Zawahiri in Somalia?
HT Jawa: According to Terror Free Somalia al Qaeda number 2 has been seen in Somalia:
The second man of Al-Qaeda terror network Ayman Al-Zawahiri has been seen for the first time Habar Gidir stronghold Marka town 90km south of Somalia capital as quoted from officials of unnamed money transfer companies and aid agencies on Thursday.“Here in Marka, I have seen an Arab man who was heavily guarded as he was walking inside the town, with his sides we could see foreign armed men. I glimpsed him and he was Terrorist Ayman Al-Zawihiri, the man we often see on the world televisions,” one of the remittance companies said in condition of anonymity.He said all the movements in the town were halted as some of the senior officials of Al-Shabab group confirmed that the man they are hosting is Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
“I could not exactly say he was himself but most of out spoken issue was that the man seen is Al-Qaeda’s second man,” he added.“The presence of Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Marka is widely known, many people saw him but they fear for their security.
Our friends over at Terror Free Somalia got information from Waaga’s Club, but it’s in Somali. He describes the source as, “terror sympathizer HABAR-GIDIR ..news from Somalia waagacusub.own by harar-gidir own.. Shabelle media.. we call shabaab media.” The site was suspended shortly after. He believes there’s possibly some validity. It could be a high level AQ rep, not Zawahiri, considering the difficulty Zawahiri would have traveling. It could be a lot of things. I can’t find anything on Shabelle about it in English, but since Shabelle and Wagacusub tend to work hand in hand, thats not surprising. Also Shabelle regularly puts out misinformation in English.
At this point, its a rumor, but given the recent deal making between the government of Yemen and al-Qaeda, the prospect of Zawahiri visiting nearby Somalia is not as far fetched as it may initially seem. Yemen is the primary supplier of weapons to Somalia (in violation of the UN arms embargo); weapons are shipped from Yemen across the narrow Bab al Mendab Strait and the same boats bring Somali refugees to Yemen on the return trip.
After the September attack on the US embassy in Yemen, the US intercepted a communication between Ayman Zawahiri and the Iranian al Quds force leadership that referenced a deal between Yemeni President Saleh and Zawahiri. The deal was Zawahiri would send more fighters to Saleh to use in the northern Sa’ada war (against the Zaidi Shiite rebels) and in return Saleh would release imprisoned al-Qaeda operatives.
In a second deal in January, Saleh met with the contingent of Yemeni old generation co-opted al Qaeda under the leadership of Tariq al Fahdli and made a deal to use them to undermine the southern separatist movement in exchange for the release of prisoners. Saleh also gave the jihaddists funds and a free hand in the southern province of Abyan. New jihaddist training camps were also established. Then President Saleh released 102 jihaddists, of which about a third were actual al-Qaeda, the rest were local militants, thereby upholding his end of both deals.
Current news reports from Yemen indicate hundreds of jihaddists are amassing in the north in Sa’ada, Yemenis and non-Yemenis including Arabs and non-Arabs. The influx of foreign jihaddists to Sa’ada as well as the structure, training and hierarchy being imposed on them, indicates this possibly is an outcome of the communication between President Saleh and Ayman Zawahiri. Maybe Ayman will pop over from Somalia for a quick pow-pow with Ali.
Update: considering the site’s down, I posted the original below:
Mogadishu 12 March 2009 Waagacusub Media
Ku xigeenka Madaxa Ururka AlQaeda Eyman Al Dawahiri ayaa markii ugu horeeysay lagu arkay Magaalo xeebeedka Markka ee gobolka Shabeeladda hoose sida ay sheegeen Masuuliyiin muhiima oo ka tirsan Hay’adaha samafalka,Shirkadaha Isgaarsiinta iyo Xawaaladaha.Halkaan ka dhageyso Warbixin FBI-da Mareykanka By Haaruun Macruuf” Waxaa Markka yimid nin Caraba oo aad loo ilaalinayay,ninku mar uu dhex socday Magaaladda waxaa hareerahiisa gaaf wareegayay ilaalo xoogan oo dhamaantood u badan ajnabi,isheeyda ayaa mar ku dhacday,.hubaashii wuxuu ahaa Eyman Al Dawahiri,ninka aanu ka aragno telefishinada”ayuu yiri Masuul ka tirsan Shirkadaha Isgaarsiinta Markka.Halkaan ka dhageyso Shabaabka oo qaadacay go-aankii Xukumadda ku ansixisay ku dhaqanka shareecadda Islaamka
” Magaalada dhan ayaa la joojiyay dhaqdhaqaaqeeda.waxaana Saraakiisha sare ee Shabaab qaarkood noo sheegeen in ninka u martidaa uu yahay Eyman Al Dawahiri,anigu ma oran karo waa isaga laakiin runtii hadal heynta ugu badan Magaaladda waxay tahay inuu Markka joogo Al Dawahiri,ku xigeenka Ussama Bin Laden”ayuu yiri Sarkaal ka tirsan Shirkad Xawaaladeed ku taal Magaala xeebeedka Markka.
Update 2: the site’s back, but I generally don’t link these types.
