Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled Aulaqi; Arabic: أنور العولقي Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; April 22, 1971–September 30, 2011[4][10]) was an Islamic lecturer, spiritual leader, and former imam who was an engineer and educator by training.[11][12] Of Yemeni descent, he was a dual citizen of the U.S. and Yemen.[13]According to U.S. officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator, who had also become "operational" as a planner and trainer for the Islamistmilitant group al-Qaeda.[3][8][14][15][16][17] He was implicated in helping to motivate at least three attacks on U.S. soil: the Fort Hood shooting of November, 2009, the Christmas Day bombing attempt of 2009, and the April 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt.[18] Al-Awlaki's targeted killing was approved by U.S. President Barack Obama, with the consent of the U.S. National Security Council by April 2010, making him the first U.S. citizen ever placed on theCIA target list. Officials said it was appropriate, as he posed an imminent danger to national security.[19][20][21][22] With a blog, a Facebook page, and manyYouTube videos, he had been described as the "bin Laden of the Internet".[23][24]
Al-Awlaki's sermons were attended by three of the 9/11 hijackers. He reportedly met privately with two of them in San Diego. Some investigators suspected al-Awlaki may have known about the 9/11 attacks in advance.[25] In 2009, he was promoted to the rank of "regional commander" within al-Qaeda, according to U.S. officials.[5][26]
His sermons were also attended by accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. U.S. intelligence intercepted at least 18 emails between Hasan and al-Awlaki in the months prior to the Fort Hood shooting, including one in which Hasan wrote: "I can't wait to join you [in the afterlife]," though the emails were deemed to be innocent requests for spiritual advice.[27][28] After the shooting, al-Awlaki praised Hasan's actions.[29][30] In addition, according to U.S. officials, "Christmas Day bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab said al-Awlaki was one of his al-Qaeda trainers, who met with him and was involved in planning or preparing his attack, and provided religious justification for it.[31][32][33] In March 2010, al‑Awlaki said in a videotape that jihad against America was binding upon every able Muslim.[34][35]
In May 2010, Faisal Shahzad, who pled guilty to the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt, told interrogators he was "inspired by" al-Awlaki. Sources said Shahzad had made contact with al-Awlaki over the internet.[36][37][38] U.S. Representative Jane Harman called him "terrorist number one", andInvestor's Business Daily called him "the world's most dangerous man".[39][40] In July 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department added him to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and the UN added him to its list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda.[6][41] In August 2010, al-Awlaki's father sued the U.S. government with the help of the ACLU, challenging its order to kill al-Awlaki, but a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in December 2010.[42][43] In November 2010, Yemen began trying al-Awlaki in absentia with plotting to kill foreigners and being a member of al-Qaeda, and a Yemeni judge ordered that he be captured "dead or alive".[44][45] In a video posted to the internet in November 2010, al-Awlaki called for Muslims around the world to kill Americans “without hesitation”, and overthrow Arab leaders.[46]
In 2010, it was announced that Awlaki was believed to be in hiding in Southeast Yemen.[44] On May 6, 2011, US officials stated that they were using predator drones to patrol the country.[47] A missile strike using one of these vehicles was directed at Awlaki, but it did not succeed in killing him.[48] Awlaki was killed "along with some of his companions" in Yemen in September 2011.[10]
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