Samantha Lewthwaite
Samantha Lewthwaite | |
---|---|
Born | Samantha Louise Lewthwaite[1] 5 December 1983 Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Asmantara, Sherafiyah, White Widow, Sherafiyah Lewthwaite, Natalie Webb |
Alma mater | School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London [2] |
Organization | Al-Shabaab |
Known for | Terrorism |
Spouse | |
Children | 4[3] |
Samantha Louise Lewthwaite (/ˈluːθweɪt/; born 5 December 1983), also known as Sherafiyah Lewthwaite or the White Widow, is a British woman who is one of the Western world's most wanted terrorism suspects.[4][5][6][7] Lewthwaite, the widow of 7/7 London terrorist bomber Germaine Lindsay, is accused of causing the deaths of more than 400 people.[8]
Lewthwaite was an alleged member of the Somalia-based radical Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab.[9]
She is believed to have been behind an attack on those watching football in a bar in Mombasa during Euro 2012.[10] In September 2013, it became aware that she is the mastermind behind the Nairobi Westgate shopping mall attack, though many people do not believe this.[11]
She is nicknamed the "White Widow".[12]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Lewthwaite, Samantha Louise: Identity Particulars". Wanted List. Interpol. 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "'White Widow' Samantha Lewthwaite wanted by Interpol". CBC News. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2015.
- ↑ Pflanz, Mike (17 August 2012). "Britons 'were in last stages of plot to bomb Kenya'". The Daily Telegraph. p. 15.
- ↑ Pflanz, Mike; Laing, Aislinn; Rayner, Gordon; Whitehead, Tom (24 September 2013). "Was the 'white widow' among attackers?". The Daily Telegraph. p. 4.
- ↑ Kirby, Terry (15 July 2005). "The 'quiet, likeable' man who was the King's Cross bomber". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
- ↑ Hough, Andrew (29 February 2012). "Samantha Lewthwaite: 7/7 bomber widow previously a 'Home Counties' girl". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ↑ "Samantha Lewthwaite: shy schoolgirl to terrorism suspect". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ↑ "White Widow 'has killed 400 people' as key figure in al-Shabaab". The Daily Telegraph. 18 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ↑ "Samantha Lewthwaite: Is 'White Widow' behind Kenya mall attack?". The Christian Science Monitor. 23 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- ↑ Maguire, Anna (15 March 2013). "Banbridge schoolgirl who became linked to radical Islam". The Belfast Telegraph. p. 3.
- ↑ "Nairobi attack: UK woman and Americans 'among militants'". BBC News. 24 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ↑ Marsden, Sam (25 September 2013). "Quiet Home Counties girl who now tops list of terrorism suspects". The Daily Telegraph. p. 12.