Al Qaeda Militants Handing Out Aid in Somalia
October 18, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
Al Qaeda appears to be turning to charity to win hearts and minds among famine-stricken Somalis, according to The New York Times.
In a camp outside Mogadishu run by the Somali Islamist organization al-Shabab, masked men in recent days have handed out sacks of grain marked “Al Qaeda campaign on behalf of Martyr Bin Laden. Charity relief for those affected by the drought.”
One of the men, speaking perfect American English, said they had brought donated grain, powdered milk, and dates on behalf of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
The man, identified as Abu Abdulla Almuhajir, toured the camp with al-Shabab leaders, whom he praised for their work “under extremely difficult circumstances.” Witnesses and aid workers contend the militants, who have largely banned Western relief groups in areas they control, are essentially imprisoning starving people in the camps.
