Minnesotans charged as Somali terrorists

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges against eight Somali men in Minnesota allegedly tied to the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab terrorist organization.

Offenses announced by the Justice Department against the eight men include financial support and recruitment for al-Shabaab.

"The recruitment of young people from Minneapolis and other U.S. communities to fight for extremists in Somalia has been the focus of intense investigation for many months," said Assistant Attorney General David Kris.

Court documents state that between September 2007 and October 2007 as many as 20 men traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia to attend terrorist training camps run by al-Shabaab.

The Justice Department said many of them fought for al-Shabaab against Ethiopian and African troops. One, Shirwa Ahmed, was a suicide bomber in an October 2008 attack in northern Somalia.

Abdiweli Yassin Isse, one of the men listed in the complaint, is charged with encouraging others to travel to Somalia to fight a "jihad" against Ethiopian forces. A separate charge relates to financial assistance for al-Shabaab, which Isse raised by convincing people he was raising money for Koranic studies in Saudi Arabia.

Others named in the filing are charged with providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations and conspiracy to kill or otherwise harm people outside the United States.

"Those tempted to fight on behalf of or provide support to any designated terrorist group should know they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones.