Kampala bombers wanted to first hit soccer fans in SA

According to media and intelligence reports compiled in South Africa in the period September 2009 to June 2010, al-shabaab together with her North African affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, threatened to attack the World Cup, through video and telephone conversations.

The Weekend Argus newspaper reported that the US government had closed its embassy in Pretoria and all other US government facilities in South Africa for two days in September 2009, after intelligence agencies intercepted a telephone conversation made between a Somali businessman in Khayelitsha Cape Town discussing with al-Shabaab in Somalia a plot to blow up American interests in South Africa.

Intercepted conversations
The Argus newspaper claimed that part of the intercepted conversations was on how America was stronger elsewhere but could be vulnerable in South Africa.

The newspaper said the impending attack would be in retaliation for the US military killing of an al-Shabaab commander in southern Somalia.
In 2009 American Commandos killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a 30-year old Kenyan who was one of the commanders of al-shabaab.

Nabhan, who was wanted for a series of terrorist attacks in East Africa, was shot from a fleet of helicopter gunships as he traveled in a convoy near Barawe. “We knew several months earlier that terrorists were planning to attack the soccer World Cup. We knew of their plans even before they posted their threatening video on the internet,” a highly-placed security source in South Africa’s secret services revealed to Saturday Monitor in an exclusive interview. “So we deployed heavily and also worked closely with international security agencies, which made it impossible for terrorists to strike.’’

Kampala link
The source said after al-Qaeda failed to attack the World Cup in South Africa, they opted to attack Uganda, a country the international terror outfit considers to be an enemy because of its participation in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Uganda and Burundi are the only African countries that contributed peacekeeping troops in Somalia. “It was very difficult for al-Qaeda to strike in South Africa because we had known their plans earlier and increased our security, so they opted to attack Uganda,” said the source.

On July 11, terrorists bombed two venues in Kampala where revellers were watching the World Cup final, killing over 70 people and injuring several others. Al-shabaab, the Somali ally of al-Qaeda, which also has cells in South Africa, claimed responsibility for the deadly explosions.

Meanwhile, an expert at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies told Saturday Monitor that al-shabaab terrorists had wanted to attack the US in South Africa because it was easier compared to fighting the superpower in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia. He said threats made by al-shabaab should always be taken seriously because the terror outfit always executes on its threats.

Last year, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, posted a threatening video message on a radical website Mushtaqun Lel Jannah (Longing for Paradise) warning that al-Qaeda would target football teams of the United States of America and Britain during the soccer World Cup.

After these media reports security was beefed up in the country and some Somali-run charitable organisations suspected to be funding and recruiting fighters for al-shabaab in South Africa were put under close scrutiny.
“We are still investigating activities of some Somali charitable organisations, which we are told have been recruiting and fundraising money for al-shabaab,’’ a secret service security source told Saturday Monitor in an exclusive interview. South Africa is a home to at least 50,000 Somali refugees, with the majority involved in informal businesses.

Despite the Somali community being the most flourishing migrant community in South Africa, they are still divided along politics and clan rivalry.
Amir Shiekh, secretary general of the Somali Community Board of South Africa (SCOB), said his organisation was willing to support both the South African and Ugandan Governments with any information regarding terror or suspicious activity.

“As a community, we shall not shield or protect any member with evil motives. We are willing to assist the Uganda, South Africa or any other governments with the necessary information at our disposal,” Amir said in an interview in Cape Town last week.

Source:Dailymonitor