Somalia: The Al Shabaab threat and West's mistaken policies

AROWE ONLINE EDITORIAL | This is Part I of a two-part Editorial to highlight the dangers and the deceptions of Al Shabaab terrorist group.
Read Part II: Puntland stands united to prevent spread of Al Shabaab terror [Editorial] They call themselves "Al Shabaab" – an Arabic term, meaning, "The Youth." Indeed, as the saying goes, the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled is to convince the world that he does not exist.
The Al Shabaab terrorist group that feeds on the innocent blood of Somali mothers and children in Mogadishu is an "expert" at hiding its true face – quite literally. These men wrap their faces with cloths and hide behind veils in order to commit all types of atrocities and crimes against humanity, such as: the unprecedented massacre of Somali medical graduates and their families at Shamo Hotel bombing in Mogadishu in Dec. 2009, and more recently, the 2010 World Cup viewers who blown to smithereens in Kampala, Uganda.

The facelessness of deception

Somalia's youth have suffered 20-years of lawlessness, lack of education and employment opportunities, and have adopted acts of desperation to survive. The examples are many: some flee the country as refugees, at times dying on the high seas as they attempt to be smuggled into Yemen and beyond; others join pirate gangs, hoping to collect quick cash despite a cost-benefit analysis that extremely favors their loss; and most worryingly, some have joined terrorist groups who promise a salary, a wife, and long-sought "prestige" among society in areas under the terrorists' control (south-central Somalia).
A group like Al Shabaab is able to exploit these conditions expertly due to a key factor: finances. This group is led by foreign fighters – fugitives from their own native countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle Eastern nations. A steady source of income from Somali ports, airports and roads, combined with "donations" from supporters in foreign countries and governments, including the West, ensure that the Al Shabaab terrorist group continues to recruit, train and use Somali youth for their evil intentions.
Who is Al Shabaab?Read More