Somalia: Al Shabaab's Leadership Links to Al Qaeda

Al Shabaab, the Islamist militant group active in Somalia, is tied closely to al Qaeda through its senior leaders, many of whom trained with and carried out operations in the name of al Qaeda prime. Its leaders' training and experience lend al Shabaab strength. Furthermore, al Shabaab is organized in such a way that if a senior leader is killed, operations suffer minimal long-term disruption.