US puts bounties on top Al Shabab leaders

Seven of Somalia’s most senior Islamist commanders were for the first time Thursday added to the State Department’s list of terrorists with multi-million dollar bounties on their heads.

A total of $33 million could be paid out for information leading to the capture of the men, all members of the country’s Al Shabab terror group, which is linked to Al Qaeda. 

They will join Al Qaeda’s overall commander, Ayman Al Zawahiri, Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and Hizbullah cell members on the list of people wanted under the US Rewards for Justice program. 

Thursday’s move to add Somali terror suspects to the list was “politically symbolic” but would not “lead to their imminent capture,” says J. Peter Pham, director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center at theAtlantic Council in Washington. It has already paid out more than $100 million to 70 different people who have provided tip-offs that led the US to locate key enemies, including Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Qusay. 

“You generally can’t draw a direct causal link between large awards being offered through the Rewards for Justice program and senior terrorist figures being apprehended,” he says. 

“It has been helpful at finding lower level people, but in the Somali context it is a politically symbolic move that puts these men beyond the pale and in a special category where there can be no soft landing for them in the future.” 

Who's on the list?

The list includes Al Shabab’s founder, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, also known as Ahmad Abdi Godane or Mukhtar Ali Zubeyr, for whom the largest reward of up to $7 million is offered.  

His formal announcement linking Al Shabab to Al Qaeda in February is thought to have helped prompt Thursday’s announcement. 

Up to $5 million is also offered for each of his associates, Ibrahim Haji Jama, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, and Mukhtar Robow, and up to $3 million for Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi and Abdullahi Yare.

“Al Shabab’s terrorist activities pose a threat to the stability of East Africa and to the national security interests of the United States, and the seven individuals named…are [its] key leaders,” the State Department said in a statement. 

Could it backfire?

There were concerns, however, that including some of the names could backfire and destroy chances of senior Al Shabab commanders agreeing to peace talks with Somalia’sTransitional Federal Government (TFG). 

“What’s interesting is who’s in and who’s out,” says Abdirashid Hashi, Horn of Africaanalyst for the International Crisis Group in Nairobi, Kenya. 

“Mukhtar Robow was previously seen as a moderate, but he’s there with money on his head and any suggestion that he might agree to talks with the government is now very unlikely. More likely he’ll run for his life.” 

Both Dr. Pham and Mr. Hashi agreed that Thursday’s announcement would increase already growing pressure on Al Shabab. 

Under sustained assault from Kenyan military forces, African Union peacekeepers, and Somali government troops it has recently lost key towns. 

There were reports Wednesday that Al Shabab commanders were also fleeing Kismayo, the group’s last major urban stronghold, although Islamist leaders denied this.

minnpost

First Made In Nigeria Warship Launched, Nigeria Battle Ready, Pirates In Trouble

"Proudly Nigerian" does not just apply to the people of Nigeria - the African giant is now building its own warships.

After nearly five years in the making, the Nigerian navy ship or NNS Andoni was launched with a colourful event.

At 31m (100ft) long, this is no giant of the seas, but the fact that it was designed and built in Nigeria, by Nigerian engineers, is a great source of pride.

"We are all happy and elated," said Commodore SI Alade, one of Nigeria's senior naval officers.

"This is the first time this kind of thing is happening in Nigeria and even in the sub region."

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With a speed of up to 25 knots (46km/h), this can quickly go to intercept the pirates ”

Commanding Officer Adepegba

Moments after stepping on board NNS Andoni, sailor FL Badmus said: "I feel on top of the world.

"I'm proud to have been picked by the naval authorities to serve on this ship.

"We hope this is the beginning of very good things to come and we thank God for it."

The warship was named after the Andoni people of south-eastern Nigeria - and several chiefs travelled to Lagos to witness the launch - including his Royal Highness NL Ayuwu Iraron Ede-Obolo II, wearing a top hat, a sequin-adorned velvet gown and a brightly coloured necklace.

The ceremony also featured multi-faith prayers, with an imam asking God to "protect and preserve this ship from the dangers of the day and the violence of the enemy", and a Christian praying: "May she sail with success like the Ark of Noah."

The event had an interesting twist of symbolism for the guest of honour, Nigeria's leader, Goodluck Jonathan.

