If there was a contest for most bloodthirsty, amoral murdering groups in the world at the moment, al-Shabab would qualify at least for the final round, along with ISIS and Boko Haram.
So it is a relief to end this blood-soaked week with a report of the Pentagon confirming that Ahmed Godane, the undisputed leader (because he killed off any contenders) of al-Shabab, was eliminated by a U.S. drone attack last week. The Somalian Prime Minister also confirmed Godane’s death.
For those who can’t keep their murderous Islamic groups straight, al-Shabab is the group that attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, slaughtering at least 67 people during a four-day siege.
“The attack at Westgate Mall was to torment the Kenyan leaders who’ve impulsively invaded [Somalia]. It was also a retribution against the Western states that supported the Kenyan invasion and are spilling the blood of innocent Muslims in order to pave the way for their mineral companies,” Godane said at the time.
Godane came on the international radar screen back in 2003, when he was believed to be responsible for the murder of a British couple who were teachers in Somaliland.
When the United States backed Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia to rid the country of the terrorist organization known as the Islamic Courts Union, Godane was already a rising star in the al-Shabab terrorist group which took it upon themselves to oust the foreign, Christian assault on their fellow Muslim Islamic Courts.
Under Godane’s leadership, al-Shabab ventured beyond Somalia’s borders,, with attacks in several countries, including suicide bombings in Uganda which resulted in nearly 100 deaths.
In 2009, Godane released a jihadist video called entitled “At your service, Osama.” In the video he urged all Somalis to follow the al Qaeda leader, and vowed that “the wars will not end until Islamic Sharia is implemented in all continents in the world.”
Following the death of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda welcomed Godane’s overture and he pledged al-Shabab’s allegiance to al Qaeda in 2012.
Al-Shabab is estimated to have at least 5000 fighters, dozens of whom are from the west.
And now its leader is dead, killed when his convoy was attacked by a U.S. UAV missile on Monday, Sept. 1, in Southern Somalia.