Labayka, yaa Osama

[xiinfaniin]

^^Alshabaab being a superior organization with global reach and resources effectively used Aweys’ return and subsequent rhetoric to initiate the war. He didn’t galvanize them. Unwittingly he served a useful function in Alshabaab’s war game.

 

I don’t see any problems with the use of Labayka. In this military exercise the use of labayka signifies respect for the organization’s leader.

[BiLaaL]

^ I'm not implying that Al-Shabab were weak prior to the return of Aweys. And yes they did (and still do) command strong outside support. Despite these strengths, they weren't travelling well - in the Somali context - in the months leading to Aweys' return from Asmara.

 

Back then, many of Al-Shabab's Somali fighters were starting to question the usefulness of the movement, since Ethiopia had withdrawn. Likewise, the support Al-Shabab enjoyed from the public was also starting to deteriorate. Recall, these events coincided with the euphoria surrounding Sh. Sharif's election. Simply put, the tide of public opinion was increasingly veering away from the movement.

 

All this changed with the return of Sh. Aweys. Suddenly, Al-Shabab gained a figure who could shield them against a strong public backlash. Aweys' intransigence gave them renewed confidence.

 

This backdrop cannot be tossed aside. I still maintain that Al-Shabab are very much indebted to Sh. Aweys. I don't deny the valid points you raise. Instead, the points you raise fail to take proper stock of the wider context surrounding these events.

 

Anyway, I wish they could both re-assess their strategies and do what is best for our country.

[Juje]

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