Al Qaeda Threatens Obama's Grandma

ABC News reports:

Security has been increased around the home of President Barack Obama's step-grandmother in Kenya after an African al Qaeda branch issued a personal threat against her, police said today.

Kenyan police told ABC News they are patrolling round the clock after Al Shabaab, the Somalia-based branch of al Qaeda, threatened the life of Sarah Obama.

Though security had been added to the elder Obama's house the day after bin Laden was killed in fear of reprisals, the number of patrolling officers has ballooned since Al Shabaab's threat was issued. One police chief told ABC News he now had enough officers "to patrol the entire village."

But the 88-year-old seemed unconcered about the threat and told ABC News she didn't mind the extra security.

"My life has not been affected in any way," Sarah Obama said. "It has not restricted my movement. If the government has decided to bring more security personnel, we are OK with it."

Al Shabaab, which has been involved in fierce fighting in Somalia for years against the Western-backed government, counts among its members Alabama-raised Omar Hammami, also known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki or The American. Hammami, who is known to produce pro-jihadist hip hop songs, was thought to have been killed in fighting earlier this year, but reappeared by releasing a new rap song in April.