NEWS

Former Miramar man now runs al-Qaida, FBI says. Not true, his mother says

Lisa J. Huriash

Zurah Adbu Ahmed, mother of suspected al-Qaida operative Adnan Shukrijumah, poses with a photo of her son Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, in Miramar, Fla. Shukrijumah, a suspected al-Qaida operative who lived for more than 15 years in the U.S., has become chief of the terror network's global operations, the FBI says, marking the first time a leader so intimately familiar with American society has been placed in charge of planning attacks. Adnan Shukrijumah, 35, has taken over a position once held by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured in 2003, Miami-based FBI counterterrorism agent Brian LeBlanc told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. That puts him in regular contact with al-Qaida's senior leadership, including Osama bin Laden, LeBlanc said.

A federal fugitive and former Broward Community College student who lived in this South Florida city with his mother and five siblings has become head of global operations for the Islamic terror network al-Qaida, according to the FBI - a worrisome development that may make U.S. targets more vulnerable.

The FBI told The Associated Press that it marks the first time a person so intimately familiar with American society has been put in charge of planning attacks, and that Adnan G. El Shukrijumah's new position puts him in regular contact with al-Qaida's senior leadership, including Osama bin Laden. El Shukrijumah is thought to be the only al-Qaida leader to have held permanent U.S. resident status, or a green card.

"It's not true," his mother, Zurah Adbu Ahmed, told the Sun Sentinel on Friday when told of the FBI's latest findings. She paused. "I don't know. But I don't think it's true. He's a kind, loving, caring boy."

She hasn't heard from her son, now 35, in many years, Adbu Ahmed said.

The FBI first accused El Shukrijumah of being an al-Qaida conspirator in 2003, saying in the late 1990s he became convinced that he must participate in "jihad," or holy war, to fight perceived persecution against Muslims in places like Chechnya and Bosnia. That reportedly led to training camps in Afghanistan where he underwent basic and advanced training in the use of automatic weapons, explosives, battle tactics, surveillance and camouflage.

The United States is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

His mother said his intense feelings about Islam and frustration with the excesses of American society including "drugs, alcohol, a love for sex, and clubs" have been misunderstood. She said El Shukrijumah, the first-born of her six children, opposes Americans "invading" Muslim countries, and disagrees with U.S. policies "in the Islamic world." But that "doesn't make him a terrorist," she said.

Now a grandmother of eight, Adbu Ahmed said she has tried to persuade FBI agents repeatedly that her son hasn't called her in years.

In an interview with the AP, Miami-based FBI counterterrorism agent Brian LeBlanc said El Shukrijumah has taken over a position once held by Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was captured in 2003.