Islamic terrorist in East Africa have been battling the governments of Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya for decades. Much of the battles have taken place between so called militants and government troops. This weekend marked a tragic turn with a bloody and brazen attack on civilians in Kenya. Suspected al Shabab gunmen stormed into an upscale Nairobi shopping mall and shot dead at least 39 people and wounding more than 150-the victims range in age from 2 to 78. Its the worst terrorist attack in Kenya since the 1998 US embassy bombing, also in Nairobi. Al Shabab, an al Qaeda offshoot of a Somali terrorist group- has waged a long campaign of violence in Kenya, burning churches, and killings of foreign aid workers. al Shabab, which means "youth" in Arabic, is demanding that Kenya withdraw forces from Somalia where they have been since 2011.
What's more disturbing is that it is believed that American citizens could be amongst the attackers. These types of killings are a hallmark of al Qaeda affiliated organizations which are waging jihad in the Philippines, Mali, Iraq and Pakistan among other countries. Tens of thousands of Somali's reside in Minnesota and Columbus, Ohio. It has been widely reported that many militants from the US have travelled to Somalia to join al Shebab and other groups. With the mass shootings at Ft. Hood and last week in Washington, it is unthinkable to think of such an attack here at one of our shopping malls. For our sake of our own safety and survival, we should think the unthinkable.
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