Transcripts of phone calls recorded in the government's investigation into young Somali men believed to have joined al-Shabab suggest that a man accused of aiding some of the travelers was worried about an "uproar" in Minneapolis, thought about leaving town and planned what he would say if questioned.
Recordings of the calls were played in federal court in Minneapolis last week during a hearing for Mahamud Said Omar, 45, who faces five terror-related counts. The calls were translated from Somali to English, and transcripts were made public late Thursday.
The government said the calls are between Omar and another man, whom prosecutors did not identify.
Matt Forsgren, Omar's attorney, said in court last week that the second man was Abdifatah Isse — a young Somali who has pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists and is awaiting sentencing. Forsgren also implied last week that his client might not be part of the conversations.
When asked to elaborate Friday, Forsgren said: "I'm not accepting anything in this case, including the transcribed phone conversations, at face value." He said he planned to address them at a hearing Oct. 17.
Omar is charged in the investigation into the recruitment of at least 21 men who authorities believe left Minnesota to join al-Shabab, classified by the U.S. government as a terror group, in Somalia.
Court documents filed by prosecutors suggest Omar helped with recruiting and was involved with travelers who left in 2007 and 2008. They allege he gave money to some of the men who left for Somalia in 2007, that he provided funding for assault rifles and an al-Shabab safe house while in Somalia in 2008 and that he hosted a gathering for some travelers in Minnesota days before they left.
His family has said he's innocent.
But according to the transcripts, Omar told the person on the other end of the line how to get a visa and a ticket to Africa, and which route would be best to get to "M-town." Somalia's capital city is Mogadishu.
Omar said he would give his counterpart "the old man's telephone ... and he will take you right from there." Omar also talked about men who "left," about ongoing fighting in Somalia, and he said he gave $100 to someone named "Mustaf" — a common moniker among Somalis.
The calls were recorded by the FBI on Nov. 3, 2008, Nov. 10, 2008, and Nov. 12, 2008 — in the days surrounding the departures of at least six young men — five Somalis and one Muslim convert — who left Minneapolis for Somalia.
While Omar doesn't mention outright where the men traveled, on the Nov. 3 call, he said: "Some of them are leaving today and the others are leaving tomorrow." Court documents show that some of the men left Minneapolis on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, bound for Somalia.
News of the alleged terror recruitment became public about that time as family members reported their young men were missing. While the city of Minneapolis is not mentioned by name, Omar is quoted as saying: "The whole city was in uproar." He says specifically in the Nov. 10 call: "the word on the street is ... the Majerteen clan ... is very upset."
"You can't imagine the atmosphere in this town," he added.
The family of Burhan Hassan, one of the young men who left Minneapolis Nov. 4, is from the Majerteen clan, and was among the most vocal in speaking out against the terror recruitment. Hassan, 17 when he left, later died in Somalia.
In the Nov. 10 call, when Omar was asked if the men arrived safely, he said he didn't know and hadn't heard from them. Two days later, the two men talked about the situation in the cities in Somalia.
"They have captured all the way to Marka and the surrounding area," Omar said.
"You mean our men?" the other man asks. "Yes," said Omar.
Marka is a city along the coast of Somalia, southwest of Mogadishu. The men go on to say that once the coastal area is captured, it will be "all over" and "like they entered Mogadishu."
Omar said: "That is really good news," according to the transcript.
Omar also recounts a conversation he had with someone at Abubakar As-Saddique mosque who he says taught the young men. Omar said he warned that man that he would be responsible if any men left. A message left at the mosque was not returned Friday, but the mosque has repeatedly said it played no role in recruiting.
Omar and the other man also talked about an unnamed boy who appeared to be with someone in Somalia, and Omar said he wanted to get out of town himself.
"I swear, I want to leave right away," he said, later adding: "Son, now, if all the youth leave ... and I am in the city somewhere ... they are coming flashing ... so today, I tempted to go to North Dakota."
Omar also detailed his plans to go to Hajj later that month, and expressed concern that he was in the "spotlight" and his travel plans might be affected. Omar did make that trip in late November, but did not return to Minneapolis as scheduled.
According to the transcripts, Omar also said he had a plan for what he would say if questioned about the travels.
"I am an innocent man who resides in this city," Omar said, adding that he would "tell the truth" to whomever questions.
"'I tried to make them understand everything, I told them there is nothing there, I told them everything, but they couldn't be convinced,' that is what I will say," he said. "I want to defend myself from any front, I swear."
E.K. Wilson, who is overseeing the FBI's investigation in Minneapolis, declined to comment on the recordings or transcripts because the case is pending in federal court. He said the investigation is still "very much ongoing."
Source: The Associated Press
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