Throughout Scandinavia as well.

Translation: Chinadroll

(VG.no AP)  Somali terrorist network with ties to Norway is managed from the Swedish suburb of Rinkeby .

It often begins on the internet. Curious young men, for it is mostly men, are swayed by hate propaganda and film clips of bullets and gunpowder. But women are also lured into the embrace of extremism.

Scandinavian-Somali members of the al-Shabaab focus on online recruiting, says Stig Jarle Hansen, one of the most prominent experts on Somalia.

In a upcoming report from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) that VG net has access to, it emerged that a Norwegian-Somali man was killed in Somalia in the winter  of 2011. He is alleged to have been radicalized by al-Shabaab Islamists with branches throughout Scandinavia.

– The group has a local focus but a global rhetoric and an increased focus on overseas, says the researcher.

And the Norwegian citizen who was killed in Somalia this winter is said to have had contact with people in Sweden and Finland, before he later joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Central to the network is a radical environment in the suburb of Rinkeby in Stockholm.

From here, many Swedes have traveled to Somalia to fight ‘holy war’ there.

The suburb is colloquially known as “Little Mogadishu” because so many Somalis live there.

No one convicted

Several other Scandinavian Somalis have been recruited by the same network. Among these, several Swedes lost their lives as “holy warriors” in Somalia.

But no one in the network, which continues to recruit according to VG net, has ever been convicted. Two Swedish-Somalis were brought to justice, but acquitted because the court did not think there was proof that Shabaab were terrorists.

Not surprised

Magnus Ranstorp at the Defence College of Sweden is not surprised that Somalis from all the Scandinavian countries are being recruited for terrorism.

From Sweden there have been 15 to 20 individuals who have gone to fight jihad in Somalia.

– There is a natural link to Oslo through the Somali community in Gothenburg. Operationally there is a belt from Copenhagen via Malmö, Gothenburg and Oslo, said the Swedish terrorism expert.

The same environment is linked to Rinkeby in Stockholm, said Ranstorp.

– I know that there are connections through certain websites and that there are study groups in Gothenburg, says Ranstorp, who also believes that many mid-level leaders in the al-Qaeda-affiliated organization are located in Scandinavia.

Several other Scandinavian Somalis have been recruited by the same network. Among these, several Swedes lost their lives as “holy warriors” in Somalia.

But none of the network, which after the AP experience continues to recruit, has ever been convicted. Two Swedish-Somalis were brought to justice, but acquitted because the court did not think it was shown that Shabaab were terrorists.