Armed Americans arrest arrest al-Qaeda suspect in Somalia: witnesses

Agence France-Presse | 3/19/03

[kattracks]

Six unidentified armed Americans have apprehended a presumed Yemeni national, suspected of having links to al-Qaeda, from a hospital in Somalia's capital and flew him out of the country.

On Tuesday the six men, accompanied by members of a Somali militia group, took the man from Kaysaney hospital. Staff named him only as Issa and said he was carrying a South African passport.

"The Americans with a Somali translator came with details of the man including his photograph and fingerprints," a nurse at Kaysaney hospital said Wednesday.

According to several sources in Mogadishu, the detained man is thought to have links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

The United States has no diplomatic representation in Somalia. The US embassy in Nairobi declined to comment on the reports.

In Nairobi, anti-terrorism unit police chief Malhew Kabetu said "there have been arrests" but declined to provide further details, or to say whether any of those arrests had taken place in Somalia.

In November last year, terrorists presumed to be linked to al-Qaeda blew up a hotel used by Israeli tourists near the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, killing 18 people -- including themselves -- and tried in vain to shoot down an Israeli passenger jet.

Sources in Mogadishu said more US agents arrived there on Tuesday.

"Those who arrested the Yemeni arrived from Nairobi a day earlier and their plane stayed overnight at Aisaley airport which is not far from the hospital," a Somali militiaman at the airport said.

"The Yemeni was then flown to Nairobi," he added.

Newspaper reports in Mogadishu said local police had a few days earlier foiled an attempt to kidnap Issa, which left the man wounded and requiring hospital treatment.

[LaGrone]

Half his life appears to have been spent as a kidnapee. What a loser. LOL

[Angelus Errare]

True, but remember that al-Qaeda's foreign legions often have Arab commanders. The late leader of the jihad in Dagestan, Amir ibn Khattab, for example, was Jordanian. That this guy is Yemeni doesn't exclude him being part of al-Itihaad.

[doug from upland]

Wow. They can run but they can't hide. We will get them anywhere in the world.

[MortMan]

darn you

Hey - Them's fightin' words...

So, 'scuse me while I whip this out!

Blazing Saddles is about to be re-released as a drama - Blazing Saddam!

[VRWCmember]

Don't have any "Issa" on my charts.

Could this be Jihad Darrel Issa, congresscritter from California?

[Coop]

Hmmm. We should check today's roll call. :-)

[zerosix]

Sounds like Tony Soprano and the boys needed to lean on some guy who got out of line.

[browardchad]

"Those who arrested the Yemeni arrived from Nairobi a day earlier and their plane stayed overnight at Aisaley airport which is not far from the hospital," a Somali militiaman at the airport said.

"The Yemeni was then flown to Nairobi," he added.

From US Warns of Missile Attacks in Nairobi

The ongoing investigations are related to last November's abortive missile attack on an Arkia Airline jet near Moi International Airport, Mombasa, which occurred simultaneously with another terror attack on the Israel-owned Paradise Hotel in Kikambala, 25 km from Mombasa, which left 15 people dead.

Early this month, the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit arrested three family members from Lamu District for questioning in connection with twin attacks in Mombasa.

The three were released after being interrogated by both FBI and Mossad agents. Family members said they had been interrogated by the security agencies over their relationship to a Mr Abdulkarim who is wanted in connection with his alleged terrorist links.

They said Mr Abdulkarim, a Yemeni national, had married into their family and stayed on Siu Island of Lamu District until January when he left, saying he was going to rejoin his family in Ethiopia.

[Straight Vermonter]

Thanks!

[Dialup Llama]

>"Police rescued him but he was wounded in the process and he went to the Kaysaney hospital, where militia of the warlord Dhere took him and handed him over to some white men, who were either Israelis or American," Mohamed said.

I suppose what Mohammed was getting at is all white guys look alike and he didn't know who they were.

[solzhenitsyn]

Courage and a new American president.

Yes, a new president has indeed made all the difference. I so love his "failures of diplomacy". It's so much better to be despised for doing the right thing than to win the praise of the cowardly and the vile.

