AK-47s Awarded to Winners of Radio Contest in Somalia

Al-Shabab is a group fighting Somalia’s central government and African Union troops in Mogadishu. It controls large parts of southern Somalia where it has imposed its strict interpretation of Islam. It is estimated to have some 15,000 fighters.

Al-Shabab has claimed an affiliation with al-Qaeda since 2007, and its leaders are believed to have received training at al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. In February 2008, al-Shabab was added to the U.S. government’s list of foreign terrorist groups.

Al-Shabab’s members are very clear about their objective: to overthrow Somalia’s government and enact strict Shari’a law. The group has banned music, videos, shaving and even bras in the areas it controls and maintains control through often brutal methods. Women accused of adultery are publicly stoned to death; teenaged thieves have had their limbs severed; one Somali said his brother was killed simply for selling phone cards to Ethiopian troops.

Recruiting fighters for the civil war in Somalia is evidently becoming more difficult and Al-Shabab has been resorting to desperate measures to gain new recruits. A radio station operated by the Al-Shabab militant group ran a contest for children and youths earlier this month in which the main prize was an AK-47 assault rifle plus the equivalent of $700 and religious books. The second prize was an AK-47 plus $500 and religious literature. The third prize was two hand grenades and $400.

A very large ceremony was held in Mogadishu outskirts of Elasha, and was attended by senior officials of Al-Shabab group where they advised the children to go into ongoing fighting in Somalia and battle against Somalia government and the African Union troops in Mogadishu.

At the end of the ceremony Sheikh Moktar Robow abu Mansur, senior Al-Shabab leader and former spokesman of the group awarded three young teenagers who have won the contest.

“We want the children to fight for defending of their country and their religion.. just take these guns,” he said, “Children should have one hand on the Koran but the other on a rifle to defend Islam.”

ACORN-affiliated Group Gets $300,000 From Taxpayers via HUD

In early August, an affiliate of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) received another $300,000 in taxpayer funding.
President Barack Obama’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the $300,000 grant to the post-ACORN ally: The Affordable Housing Centers of America (AHCOA). The Obama administration awarded the money despite a 2010 law saying no taxpayer funds could be issued to ACORN “or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations.”

AHCOA was previously named “Acorn Housing Corporation,” a group that did a lot of business with ACORN. Acorn Housing changed its name to AHCOA in late 2009.

The way HUD and the Obama administration justify funding AHCOA is by saying it’s not “affiliated” or “allied” with ACORN. To make their case, the Obama officials rely on a September 29, 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report arguing the case that AHCOA isn’t “affiliated” or “allied” with ACORN.

The GAO argument is that since AHCOA changed its name and cut off official financial ties with ACORN, it’s still legally allowed to receive taxpayer money, as AHCOA is not technically connected with ACORN when applying the legal definition of “affiliated” or “allied.”

This is one more example of the current administration choosing to ignore the laws of the nation and the will of the people.

The government should act immediately to recoup the money illegally obtained by this, and any other “formerly associated with ACORN” organizations which have simply changed their names. I would further suggest that any amount awarded to these organizations by HUD should also be deducted from HUD’s budget as a penalty for their brazen disregard for the law passed in 2010!