Godane,who came to power after the death of al-Shabab founder Aden Hashi Ayro in a U.S.missile strike in May 2008, is firmly committed to the idea of using al-Qaida-trained foreign fighters to help al-Shabab violently overthrow Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government and establish an Islamic caliphate in Somalia.

VOA: standard.2009.12.23

Abdulmutallab,a 23-year-old Nigerian who had studied mechanical engineering at University College London between 2005 and 2008,was refused a visa to reenter Britain in May.

VOA: standard.2009.12.28