Quick Take: Al Shabaab's American Recruits and First "News" Video

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of four separate indictments charging 14 Americans with supporting the al Qaeda-linked Somali terrorist group al Shabaab.  The announcement comes on the heels of two other recent arrests of Americans alleged to have attempted to travel to Somalia to join the group’s ranks.

In a new article, the Critical Threats Project takes a close look at al Shabaab’s most recent propaganda video – an English-language “news” broadcast – to explain two of its most important short-term goals: recruiting foreigners and expelling peacekeepers from Somalia.  The video reveals much about al Shabaab’s media capabilities, ideology, and ambitions.