Vol. 80/No. 47 December 19, 2016
Gov’t frames up Somali youth in Minnesota
The government built its case on paid informers, wiretaps and video surveillance. Star government witness Abdirahman Bashiir admitted getting $119,000 from the FBI to set up and record the young men.
Two other youth charged with being part of the conspiracy, Abdullahi Yusuf and Abdirizak Warsame, pled guilty and testified for the government. Yusuf was freed with 20 years’ supervised release and Warsame got a reduced 30-month sentence.
Four others pled guilty and got 10 to 15 years.
In handing down the stiff sentences, Davis said he wanted to make an example of the youth and deal with a “terrorist cell” functioning in Minnesota. He said the fact that friends and family of the youth had filled the courtroom and organized protests outside showed this. “We have to incapacitate this cell,” he said.
Some of the youth told the court they had been attracted to Islamic State, but had changed their minds. “I’ve always had energy for justice as a young man, but I lost my way,” Omar told the court.
“You can’t fix manipulative,” prosecutor Andrew Winter responded. “You can’t fix deceitful. And you can’t fix Guled Omar.”
The Minneapolis area Somali-American community is the largest in the country. FBI snoops have set up shop here for about a decade, targeting youth for harassment and entrapment.
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