R.T. Rybak and Barack Obama discuss combating Somali radicals

Obama and Rybak discussed ways to combat radicalization of Somali youth

One of the issues at hand, according to the Newark Star-Ledger, was the growing worry about radicalization of some members of the growing Somali communities in both cities.

It's another example of how we're gaining notoriety as a place where groups with terrorist ties are finding recruits. "60 Minutes" recently trained its cameras on the case of 20 missing Minnesota men believed to have been recruited by Al Shabab--a terrorist organization with ties to Al Qaeda.

Even so, the White House played down the idea of any drama.

"The Administration routinely meets with state and local officials to obtain their perspectives and better understand the issues they are facing. One issue is the threat of domestic radicalization," said one Obama Administration official familiar with the meeting but was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly. "During the meeting, mayors provided invaluable insights into this issue and discussed the ways in which the Federal government can help them address the threat."

The paper said that while radicalization among Somalis was duscussed, it wasn't the ficus of the conversation.