Lacking evidence of legal wrongdoing on Omar’s part, the prosecution concentrated on portraying the Somali resistance as “terrorism.”

“Mahamud Said Omar did nothing wrong. The prosecution and the FBI agents who organized this frame-up are the real criminals in this case,” stated Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

#MinneapolisMN #Somalia #MahamudSaidOmar #alShabab

Many of the prosecution witnesses rarely mentioned Omar. Instead they concentrated on trying to criminalize the resistance to the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia.

Abdifatah Yusuf Isse testified against Omar. Isse admitted he was facing a life sentence for ‘terrorism’ charges, and had made a plea agreement which includes a promise to provide the prosecution with “substantial assistance.” This means that that the sentence that Isse ultimately gets is based on how well he does in testifying against others in the Somali community.

Joint Terrorism Task Force officer Martin Siebenaler testified against Omar. Siebenaler opened up a gun case and pulled out an AK-47 machine gun. Siebenaler then proceeded to say that the gun, which came from an ATF collection, was “most similar to” the weapons used by young resistance fighters in Somalia. The gun had nothing to do with the case. It was an attempt to bias the jury.

Kamal Said Hassan, a man who admits to lying during other federal court proceedings, also testified.

A number of the prosecution witnesses in the trial were connected to the Sept. 24, 2010 FBI raids on Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists.

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression states, “What the government proved is that they have no case. In essence the FBI admits they mistreated Omar, when they placed a sack over his head, and later interrogated him while he was ill. The real crime here is that Omar is sitting in jail and on trial. He has done nothing wrong.”

#MinneapolisMN #Somalia #MahamudSaidOmar #alShabab #PoliticalRepression

Court testimony revealed that VanDenover is part of a special ‘Horn of Africa’ FBI squad and participant in Minnesota’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Up until today, most witnesses have spent relatively little time talking about Omar or anything that he has done. Most of the testimony has been devoted to talking about the Somali resistance group, al-Shabab, and the young men from the Twin Cites who traveled to Somalia to fight the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion.

VanDenover made two trips to the Netherlands to interrogate Omar, who was being held in a Dutch prison pending extradition to the U.S.

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, and who was present at the Oct. 15 proceedings states, “Today the prosecution put FBI agent VanDenover on the stand and some transcripts from wire taps. Nothing said in court today should convince any person with common sense that Mahamud Said Omar is guilty of any wrongdoing.”

Several of the FBI agents mentioned in today’s testimony played important roles in the Sept. 24, 2010 raids on Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists.

#MinneapolisMN #FBI #USImperialism #Somalia #InjusticeSystem #MahamudSaidOmar

Mohamud Said Omar is facing five charges, including material support for foreign terrorist organizations and conspiring to kill, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad. Omar is fighting the charges and the government has yet to present credible evidence that he violated any law.

The testimony of prosecution witness Kamal Said Hassan dealt in part with his work for the FBI.

Hassan is one of the young men who left Minneapolis to fight the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. He joined al-Shabab, one of the main Somali groups resisting the invasion. Eventually Hassan decided to return to the U.S.

According to Hassan’s testimony, on his return trip home he first traveled to Yemen. At the U.S. embassy there, he met with three FBI agents and an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He returned to Minneapolis to face ‘terrorism’ charges, but instead of going to jail, he went to a hotel in Duluth, in northeastern Minnesota, with his FBI handlers. He was then placed in a home in Saint Louis Park, a suburb in Minneapolis, along with his wife – and FBI agents who stayed with him 24 hours a day. At the direction of the FBI, he made phone calls back to Somalia and went out to meet with men in the Somali community here. The FBI put him in the Saint Louis Park home so he could maintain his cover.

While the prosecution lacks evidence of legal wrongdoing by Omar, they are going all out to criminalize the Somali resistance againt the U.S./Ethiopian invasion. One of the prosecution’s exhibits today was a video produced by the Somali resistance. The video, which included song and spoken word poetry, showed the Somali resistance ambushing the invading Ethiopian army. The prosecution is trying to say that the fight to free Somalia from foreign intervention is ‘terrorism.’

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, and who was present at today’s proceedings, stated, “The government is using self-confessed liars to frame an innocent man. Behind this is an agenda which aims to label those who fight to free their countries from western domination as ‘terrorism.’ This should be opposed by everyone who cares about justice or civil liberties.”

#MinneapolisMN #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #antiimperialism #Somalia #InjusticeSystem #MahamudSaidOmar

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, stated, “This is an outrageous attempt to bias the jury. The prosecution had Siebenaler bring an ATF gun as a prop. The gun he was showing off was not linked to the defendant or anyone who has anything do with the case. It was an attempt to tell jurors that the defendant is dangerous. The tactic of introducing things that are inflammatory or scary, but that have nothing to do with the people on trial, has been used in many other so-called terrorism cases.”

Martin Siebenaler was involved in a similar stunt at the trial of another young Somali. Siebenaler was also a participant in the Sept. 24, 2010 raids on Twin Cities anti-war and international solidarity activists.

#MinneapolisMN #Somalia #AntiWar23 #InjusticeSystem #MahamudSaidOmar #MartinSiebenaler

Omar and his attorneys point out that he is not guilty of the absurd charges against him.

In Oct. 5’s proceedings, Omar’s attorney, Andrew Birrell, raised serious doubt about the credibility of a key prosecution witness, Abdifatah Yusuf Isse.

Birrell’s cross examination revealed that Isse, who was facing a life sentence for ‘terrorism’ charges, had made a plea agreement which includes a promise to provide the prosecution with “substantial assistance.” This means that that the sentence that Isse ultimately gets is based on how well he does in testifying against others in the Somali community.

During questioning, Isse told the court about how patriotism and the desire to fight the Ethiopian invasion motivated him to travel to Somalia in 2007 and join the resistance. He returned to the U.S. and was arrested by the FBI in Seattle in 2009. While in jail he began cooperating with the FBI. On the stand he admitted that, while in jail, he made phone calls to others in the Somali community that were recorded by the FBI.

Background

In 2006, Ethiopia, acting in concert with the Bush administration, invaded Somalia. Massive demonstrations of Somalis took place here in Minnesota. In Somalia, a large scale resistance movement developed, which gave rise to the group called al-Shabab. Al-Shabab, which translates as “the youth”, was then labeled as a ‘terrorist’ group by the U.S. government.

In recent years, Washington has taken to labeling insurgencies that oppose the domination of the U.S or its western allies as ‘terrorists.’ The effect of this policy is that nearly every organization that is waging a militant struggle for national liberation is stuck with the tag of ‘terrorist.’

Starting in 2008, a number of young Somali men, many who grew up in the Twin Cities, traveled to Somalia to fight back against the Ethiopian invasion. The U.S. government views this as ‘terrorism’ and has launched a witch hunt against the Somali community. Many have been jailed or are being hunted by the FBI.

Over the last month, there have been many reports that a new secret grand jury has been convened to investigate supporters of the Somali resistance, creating a climate of fear within the community.

Trial continues

On Oct. 9, Mahamud Said Omar’s trial will resume. Two of the government witnesses scheduled to testify took part in the Sept. 24, 2010 raids on anti-war and international solidarity activists.

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, states, “A real injustice is taking place at this trial. Mahamud Omar has done nothing wrong. The prosecution is telling lies about him and they have a bigger agenda. They are trying to criminalize an entire community. The charges should be dropped now.”

#MinneapolisMN #antiwar #September24FBIRaids #USImperialism #Somalia #InjusticeSystem #MahamudSaidOmar