Things Not As They Seemed?

"They realized what they were doing was wrong. They're not into that anymore. They got their lives together. I don't think they plan to come back [to Canada] but they definitely went back to university and they work so they have different plans. One of them has, I think, two kids."
"What they were doing was, any scholar that was against them they killed them. So they started assassinating scholars in the places of worship. So these young people, a lot of them, they realized this is not right, this is not what I signed up for."
"So they decided whatever happened, happened. It's a new page, new life. Let us move on and let us establish our life, and they're doing well."
Sheik Said Rageah, Toronto Abu Huraira Islamic Center

Of the estimated six young Somali men living in Canada who decided to leave their families and studies behind in Toronto for the greater attraction of joining Al-Shabab, the extremist Islamist group fighting for Islamic law in Somalia, four are dead as a result of that conflict they engaged within. Another has recently been identified as having been killed, as well. Still, there appears to be two young Canadians of Somali extraction who have survived.

They have, according to the imam, settled in the northern region of Somaliland, in its capital Hargeysa. One, said the imam, is working as a teacher of English. So why is the imam relieving himself of this information? So that it will be published and circulated. So that Canadian youth will know that the two surviving Somali-Canadians had understood that "killing innocent people, joining these terrorist groups and all this, it was wrong."

"These young people were misinformed. They never lived there. They didn't know what is happening there. They were promised that if you do this, you're doing a great sacrifice for God, come and join. I'm sure if these young people, if they had a platform where they can address a lot of young people, they would say: 'We were misinformed, stay where you are and take care of your families", explained Mr. Rageah.

A plea to allow for the two remaining young men to return? So that, having realized the error of having joined an outlawed jihadi group whose surpassing cruelty has been responsible for the misery, starvation, ill-health and death of thousands of Somalis all would be forgiven, return? And wishing to make amends, to come back to Canada, there need be no concern that they would return to bring with them their knowledge of jihadi methods and apply them here.

They would instead, most certainly, instruct others of the misery that awaits them. The concerns of CSIS and the RCMP with respect to these possibilities are, quite simply, incorrect. Or, they are not.

Voice of America reported that Abu Mansour Al-Amriki, known also as Omar Hammami, 29, wanted by the FBI on terror-related charges with a $5-million reward for information leading to his capture and conviction had died despite having left Al-Shabab, because of a dispute with them. He left Toronto for Somalia in 2005, posting videos and rap songs encouraging young Somalis in the West to join Al-Shabab.

The Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre has the names of roughly 20 Somali Canadians who have travelled to Somalia to join Al-Shabab. And they have additional information, that a "martyrdom message" by a Shabab member from the U.S. had incited attacks to take place in Canada.
Caution can be its own reward.