Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 18, 2008
On February 29, 2008,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice designated al-Shabaab (aka al-Shabab, aka
Shabaab, aka the Youth, aka Mujahidin al-Shabaab Movement, aka Mujahideen Youth
Movement, aka Mujahidin Youth Movement, aka MYM, aka Harakat Shabab
al-Mujahidin, aka Hizbul Shabaab, aka Hisb'ul Shabaab, aka al-Shabaab
al-Islamiya, aka Youth Wing, aka al Shabaab al-Islaam, aka al-Shabaab
al-Jihaad, aka the Unity of Islamic Youth) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) and as a
Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Section 1(b) of Executive Order
13224 (as amended).
The consequences of these
designations include a prohibition against the provision of material support or
resources to al-Shabaab and blocking of all property and interests in property
of the organization that are in the United States, or come within the United
States, or the control of U.S. persons. Secretary Rice took this action in
consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury.
Designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an
effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring
groups to renounce terrorism.
Al-Shabaab is a violent and
brutal extremist group with a number of individuals affiliated with al-Qaida.
Many of its senior leaders are believed to have trained and fought with
al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
Al-Shabaab has used
intimidation and violence to undermine the Somali government and threatened
civil society activists working to bring about peace through political dialogue
and reconciliation. The group scattered leaflets on the streets of Mogadishu
warning participants in last year's reconciliation conference that they
intended to bomb the conference venue. Al-Shabaab promised to shoot anyone
planning to attend the conference and to blow up delegates' cars and hotels.
Although al-Shabaab did not carry out these particular threats, the group has
claimed responsibility for shooting Deputy District Administrators, as well as
several bombings and shootings in Mogadishu targeting Ethiopian troops and
Somali government officials. Al-Shabaab's leader, Aden Hashi Ayrow, has ordered
his fighters to attack African Union (AU) troops based in Mogadishu. Ayrow has
also called for foreign fighters to join al-Shabaab in their fight in Somalia.
Given the threat that al-Shabaab poses, the designation will raise awareness of
al-Shabaab's activities and help undercut the group's ability to threaten
targets in and destabilize the Horn of Africa region.
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Released on March 18, 2008