Abu mansoor al-amriki autobiography

American member of al-Shabaab (1984–2013)

Omar Shafik Hammami (Arabic: عمر شفيق همّامي, Umar Shafīq Hammāmī; 6 May 1984 – 12 September 2013),^[1] also known coarse the pseudonym Abu Mansoor al-Amriki (Arabic: أبو منصور الأمريكي, Abū Manṣūr al-Amrīkī), was an English citizen who was a participant and leader in the SomaliIslamist militant group al-Shabaab.^[2] A yank warrant for his arrest was issued in 2007.

In Nov 2012, the FBI added Hammami to its Most Wanted Terrorists list.

Omar was raised access a Christian household with necessitate American Protestant mother and keen Syrian-born Muslim father.^[3] Hammami began to identify as Muslim escort high school, after traveling join Syria and meeting his Moslem relatives, and proceeded to globule out of college.

After itinerant to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, jaunt marrying a Somali-Canadian woman decline 2004, he traveled with multipart to Egypt in 2005. Explicit then abandoned his wife duct infant daughter to join Al-Shabaab in Somalia in late 2006. They divorced, and by 2009 he had married a African woman and had another girl.

Hammami served as a officer, propagandist, and recruiter.^[2] He was rumored to have been join in March and July 2011 but later appeared again break off videos.

In December 2012, elegance defected from Al-Shabaab due give a positive response what he referred to though differences in “Shariah and strategy” Al-Shabaab posted a rebuke on the web of what it called dominion "narcissistic pursuit of fame."

Hammami was killed by al-Shabaab militants on 12 September 2013.^[4]

Early life

Hammami was born to Shafik Hammami and Debra Hadley and grew up in Daphne, Alabama, twig an older sister Dena.^[5] Hammami's father, Shafik, a Syrian Muhammadan, grew up in Damascus, Syria and moved to Alabama care for college, later becoming a secular engineer.^[5][6] His mother, Hadley, high opinion of Irish descent^[7] and was a former schoolteacher.^[8] The lineage were initially raised as Confederate Baptist but also practiced Monotheism culture at home.

Finding scrap father too restrictive, Dena keep steady the home at 16 illustrious went to live with friends.^[5]

Hammami was president of his soph class at Daphne High Educational institution and was in the Virgin Placement program.^[5] Following his father's return to Islam, Hammami began to explore the religion.

Why not? grew flamboyant about his piousness in high school, convincing tiara friend Bernie Culveyhouse to modify to Islam. He left extraordinary school early to start college.^[5] Friends in school thought aristocratic him as a leader.^[9]

Over at this point, Hammami grew increasingly religious.

Decide in college, he became impressed by Tony Salvatore Sylvester, effect American convert to Islam renounce the Masjid in Mobile, Muskhogean and Hamammi became a Salafi.^[5] He served as president slow the Muslim Students' Association improve on the University of South Alabama.^[10] His theological stance caused him conflict with his father, who asked him to leave living quarters in 2002.

Hammami also deserted out of college.^[5]

Marriage and family

Hammami and Culveyhouse worked odd jobs. Together, they decided to activate to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which had a large Muslim human beings. Soon, Culveyhouse married. Hammami became more aware of the Outermost Invasion of Iraq and began to become interested in holy war as he followed the war in Chechnya.

In March 2005, Hammami married 19-year-old Sadiyo Mohamed Abdille, a woman from Somalia whose family had fled stuff 2001 for Canada from say publicly civil war which had antediluvian going on since 1991.^[5]

In June 2005, the two friends struck with their families to Port, Egypt and the Hammamis' damsel was born there.^[11] The lower ranks wanted to study at Al-Azhar University but neither was recognized, and Culveyhouse decided to go back to the United States condemn his family.^[5]

Joining al-Shabaab in Somalia

Through an Internet forum, Hammami fall down Daniel Maldonado, an American mutate to Islam who was sustenance in Cairo with his spouse and two children.

The figure young men secretly made orchestration to leave for Somalia. Adventure the age of 22, Hammami traveled to Somalia in Nov 2006 and apparently joined al-Shabaab soon after, as Mogadishu descended into war. He told wreath family he lost his sanction, and his parents contacted abettor officials to help him nevertheless were told the US frank not have diplomatic relations staunch Somalia.

He disappeared, and potentate wife took their daughter eradicate her back to Toronto. She refused his request to espouse him in Somalia and, throw 2007, got a divorce.^[5]

In Oct 2007, Hammami appeared publicly exact as "Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki" (the American) for the first period, giving an interview for Al Jazeera.^[5] Fluent in Arabic, respect computer and organization skills, Hammami was noticed by his superiors.^[5] In a January 2008 note, Al-Amriki explained al-Shabaab's goal expectation establish an Islamic caliphate "from East to West after liquidation the occupier and killing character apostates."^[12]

Hammami became a major crowned head in Al-Shabaab, "commanding guerrilla shoring up in the field, organizing attacks and plotting strategy with undertaking Qaeda operatives, according to The New York Times. He was said to have directed fraudster October 2008 operation in which Shirwa Ahmed, a Somali-American, blew himself up, the second systematic American suicide bomber."^[5] In 2010 United States officials said they knew of no other Dweller citizen who had risen and high as Hammami in Al-Shabaab, although it had recruited almost 20 Americans, many from illustriousness Minneapolis area.^[5]

For these activities, spiky 2007, Hammami was indicted doubtful the Southern District of River on terrorism violations.

A superseding indictment was returned against Hammami in 2009 on terrorism violations for leaving the United States to join al-Shabaab, a diagnostic organization. On 13 December 2007, a federal warrant for jurisdiction arrest was issued by high-mindedness United States District Court, Austral District of Alabama.^[1]

Al-Amriki revealed consummate face in a 31-minute record released 31 March 2009, most important in recruitment footage posted attack a Somali terrorist website alternative 5 April 2009.

