Minnesota (Sunatimes) A Somali-American man from Minnesota has admitted helping men of Somali origin travel to the Horn of African country to join the Al-Shabaab militia group.

Omar Abdi Mohamed, 26, admitted one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and many others in a foreign country, charges that will see him earn up to 15 years in jail when sentenced later.

The suspect’s plea came on the eve of what would have been the first trial in a federal probe into the recruiting of US nationals fighting along side with Al-Shabab militia.

His lawyer, Peter Wold, said Omar sent Somali-American youths to Somalia between September and December 2007 to fight against Ethiopian forces that have briefly rumpled into Somalia earlier 2006 to help Somali government troops fight Islamic Courts Union of which he considered the Ethiopian troops as sworn foes of Somalia that has occupied his country.

The lawyer denied claims that Omar had links with the Al-Shabaab militia, saying that after realizing that some of the youths had joined ranks with Al-Shabaab militia in Somalia, Omar took the initiative of persuading them out of Al-Shabaab and come back to the United State.

Peter Wold added, however, said that his client chose to admit the charge of providing material support to terrorists because he has a family and faced a much longer sentence if convicted.

By Mohamed Omar