Terrorism By Threat of Islamist Atrocities

"If just a handful of mujahedeen fighters could bring Kenya to a complete standstill for nearly a week, then imagine what a dedicated mujahedeen in the West could do to the American or Jewish-owned shopping centers across the world."
"What if such an attack was to occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota, or the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, or in London’s Oxford Street, or any of the hundred or so Jewish-owned Westfield shopping centers dotted right across the western world?"
Al-Shabaab spokesman, YouTube video, Somalia

The terrorist , who has a strong English accent, gave GPS co-ordinates for two London shopping centres 

"The most recent threat by al-Shabaab against malls, and more specifically against Jewish-owned institutions around the world, is another indication that global jihadi groups are increasingly focusing on Jews and Jewish institutions as a way to rally support for their cause."
Dr. Joshua Gleis, president, Gleis Security Consulting 


"And we know that the three largest concentrations of Somali communities in Canada are in Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto. We also know that we have some Somali youth who appear to have disappeared from Edmonton and joined up with al-Shabaab."
"They're in competition with ISIS and with al-Qaeda for air time. And I think the primary purpose here is for them to get air time in the media, to show that they, too, are a group that requires attention by the West and that they, too, need to be taken seriously, as to their particular demands."
Christian Leuprecht, security expert, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Queen's University

"The Jews are spread out throughout the world, and the Jews’ properties are spread everywhere. In light of this, the Muslims must attack the Jews and their properties in every place, and they must pray for their brothers in Gaza."
Ali Dhere, spokesman, al-Shabaab, Barawa mosque, Somalia, July 2014

Al-Shabaab must be feeling ignored. All attention has been focused on the Islamic State in Syria, Iraq and Libya, on Boko Haram in Nigeria, ignoring the Somali terror group's own exploits in terrorism. So they have issued notice to the world that they too are actively and continuously engaged in the Islamist business of violence and mayhem. Having caught international headlines back in 2013, they are clearly pining for a refocus. What they managed to pull off in killing 63 and wounding 175 at Kenya's Westgate Mall, they now threaten to repeat internationally.

The unifying principle being the Islamist focus on Jews, and the Jewish owners of places where great numbers of people tend to congregate. And nowhere do large numbers of people come together more frequently and loyally than in shopping districts, and more particularly modern versions of the traditional old bazaars where people brought their wares and shoppers chose from among those that most appealed to their need to acquire food and durable goods. That the owners of some of the largest malls happen to be Jews from Iran, and Iran is the sponsor of terrorists can be lost on no one.

A lengthy propaganda video where al-Shabaab congratulated itself on its daring exploits in mass slaughter contained a message for the West that large shopping malls owned by Jewish interests were in their cross-hairs, consolidating the earlier evidence that attacks on Jewish targets are anything but random, as suggested by President Obama's interpretation of the Paris Kosher supermarket attack and the Belgian synagogue attack. Kenya's Westgate Mall atrocity was merely the beginning, they promise in a more extensively ambitious blueprint for Islamist vengeance on Jewish interests.

Malls in the U.S. and Canada were identified as well as two in Paris. The Mall of America, one of the named prospective targets is owned by an Iranian-Jewish family, just as the West Edmonton Mall is, and both Minneapolis where the Mall of America is located, and Edmonton, have large Somali immigrant populations. CNN has noted that al-Shabaab has succeeded in recruiting to their jihadi cause from among the Minneapolis Somalis. 

"This latest statement from al-Shabaab reflects the new phase we've evolved to in the global terrorist threat, in that you have groups such as al-Shabaab and ISIL publicly calling for independent actors in their homelands to carry out attacks", noted U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, advising people planning to go to the mall to be particularly careful. Al-Shabaab will note that advice with particular satisfaction.


As for Edmonton; Staff Sergeant Brent Meyer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that "there is no evidence at this time of any specific or imminent threat to Canadians. West Edmonton Mall has implemented extra security precautions; some may be noticeable to guests, and others won’t be".


In 2012, Kenyan sup­port­ers of al-Shabaab pub­lished a pre­dom­i­nantly Swahili-language online       ter­rorist mag­a­zine, Gaidi Mtaani ["Terrorism Street"] fea­turing arti­cles describing Jews as "the worst enemy of Islam". The magazine wrote of "the Zionist with their American partners" conducting "crusade" in Somalia. The Kenyan president came under special fire for having travelled to Israel to urge Israel's cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, according to the Jewish group the Anti-Defamation League.

CBC

"This was a very general comment ... it wasn’t a specific threat. [Edmonton police have a] very good working relationship [with the mall]."
"I would dare say they [West Edmonton Mall] have one of the best systems that I’ve seen."
Brian Simpson, deputy chief, Edmonton Police Service

And, needless to add, through the threat of Islamist jihadists giving due warning of their intentions, a good part of their plan to terrorize has been accomplished, whether or not an actual attack takes place. Prospective shoppers at all these shopping arenas, popular as they are, will now think carefully before they risk life and limb to venture out to these places in particular. Striking an economic blow against the national economy and Jewish-owned enterprises in particular.