Anti-pirate ship

Named after the Andoni, their chiefs were some of the guests of honour at the ship's launch

He is from a family of canoe makers - and that he is now the president launching a warship is a sign of how far he has risen.

"This is the beginning of the transformation... and I believe in another 10 to 15 years, we can be thinking about starting a project to take Nigerians into the air," President Jonathan said.

The NNS Andoni could be key in the fight against militants operating near Nigeria's oil fields as well as the growing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Piracy in Nigerian waters is on the increase and incidents are happening over a wider area, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

There were 10 piracy attacks off the 780km (485 miles) of Nigeria's coastline during the first quarter this year - the same number reported for the whole of 2011.

"While the number of reported incidents in Nigeria is still less than Somalia… the level of violence against crew is dangerously high," according to a recent IMB report.

The NNS Andoni is equipped with an advanced radar system and firepower.

"With a speed of up to 25 knots (46km/h), this can quickly go to intercept the pirates," said Commanding Officer Adepegba standing on the bridge pointing out the ship's three machine guns and the automatic grenade launcher.

Foreign orders

The Nigerian navy reportedly wants to acquire 49 more vessels over the next 10 years. But how many will be home built?

Orders are already in - for three from a French shipbuilder, and six from Singapore.

The NNS Thunder was donated by the US - but its monthly fuel bill is huge

President Jonathan recently approved the acquisition of two large patrol vessels from China Shipbuilding and Offshore International, a mainly state-owned company.

In an effort to boost local industry, one of the Chinese vessels is meant to be 70% built in Nigeria.

NNS Andoni was dwarfed when a 105m-long frigate steamed past during the ceremony - with all the officers cheering on deck.

NNS Thunder, a veteran of the Vietnam War, arrived at the beginning of the year, a gift from the US.

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Engineer Kelechi

Eyebrows were raised when it was announced that the monthly fuel bill of the 45-year-old ship would be $1m (£650,000).

When this year's navy's $450m budget was discussed at the House of Assembly in January, one senator described the donated ships as hand-outs that could become liabilities rather than assets.

There were also calls for corruption to be plugged.

"Corruption has sucked the blood out of our system. So we have to depend on hand-outs," one senator lamented.

NSS Andoni's fuel bill will certainly be lower than NNS Thunder.

'No indigenous touch'

After parading on the deck, the naval officers took photos of each other with mobile phones - clearly delighted with the new ship.

"It's a great day. It's taken over five years but it's worth it," said a smiling Kelechi, one of the engineers.

"We came up with the design, the expertise and about 60% of the materials were locally sourced. The engines, generators and navigation equipment came from outside."

Nigeria is one of Africa's biggest oil producers, but this has not so much helped as hampered the development of local industries because the country has relied so heavily on imported goods.

Sailors hope NNS Andoni will mark a bright new future for Nigeria's navy

As he launched NNS Andoni, President Jonathan lamented the decline of industries that had been strong not long after independence in 1960.

"We had Nigerian Airways, the Nigerian shipping line and a number of investments that were doing well. But because there was no indigenous touch, all these died," the president said.

"We are told that some countries that were on par with us are now building aircraft, choppers and other things," he said, adding that Nigeria had for a long time not embraced technology.

The president suggested sending the brightest students of engineering to the best universities in the world.

"Then let them come back and work in Nigeria because we cannot continue to be importing. We have a very large market and even what we consume alone is enough to support an industry."

"We have this market, we must use it," President Jonathan said - before laying the keel to mark the start of work on the second "Made in Nigeria" warship.

Will RossBBC Nigeria correspondent

U.S. Confirms strike in Pakistan killed al-Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi

A U.S. drone strike in northwest Pakistan has killed al-Qaida's second-in-command, officials from both countries confirmed Tuesday, the most significant victory so far in the controversial bombing campaign and the biggest setback to the terror network since the death of Osama bin Laden.

Abu Yahya al-Libi was considered a media-savvy, charismatic leader with religious credentials who was helping preside over the transformation of a secretive group based in Pakistan and Afghanistan into a global movement aimed at winning converts - and potential attackers - from Somalia to the Philippines.

This was not the first time the U.S. had al-Libi in its sights: He was originally captured a decade ago and held by American forces at the Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan until he escaped in 2005 in an embarrassing security breach. Soon thereafter, he began appearing in videos in which he talked about the lessons he learned while watching his captors, whom he described as cowardly, lost and alienated.

