Rep. Ilhan Omar has publicly declared her support for a notorious organization known for its terrorist leadership and financing of terrorism. But it almost went unnoticed, until the tweet was brought to my attention.
On the 26th of August, Rep. Ilhan Omar made the following tweet:
Somali government and peacekeeping forces, need to protect @Hormuud and the Somali telecom industry as they make enormous contribution to the economy and provide vital services.
During my visit to Somalia in 2011, I was surprised by the quick evolution of technology in Somalia. https://t.co/u1vAht8sUo
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 25, 2019
“Peacekeeping forces”?
Mrs. Omar has publicly called for the protection of Hormuud. Yet Hormuud Telecom has been mentioned as a sponsor of terrorism, not once, not twice, but many, many times.
What is Hormuud?
Hormuud Telecom Somalia Inc. is a private Somalian telecommunications company founded by Ahmed Nur Ali Jimale in April of 2002.
The United Nations Security Council’s Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia, dated 20 July 2009, contained the following paragraphs involving the activities of Ahmed Nur Ali Jimale, his company Hormuud and his direct support for al-Shabaab, a jihadist militant Islamic terrorist group in Somalia (pages 10-11):
“Ali Ahmed Nur Jim’ale (Jim’ale) has served in leadership roles with the former Somali Council of Islamic Courts, also known as the Somali Islamic Courts Union, which was a radical-Islamist element.The most radical elements of the Somali Islamic Courts Union eventually formed the group known as al-Shabaab.
Al-Shabaab was listed for targeted sanctions in April 2010 by the United Nations Security Council committee established pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 concerning Somalia and Eritrea (the “Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee”).
“According to the July 18, 2011 report of the Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee’s Monitoring Group (S/2011/433), Jim’ale is identified as a prominent businessman and figure in the al-Shabaabcharcoal-sugar trading cycle and benefitting from privileged relationships with al-Shabaab.”
“Jim’ale is identified as one of al-Shabaab’s chief financiers and is ideologically aligned with al-Shabaab.”
As of fall 2007, Jim’ale established a front company in Djibouti for extremist activities called the Investors Group. The short term goalof the group was, through the funding of extremist activities and weapons purchases, to destabilize Somaliland. The group assisted in smuggling small arms from Eritrea through Djibouti into the 5th region of Ethiopia where extremists received the shipment. As of mid-2008, Jim’ale continued to operate the Investors Group.
As of late September 2010, Jim’ale established ZAAD, a mobile-to-mobile money transfer business and struck a deal with al-Shabaab to make money transfers more anonymous by eliminating the need to show identification. As of late 2009, Jim’ale had a known hawala fund where he collected zakat, which was provided to al-Shabaab.
Jim’ale also controls Hormuud Telecommunications (“Hormuud”). Hormuud Telecommunications is a company identified as being one of the single largest financiers of al-Shabaab, which includes large lump sum payments to al-Shabaab in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and these payments to al-Shabaab were facilitated by Jim’ale.
Hormuud Telecommunications has provided key material and logistical support to al-Shabaab to include weapons, private fighters, and ammunition.”
Spokespersons for moderate Somali groups have warned the Somali people not to use Hormuud Telecommunications Company, because Hormuud personnel listen in on conversations for al-Shabaab.
Hormuud and Recent Bombings
A 2018 UN Security Council Report reveals that: On 14 October 2017 a large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded killing as many as 582 people. It was the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history.
“Two employees of the principal Somali telecommunications provider, Hormuud Telecom Somalia Inc., were also prosecuted in connection with the attack, for facilitating the entry of the large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device through the Sinka Dheere checkpoint on the outskirts of Mogadishu.” says the report.
Below are snapshots of the second report, which can be read here.
From Page 74 of the 2018 UN Security Council Report.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has called for the protection of an organization involved in financing and planning a series of terrorist attacks.In brief: Al-Shabab is a US Listed Terrorist Organization, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is calling for the protection of their financier and main backer, Hormuud Telecom.
Her middle name should be Stupid she is stupid
Should an ardent supporter of strict gun control in the United States be defending a group that smuggles small arms? Doesn’t that seem a little disingenuous?
That rug is getting mighty lumpy with all the stuff Democrats are sweeping under it. Only one party has members that support terrorism, supports political violence, yearns for a police state and tramples the 1st Amendment.
Hormuud Telecom Somalia has never been listed for aiding terrorists. Ahmed Nur Ali Jimale, the telecommunications company’s founder, was deleted from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Specially Designated Nationals List effective 06/30/2016. It’s debatable whether he ever should have been on it in the first place.
Shortly after 9/11, Jimale, a successful Somali banker residing in the U.S. as a refugee, was accused of moving money for Al Qaeda; he was listed, his assets were frozen, and he was deported to Somalia, all based on allegations. Evidently no evidence was ever turned up. No charges were ever filed. Most likely, nobody ever apologized, either. Perhaps all of the actions taken seemed prudent at the time, but that doesn’t make any of the accusations true.
Now they’re being used as a means to attack Ilhan Omar.
@Greg:
Oh. Like Democrats do to political opponents.
Except this group has documented support of terrorism. Do Democrats support all terrorists or just those that are connected to your Congresspeople? Or is it just anyone that hates America?