Monday, September 23, 2013

Al-Shabaab grew amid Somalia's lawlessness

(CNN) -- Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack at Kenyan mall on Saturday. Here is a Q and A that looks at this group:
What is Al-Shabaab and what are its aims?
Al-Shabaab is a Somalian group that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in March 2008. It is seeking to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, which published a backgrounder on the group in July.
The group is believed to be responsible for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers.

It has struck abroad, too. It was responsible for the July 2010 suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, that killed more than 70 people, including a U.S. citizen, as they gathered to watch a World Cup final soccer match.

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