White House spokesman Jay Carney called al-Libi's death a "major blow" to the group. Carney described al-Libi as an operational leader and a "general manager" of al-Qaida. He said al-Libi had a range of experience that will be hard for al-Qaida to replicate and brings the terror network closer to its ultimate demise than ever before.

"His death is part of the degradation that has been taking place to core al-Qaida during the past several years and that degradation has depleted the ranks to such an extent that there's no clear successor," Carney said.

A U.S. official familiar with the case, who confirmed that al-Libi was killed in a drone strike, said no one left in al-Qaida comes close to replacing the expertise the group has just lost. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

The Libyan-born al-Libi, who was thought to be in his late 40s, was killed Monday morning in a village in northwestern Pakistan, a tribal area bordering Afghanistan that is home to many al-Qaida and Taliban members and their support networks.

A Pakistani intelligence official said late Tuesday that al-Libi was dead but declined to say how authorities knew this or whether they had seen his body. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified nature of the drone program.

Al-Libi, who was considered a hero in militant circles because of his escape from the American military prison, was elevated to al-Qaida's No. 2 spot when Ayman al-Zawahri replaced bin Laden. As al-Qaida's de facto general manager, he was responsible for running the group's day-to-day operations in Pakistan's tribal areas and managed outreach to al-Qaida's regional affiliates.

Al-Libi was influential and popular within al-Qaida because of his "scholarly credentials, street cred from having escaped from Bagram, charisma and his easygoing, tribal speaking style," said Jarret Brachman, a counterterrorism expert who has studied al-Libi for the past seven years.

"People may have revered Zawahri, but they loved Abu Yahya," said Brachman.

Al-Libi was the latest in the dozen-plus senior commanders removed in the clandestine U.S. war against al-Qaida since Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in a raid on May 2, 2011 on his compound in the Pakistani military town of Abbottabad - nearly a decade after 9/11.

Perhaps the most well-known al-Qaida figure killed in a drone strike before al-Libi was Anwar al-Awlaki, a prominent member of the Yemen al-Qaida offshoot who died last September.

Al-Libi's death will likely fuel arguments in favor of the U.S. drone campaign despite Pakistani objections. Coming in an election year, it may also boost the tough-on-terrorists image President Barack Obama has tried to cultivate.

"The killing of al-Libi demonstrates the increasing proficiency and skill - plus good intelligence - at work in the decade-long American war to crush al-Qaida. It makes Barack Obama the counter-terrorist in chief in leading that war," said Aaron David Miller, a former adviser to six U.S. secretaries of state and currently a senior scholar at the Wilson Center.

The use of drones has skyrocketed under the Obama administration but has dropped off recently in Pakistan, which views the program as a violation of its sovereignty. Among the Pakistani public, the drone campaign is vilified because of its perceived civilian casualties, an allegation disputed by the U.S.

An on-the-ground investigation by The Associated Press this year found that the drone strikes were killing far fewer civilians than many Pakistanis are led to believe, and that a significant majority of the dead were combatants.

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan said Islamabad had not been notified about the killing of al-Libi, and declined further comment.

Even while speculation was swirling as to whether al-Libi was alive or dead, Pakistan called Deputy U.S. Ambassador Richard Hoagland to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday to protest the drone strikes.

Members of the Pakistani government and military have supported such strikes in the past, but that cooperation has come under strain as the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated. Last November, American airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan responded by cutting off supply lines to NATO and American forces in Afghanistan and demanding that the U.S. end the drone attacks on its territory.

But the U.S. shows no such inclination. The White House maintains a list of terrorist targets to be killed or captured, compiled by the military and the CIA and ultimately approved by the president.

A recent uptick in drone strikes in the tribal areas indicates the U.S. was tracking al-Libi or had some idea that a top al-Qaida official was in the area. U.S. drones have struck seven times in recent weeks after a relative lull earlier this year.

Pakistani and Taliban officials said al-Libi was wounded in the days leading up to Monday's drone strike, although there were conflicting accounts as to where and when.

Evan Kohlmann, a senior partner a Flashpoint Global Partners which tracks radical Muslim propaganda, said the U.S. could have tracked al-Libi the same way it tracked bin Laden, through the use of couriers used to carry messages or in the case of al-Libi, carrying the video recordings that were his calling card.

AP