Minnesota Somalis among 14 charged with aiding al-Shabab

Al-Shabab's logo

Minnesotans of Somali descent are among 14 people charged with providing support for the terrorist organizaiton al-Shabab in Somalia. The AP reports two indictments unsealed this morning include names of five new people charged in an ongoing investigation, bringing the total number of individuals charged here to 19. Two Rochester residents were accused of fundraising for the group, which was designated a terrorist group by the government in 2008.

“Most of the people are U.S. citizens, with some supporting the terrorist organization from the United States and others traveling to Somalia to do so,” Pete Yost of the AP reports.

Local ties to al-Shabab (also spelled al-Shabaab) have been investigated here for nearly two years, with the case focusing on around 20 young men who disappeared, apparently to go fight in Somalia. The investigation has rattled the local Somali community and brought the attention of national and international press.

Update: The Star Tribune reports that the two Minnesota women arrested this morning are naturalized citizens named Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan:

According to a grand jury indictment unsealed in Washington D.C. Thursday, Hassan and Ali communicated by telephone with members of Al-Shabab in Somalia and then worked to raise money for the group here in Minnesota.

Advertising that their fundraising was to help the poor and needy in their homeland, the women used teleconferences to make direct appeals to others to provide financial support to Al-Shabab and its work to further jihad, or holy war, investigators said.

They then allegedly transmitted funds to Somalia using several money express companies here in Minnesota.

Update: Here’s the indictment:

35421426-Somali-Mn-Indict