LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Al Shabaab in a written statement declared that, "Abu Mansour al-Amriki does not, in any way, shape or form, represent the views" of the group. Entitled "A Candid Clarification" - was posted on the media-savvy al Shabaab's Twitter feed in both Arabic and English.

It must be noted that all types of misfits in Western societies have been attracted to the jihadist cause. In either case, Al Shabaab has steadily lost ground to an African Union  interventionist force in Somalia.

Months after the capital of Mogadishu fell from al Shabaab control in September, the jihadist group withdrew from their last major urban stronghold, the southern port of Kismayu. The move signaled their demise as a quasi-conventional military force.

Tension between al Amriki and al Shabaab have been playing out publicly on jihadist media circles since both parties are tirelessly self-promoting, jihadist content-creating machines.

Signs of a very visible strain came in March, when al Amriki released a video statement disclosing that his life was under threat from fellow al Shabaab fighters due to "differences that occurred between U.S. regarding matters of the sharia and matters of strategy."

Pundits noted how al Amriki, an Alabama native, born to a Muslim father and Christian mother, was to live with, much less fight with.

In a noted from the "press office" of the "Harakat al-Shabaab al Mujahideen" (that's the official al Shabaab name) accused al Amriki of "childish petulance" and that "the alleged frictions and the video releases are merely the results of personal grievances that stem purely from a narcissistic pursuit of fame and are far removed from the reality on the ground."

The discontented little Jihadist released a second video clip in October decrying his marginalization. According to the latest al Shabaab statement, the timing of these releases were calculated to "cultivate the seeds of disunity" at a time when the group was "most likely to be under pressure from their enemies."

"Now that is indeed a candid acknowledgment of the group's sinking fortunes," columnist Leela Jacinto with France 24 opines.

"There was a time when Somalia was a hotspot on the jihadi tourism trail, with U.S. intelligence officials estimating that dozens of Americans - including Americans of Somali origins - joining al Shabaab ranks," Jacinto writes.

Amriki, she says " burnt [his] bridges - on both ends, I might add. Now we'll see how - and if - you get out of this latest twist. Because if there's one thing I'm sure of, whatever al Amriki does, we'll hear about it."

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