05/20/10

From KVUE Houston

Homeland Security Alert: Terror suspect may be headed to Texas through Mexico

by Shern-Min Chow / 11 News

Posted on May 18, 2010 at 7:40 AM


HOUSTON -- A Homeland Security Alert is asking Houston police and Harris County Sheriff’s deputies to keep their eyes open for a potential terrorist.

The alert focuses on Mohamed Ali, a suspected member of the terrorist group Al Shabaab. It indicates he may be traveling to the U.S. through Mexico.

Al Shabaab is a terrorist group based in Somalia with links to the Somali attacks dramatized in the movie “Blackhawk Down.” A few months ago, the group announced its allegiance to Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.

“[Al Shabaab operatives] are certainly a real threat to U.S. security and an increasing threat to U.S. security,” said Rice University Baker Institute Fellow Joan Neuhaus Schaan. Schaan is an expert on Homeland Security and terrorism, and her research is reviewed by the U.S. government, military and civil authorities.

She said Al-Shabaab trains extremists and wants to turn Somalia into the next Afghanistan.

“Similar to the set up in Afghanistan in 2001 when Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden had a strong relationship with the Taliban that allowed them free reign in Afghanistan,” Neuhas Schaan said.

The route from Somalia to Texas is shorter than Americans would like to think. It goes through Mexico. Two weeks ago, a federal indictment was filed in San Antonio against a Somali citizen. It alleges Ahmed Muhammed Dhakane led a “large-scale smuggling enterprise,” moving east Africans into the U.S., including members of a terrorist group called AIAI.

“It was hundreds of individuals,” Neuhaus Schaan said, in referrence to the indictment.

The current indictment has three counts for making false statements in regard to immigration for allegedly lying about his ties to terrorist groups. The U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District indicates the investigation is ongoing.

Why would Al Shabaab come to the U.S?

“Either to recruit provide more funding or serve as operatives or sleepers for some future activity,” Neuhaus Schaan said.

It's not a melodramatic spy movie. It's reality. In 2007, former Houstonian Daniel Joseph Maldonado was brought back to Houston by the U.S Attorney in the Southern District after he was captured in Somalia reportedly training with terrorist groups.

“He had initially been on the frontlines of Al Shabaab, but when they realized he was an American, they pulled him back because they had plans for him to come back to the U.S. and recruit female suicide bombers,” said Neuhaus Schaan.

U.S. Homeland Security officials confirmed the Muhamed Ali alert, but declined to comment on it. They did not indicate that this report would jeopardize any ongoing investigation.

If authorities are right, Mohamed Ali is hardly alone and a terror network is following well-worn human smuggling routes into the Lone Star State.

“There would be a reasonable chance to have him [Mohamed Ali] coming through Houston,” Neuhaus Schaan said. “They [Al Shabaab] have been pretty busy in Texas.”

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But we can't grab a somali terrorist sneaking into the country because we might accidentally grab some mexican illegal immigrant and that would violate all of his guaranteed rights and privileges. And defending your country causes global warming, and using violence for any reason is a sign of a weak mind and a poor education. And the entire world has a right to come live in America if they want, in fact they have a moral entitlement to live in your house, so start leaving the door open for them, and stock the pantry with plenty of ethnic food.

Or maybe we can weed out all the chickenshit liberals and the illegals and find us a modern day Sam Houston to help us "Remember the Alamo" and go beat the tar out of mexico again.

For that matter, if the federal government is determined to flush the country down the drain, we don't need to go along on that ride either. Texas was an independent nation once and can be one again!