This has left jihadi groups like al Qaeda , Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab struggling to reclaim some of the spotlight from their new `` rival , '' and a call to attack Western shopping malls was a chance to earn some easy headlines while also trying to burnish international credentials that were badly tarnished in 2012 when it suffered a bloody internal purge that killed off some of its most prominent foreign leaders and disheartened former supporters . Al-Shabaab has released a video calling for attacks on Western shopping malls . Ken Menkhaus : The New York Times reports that the group is planning to attack several major U.S. cities in coming weeks and months.
Al-Shabaab has released a video calling for attacks on Western shopping malls . Ken Menkhaus : The New York Times reports that the group is planning to attack several major U.S. cities in coming weeks and months.