Good to hear from you again, OldFriend. Bit of a coincidence. I happened to think of you just lately, because of a piece of music I heard on the radio. "Vespers of the Blessed Virgin", by Monteverdi. He wrote it to be performed at St. Mark's in Venice (he was maetro di cappella there). My mind drifts, and my memory does quirky things. When I heard that piece, it made me think of St. Mark's, and it called to mind something you wrote here about your trip to Venice (with your aunt, I think). It left a vivid impression on you, and you were kind enough to share it with us. Anyhow, it was a pleasant recollection when I heard that music.

[gitmogrunt]

Yes!!! This exactly the way to fight terrorists.

God Bless our Troops, special agents and Dubya!!

[OldFriend]

You have an amazing memory.

Venice will be in my heart forever. My daughter just gave me a beautiful photograph someone took in Venice recently.

Did you ever see the Absolut advert of the pigeons in St. Marks? They put tons of cracked corn in the outline of the bottle and all the pigeons flocked to the outline of the bottle.......amazing!

[eno_]

Sounds like a story-line from "The Agency".

I have heard that pretty much every guy the CIA can muster is now out in the field.

[solzhenitsyn]

No, I've never seen the Absolut advertisement (I do most of my reading on the internet these days). Enjoyed your description of it, though.

I have cherished memories of Venice, too. Don't know whether I'll ever make it back there. Hope you will, if you want to. I don't know if it would be the same if I returned now. Venice might be, but I wouldn't be. I'm older now, I've seen alot, and I don't know that I have the same capacity for wonder and awe that I had when I was a kid. Venice was like something out of a fairy tale then; maybe I should keep it that way.

[Jacob Kell]

Yeah. Didn't Al-Qaeda take part in the fighting in Mogadishu in '92-93 asgainst U.S.-U.N. forces, and if so in what capacity? Did they actually take part in the fighting themselves? Where did they come from (ALgerian, Egyptian, etc), were some of them members of already recognized terrorist groups? Any info about al-Ittihad, like what are their numbers, are they still active, where are they active. Are they still a threat?

[Angelus Errare]

"Didn't Al-Qaeda take part in the fighting in Mogadishu in '92-93 asgainst U.S.-U.N. forces, and if so in what capacity?"

Their top military commanders, Abu Ubeidah, Mohammed Atef, and Saif al-Adel all supervised the attacks on UN forces in Somalia including the battle of Mogadishu. Saif al-Adel is believed to have arrived in Mogadishu shortly after the US troops were killed to gloat over the results of the battle.

"Did they actually take part in the fighting themselves?"

Not exactly. They decided strategy and assumed command of al-Itihaad and sent its fighters to Sudan, Yemen, or Lebanon for training. Most of the central leadership in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope were mainly there in either a command or training function.

"Where did they come from (ALgerian, Egyptian, etc), were some of them members of already recognized terrorist groups?"

Most of the al-Qaeda active in Somalia were members of either the GIA, Gamaa al-Islamiyyah, or the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

I'll post more on al-Itihaad when I get the chance.

[Jacob Kell]

"Not exactly. They decided strategy and assumed command of al-Itihaad and sent its fighters to Sudan, Yemen, or Lebanon for training. Most of the central leadership in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope were mainly there in either a command or training function."

I read in Bodansky's book that at least some of the AL-Qaeda Arab "Afghans" may have personally took part in some of the fighting, such as October 3, 1993. Page 85 said that the SOmali forces were led by 'Arab "Afghans", and that "Arab mujahideen fought at the front." and "The Arab "Afghans" took an active part in the fighting, leading from the front while demonstrating their immense personal bravery." SO it is possible that some of the AL-Qaeda personnel were involved in the shoot-outs. Not all of them, of course, but some.

"Most of the al-Qaeda active in Somalia were members of either the GIA, Gamaa al-Islamiyyah, or the Egyptian Islamic Jihad."

So the majority of the Al-Qaeda were either Egyptians or ALgerians, any others?

When you get stuff on al-Ittehad, I would like to know numbers, areas of operations and areas they control. Are they still active and still in the fighting and what are their combat capabilities, arms, equipment and any foreign backing.


Muchos Gracias, Amigo.

[Jacob Kell]

By AL-Qaeda, I mean the "rank and file" or not high ranking members of the GIA, Gamaa, and Islamic Jihad who were sent.

[Jacob Kell]

I meant the lower ranking members.