I served with Ilhan Omars father in the Somali military people were scared of him: ex-officer

Rep.Ilhan Omar’s father was a “feared” colonel in the Somali National Army (SNA), far from the “educator” he was presented to Americans as, a veteran who served in his regiment claimed to The Post. Nur Omar Mohamed has been accused of hiding his military past from US authorities when he arrived and claimed asylum with his family in 1995 — which could have disqualified him from claiming refugee status.A retired military officer still living in Somalia has spoken out for the first time to shed light on the “career soldier” who was a trusted operator in dictator Siad Barre’s brutal regime. “I used to serve in the military with Nur, he was the colonel of my regiment and I would see him face-to-face,” the veteran, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told The Post. “He was a full, top colonel.

And no one gets to that position by being a nice guy.He was obviously good at what he did.“I remember him always dressed in a smart military uniform with his rifle hanging off a strap behind him.

Some people were scared of him and would look away when he walked past.”The former soldier is confused as to why Omar, 44, portrayed her father, who died in 2020, as a teacher in her 2020 memoir “My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman.” “Nur was very recognizable at the military hub in the city of Baidoa.He was one of those picked to be trained in Egypt in the 60s.

He rose very quickly to the top of the military and became a trusted man [in the regime].”Nur went on to play an “important part” in the Somali-Ethiopian war between July 1977 and March 1978, the former army officer claimed. “He worked with the masterminds of the invasion and was trusted with the plans, he helped organize the troops.But a lot of people died in that war,” he told The Post. If it emerges Nur lied on US immigration forms, it could have implications for his children who emigrated with him.Omar, a naturalized US citizen, is under federal investi...