihad against Ethiopian soldiers. They wouldn’t have to worry about the community discovering the plot, as they’d have broad support.
Instead, the recruiters acted as if they assumed that disclosure would lead to capture. And that makes sense, given the number of domestic terror plots American Muslims have been involved in foiling.