 Formerly a predominantly nationalist organization, al-Shabaab repositioned itself as a militant Islamist group that also attracted a large cadre of Western devotees.As of 2011, the group's foreign recruitment strategy was active in the United States, where members attempted to recruit from the local Muslim communities.According to an investigative report by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, al-Shabaab has recruited over 40 Muslim Americans since 2007.