Posted by The Ethiopia Observatory (TEO)
From Hiiraan Online

Abdullahi Mohamed Ali (Sanbalolshe), former director of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)
Abdullahi Mohamed Ali (Sanbalolshe), former director of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), according to Somali Affairs, has accused Qatar of maintaining active links with the Somali extremist group, Al-Shahbaab.
Ex-Somali Intelligence Chief was commenting on the role played by Doha in the recent release of the abducted Italian aid worker Aisha Romano (formerly Silvia Romano), who was held captive the militant group Al-Shabaab for years. Here is a link to the story that appeared in Somali Affairs quoting the Somali Intelligence Chief.
Somali Affairs reports that in an interview with the Saudi-owned, Arabic Al-Arabia TV, Sanbalolshe, Ex-Somali Intelligence Chief, said Qatar has kept alive its contacts with Al-Shabaab for years, and that the Gulf country has been instrumental to the terror group in its drive to generate income from ransom payments.
Qatari Intelligence or Turkish Intelligence?
However the appearance of this interview, by ex-Somali Intelligence Chief, on Saudi-owned Al-Arabia raises questions about the credibility of Sanbalolshe’s claims since relations between Doha and Riyadh are tense and a narrative war is continuing for past several years.
Sanbalolshe’s – ex-Somali Intelligence Chief – claims are also problematic because most of the Italian and Turkish sources have given credit to Turkish Intelligence, Italian and Somali government agencies for mediating this release.
In Italy the furore is rather focused on Silvia Romano’s claims that she has become a Muslim after carefully reading Quran and her new name is Aisha. She claims and explains to Italian prosecutors that there was never any pressure upon her and she was not physically abused by her captors. Aisha is the most popular Muslim name – coming from early days of Islam when the youngest wife of Prophet of Islam, Mohammad (PBUH) was Aisha or Ayesha.