The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On October 28, 2023, Al-Kataib, the media arm of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Al-Shabab, released a video in English titled: "They Attained No Good."[1] The film is subtitled: "Black Hawk Down – 30 Years After the American Defeat in Somalia." The film addresses the 1993 clashes between Somali insurgents and U.S. forces in Somalia, which included the downing of three American Black hawk helicopters[2].
The 1-hour 8-minute documentary-style video is narrated in English and features current and late leaders recounting the jihad against the United States in Somalia, the role of Al-Qaeda in initiating an insurgency against U.S. troops in 1993, and a reiteration of Al-Qaeda threats to the U.S. over its support for Israel.
The following are details about the video, accompanied by video screenshots:
Dispatch Of U.S. Troops Part Of "An International Crusade Against Muslims"
The video opens with scenes documenting the initial arrival of U.S. troops on Somali shores. A narrator describes the 1992 dispatch of U.S. forces to Somalia as part of the "coalition of unbelievers' invasion and occupation of Somalia," making Somalia the fourth country to be invaded by the United States in one decade. The narrator described the military effort as an "international Crusade against Muslims."
Mainstream media segments follow showing President George H. W. Bush telling U.S. troops they are doing "God's work," as well as remarks by U.S. lawmakers praising the effort as advancing U.S. interests and defending democracy.
The video then shows Shaykh Hassan Ya'qub Ali, senior religious official and member of the group's leadership council, saying that the invasion of Somalia was part of a series of Crusades intending to occupy Muslim lands, accusing the U.S. of invading Lebanon and Iraq, establishing a military presence in the Muslims' "holy land" of Saudi Arabia, and involved in the "genocide" against Muslims in Bosnia.
The narrator went on to claim that in addition to the "Christian and neo-colonial" agenda of the United States, "American greed and geopolitical interests were also at the heart of its invasion," driven by Somalia's strategic location near busy trade routes and the abundance of its untapped resources.
The Catalyst Somali People Needed To Counter U.S. Troops "Would Be None Other Than The Mujahideen"
The video then documents what it calls U.S. "crimes," which it said the Somalis resisted with their "firm stance against America's tyranny," as well as their rejection of the "occupation by the Crusaders."
The narrator states: "The Somali people lacked cohesion. They needed a catalyst to inspire them and spearhead their resistance against the American Crusaders. They needed a dedicated leadership to embolden the general population and engage the Crusaders head on, revealing to them and to the world the ineffectiveness of the American killing machine and the cowardice of the American soldier on the battlefield... This catalyst would be none other than the mujahideen. At the head of them was the brave warrior Shaykh Abdullah Ahmad Sahal." The narrator continued, praising the birth of an anti-American resistance in Somalia led by Shaykh Sahl, which later inspired the jihadi group Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen.
Remembering Early Jihadi Activity In Mogadishu
The video went on to show current senior leaders Shaykh Abdurahman Mahad Warsame and Shaykh Hassan Ya'qub Ali praising prominent jihadi leaders Hasan Turki, Shaykh Abdullah Ahmad Sahal, and Shaykh Sharif Abdinur, among others, for spearheading jihad against U.S. troops, and describing "enthusiastically" the very early ambushes and attacks against U.S personnel and equipment using IEDs.
Al-Qaeda "Instrumental In The Outcome Of War Against The Americans"
The narrator then highlights the beginning of Al-Qaeda's support for the Somali mujahideen. In an act of solidarity and in response to Allah's command to come to the help of the oppressed, Osama bin Laden sent out a team of mujahideen to support the Muslims of Somalia in their war against the American Crusaders.
Commander Warsame praised the role of Al-Qaeda, calling its fighters "individuals who really understood the enemy" and who "correctly predicted that Somalia would eventually be invaded," including Shaykh Abu Muhammad Al-Masri, then Al-Qaeda's director of training camps, whom the video caption confirmed is dead, appending his name with the expression "may Allah have mercy on him." Warsame named Shaykh Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin, Shaykh Abu Al-Hassan Al-Saidi, and Yusuf Al-'Urayri, as well as a doctor he did not name.
He continued: "The brothers from Al-Qaeda, ten in total, played a significant role in directing the jihad against the Americans and were instrumental in the outcome of the war. Everyone on the ground acknowledged the efforts of the brothers from Al-Qaeda. The brothers used to physically take part in the battles at night, but we used to keep them hidden from the public during the day. Their tactical advice and battle plans, however, were instrumental in every aspect of the fight against the Americans."
Battle Of Mogadishu: "One Of The Hallmark Victories In Modern Islamic History"
The video then shows still images and scenes of crashed helicopters, Black Hawk pilot Micheal Durant in captivity, and remarks by U.S. officials calling for the withdrawal of troops from Somalia.
"The battle of Mogadishu and American defeat in Somalia has become one of the hallmark victories in modern Islamic history. A symbol of pride for the Muslims to be celebrated and remembered for generations to come," says the narrator as the video continues to show testimony of U.S. soldiers who served in Somalia.
The America Of 1993 Is The Same As That Of Today
The video shows Shaykh Hassan Ya'qub saying: "It is important for the people of Somalia to ask themselves what difference there is between Jonathan Howe, the commander of the American Crusaders in 1993, and [AFRICOM commander] Michael Langley, the leader of the American Crusaders today?"
He continues: "What is the difference between the Americans who massacred you yesterday and killed more than 13,000 people in Somalia and the Americans who are indiscriminately bombing and killing defenseless civilians today? It is important for the people of Somalia to know there is no difference between the America of yesterday and the one of today. Both of them are Crusaders united in their enmity. Both have the same leadership and hostile policy toward the Islamic world."
The video went on to document recent attacks against U.S. interests in the region, praising the perpetrators of the 2019 attack against the U.S. training camp at the Somali airfield of Baledoogle, and the 2020 attack on Manda Bay Airfield.
Palestinians Killed By Israel Will Be Avenged With The Blood Of Americans
At the end, the video features excerpts from an archival address by Osama bin Laden threatening to continue to target the U.S. for supporting Israel, as still images show the aftermath of the explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023: "Now that we are counting our martyrs, particularly those in Palestine, who have been killed by the hands of your allies, the Jews, we will take revenge for them with your blood just like the attack of 9/11 in New York."
The video closes with Al-Qaeda's slogan: "Oh Al-Aqsa, we are coming."
The full text of this post is available to subscribers.
Please login or register to request subscription information from MEMRI
