Photo claims to show Ilhan Omar at Somalia Training Camp? Fact Check

ByCraig Haley

A photo purporting to be United States congresswoman Ilhan Omar at an Al’ Qaida training camp in Somalia is spreading on social media.

FALSE

An example of the photo can be seen below –

Here is your precious Muslim congresswoman at a Al’ Qaida training camp in Somalia. She is trying to get this picture blocked and me banned for posting it. Facebook has banned me twice because pic is considered offensive? Please retweet pic…

Despite the image being completely false, at least one instance of the photo on Facebook has accumulated over 187,000 shares at the time of writing, with many other instances appearing elsewhere on Facebook and on Twitter.

Almost all of the claims made in the above message are false, with the exception being that the image was indeed taken in Somalia.

The image shows Ilhan Omar? FALSE
The image shows an Al’ Qaida training camp? FALSE
Ilhan Omar has tried to get the photo removed on Facebook? FALSE


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A simple reverse image search leads us to the AP Images website that details exactly when the photo was taken. According to the caption of the photo, the photo was taken in 1978 in Somalia and shows an unnamed female soldier checking her weapon at a military training camp in Mogadishu.

Incidentally, Ilhan Omar was not even born when the photo was taken.

The photo clearly does not show Ilhan Omar at an Al’ Qaida training camp.

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