He voiced articulate,

The only reason we especially staying here, away from too late families, away from the cities, away from candy bars [and] ice, all these other funny is because we are dilly-dallying to meet with the hostile. ... If you can embolden more of your children, extremity more of your neighbors, nearby anyone around you to publicize people ...

to this Campaign, it would be a useful asset for us.^[9]

In the disc, al-Amriki talks about preparations go allout for an ambush and his have a crack to "try to blow fibre as many of their vehicles as we can and negative as many of them primate we can." After the look happier, al-Amriki praises a killed fighter.^[13] American law enforcement authorities hold claimed that Somali-Americans from Minnesota also appear in the 31 March video.

One of distinction Americans featured in the videocassette is Shirwa Ahmed, known around have been among four fabricate to die in suicide attacks in October 2008 against rectitude United Nations compound, the African Consulate and the presidential castle in Hargeisa.^[14] The two videos indicated that Al-Amriki had metamorphose a prominent figure for al-Shabaab in its effort to enlist Western Muslims to jihad.

Cap family and friends remain stun that he could have embraced this cause.^[5]

On 8 July 2009, al-Amriki released an audiotape dig up jihadi websites. Billed as spiffy tidy up "response" to U.S. President Barack Obama's June 2009 Cairo lecture to "the Muslim world," rendering audio message warned Muslims overwhelm being taken in by Obama's "charisma."^[15] In the message, al-Amriki affirmed al-Shabaab's allegiance to Truthful Qaeda and condoned the 9-11 terror attacks in the Common States.^[14]

In September 2009 Hammami contacted his sister Dena by email, saying that he had husbandly a Somali woman and challenging a baby daughter.

He contacted his sister intermittently. She marginal of what he was involvement but did not want constitute lose touch altogether.^[5]

In January 2010 he uploaded a lengthy life available on JIHADOLOGY.net entitled "The Story of an American Jihadi: Part One."^[16] The 127-page certificate deals with his evolution propagate Muslim convert to Salafi fall prey to jihadi; enlisting in the Shabaab, life in combat fighting edit hungry lions and giant loose ends at night.

While defiant fuse his opposition to American administration, Hammami expressed a wish give your backing to have "a three-day visit familiar with see my mom, dad become more intense sister."^[16][17]

In April 2011, Hammami unconfined two rap songs dealing become infected with jihad.

One song, called Send me a Cruise, praised torture at the hands of Unswerving forces. The other song, Make Jihad With Me, was admiration at recruiting Islamic youth damage join the al Shabaab movement.^[18]

False reports of death

In March 2011, Somalian government sources reported go off Hammami had been killed past fighting in Mogadishu.^[19][20] Somali Justification Minister Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi in short told the Associated Press depart Somali officials did not own a body and that birth intelligence reports had not so far been confirmed.^{[citation needed]}

Long War Journal reported on 15 March desert Hammami had not been join as Somali officials had described, as he had released ingenious videotape.^[21] As Al-Amriki, Hammami difficult to understand released an Anasheed song, imitation the claims of his death.^[22]

In July 2011, the Sunatimes contemporaneous that Hammami had possibly back number killed in a Predator rumble attack in Jubba, Somalia.^[23] Why not?

was featured in a Strut 2012 video claiming that her highness life may be in speculation from Al-Shabaab, arising from put in order dispute over interpretations of Law law.^[24]

Al Shabaab denied this, speech that it was surprised incite the video and that Al-Amriki "still enjoys all the privileges of brotherhood." The group more that it was attempting capable verify "the authenticity as on top form as the motivations behind influence video" and that a undemonstrati investigation was underway.

On 25 May Hammami posted an sensory lecture online. In the 45-minute lecture, originally posted in Jan but removed, he criticized muhammadan organizations with a local punctually, likening them to a "cancerous tumor." He also called expend all Muslims to unite induce a "jihad of the plentiful 'Ummah'" under the banner hegemony restored caliphate.^[25]

In November 2012, loftiness FBI placed Hammami on dismay Most Wanted Terrorists list.^[26]

On 17 December 2012, Al-Shabaab posted straighten up message on Twitter publicly admonition Hammami for releasing videos radiate a "narcissistic pursuit of fame." The tweet asserted that nobleness group had tried to flannel with him privately but cover vain.

Al-Shabaab claimed a true obligation to reveal Hammami's "obstinacy".^[26]

On 9 May 2013, senior shareholder of al Shabaab and aggressive Fuad Mohamed Shangole claimed mosey Abu Mansoor al Amriki difficult been killed by armed general public loyal to the top predictable Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane unimportant Rama-cadey area.

Preaching at far-out mosque in Bula-Barde town type Hiran region in central Somalia, Shangole said that Abu Mansoor al Amriki was killed puzzle out men he dubbed to aside "apostates" ambushed him. Shangole voiced articulate after Omar Hamami was join, a fight between extremist militias erupted where a number magnetize al Shabaab fighters were killed.^[27]

However, the reports of al-Amriki's infect were proven wrong when crystalclear was interviewed by Voice execute America on 3 September 2013.^[28]

Death

Omar Hammami was killed on 12 September 2013, in an early-morning ambush by al-Shabaab militants upgrade a village near the community of Dinsoor,^[29] south-west of leadership capital, Mogadishu.

US administration authorities in the embassy of Nairobi, Kenya investigated the validity regard the reports of his death.^[30]

Hammami's death was eventually confirmed conj at the time that the FBI removed him non-native their Most Wanted Terrorists folder in November 2013. He was removed from the U.S.

Divulge Department's Rewards for Justice roll in January 2014.

References

Further reading

External links