This is a cross-post by Shiraz Maher from Standpoint Magazine
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Anwar al-Awlaki, the al-Qaeda theoretician with links to three of the 9/11 terrorists and who recently inspired the Fort Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, has allegedly been killed by an American drone attack in Yemen.
Reuters reports:
SANAA (Reuters) – A Yemeni air raid may have killed the top two leaders of al Qaeda’s regional branch on Thursday, and an American Muslim preacher linked to the man who shot dead 13 people at a U.S. army base may also have died, a Yemeni security official said.
Nasser al-Wahayshi, the Yemeni leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and his Saudi deputy, Saeed al-Shehri, were believed to be among 30 militants killed in the dawn operation in the eastern province of Shabwa, said the official, who asked not to be identified.
U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki may also have died in the air strike which targeted a meeting of militants planning attacks on Yemeni and foreign oil and economic targets, he said.
If all the deaths are confirmed, the air strike would appear to have struck a severe blow against AQAP, seen as the most dangerous regional offshoot of Osama bin Laden’s network.
“Anwar al-Awlaki is suspected to be dead,” the official said of the cleric who was on the run in Yemen, where he was on the government’s most-wanted list of terrorist suspects.
If true, this will be a major setback for al-Qaeda. Here’s how Charles Allen, former under-secretary of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, described him:
[Awlaki is an] al-Qa’ida supporter, and former spiritual leader to three of the September 11th hijackers Anwar al-Awlaki-who targets U.S. Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks from his new home in Yemen.
Following the attack at Fort Hood by Hasan, Awlaki described him as a ‘hero’. Click here to read the full encomium he showered on Major Hasan. Of course, it has now transpired that Awlaki was in repeated contact with Hasan, providing him with theological and ideological support. Just a few days ago Awlaki boasted that he told Hasan it would be valid under Islamic law to attack his fellow soldiers and countrymen. He confirmed as much in a recent interview with al-Jazeera, saying:
Yes, I played a role in guiding his ideology, but nothing beyond that
This is where Awlaki’s real strength lay. He was the most eloquent and charismatic English-speaking advocate for al-Qaeda, projecting and proliferating their message to Western audiences – and he was good at it too.
Following the Fort Hood attack, this blog – along with our friends at the Spittoon and Harry’s Place – launched a wide ranging investigation into Awlaki’s extensive network of UK-based supporters. It ruffled quite a few feathers.
They must be mourning his loss today. Doesn’t your heart just bleed for them?
4 Comments
The Bruvvas are getting themselves into a complete tizz. Check out this inadvertently hilarious (and now closed by order of management) thread on Ummah.com on the story of Al-Awlaki’s death:
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=241627
The ever informative Yemeni journalist, Nasser Arrabyee, has put up the following story on his blog:
http://narrabyee-e.blogspot.com/2009/12/more-than-30-alqaeda-terrorists-killed.html
See also (for further background):
http://narrabyee-e.blogspot.com/2009/12/al-qaeda-under-fire.html
Nasser Arrabyee reports an al-Qaida member whipping up local tribesmen in the wake of US/Yemeni attacks on al-Qaida and its tribal allies even earlier this week:
Most interesting is the direct identification this report makes between a member of the al-Awlaki tribe and al-Qaida:
The strong tribal and familial connections between al-Awlaki and al-Qaida is now surely without any doubt. In Yemen, where tribal identity and loyalty is everything, it would be deeply surprising if the (plausibly late) Anwar al-Awlaki was not as tied-in to al-Qaida as other members of his family and tribe so clearly are.
http://narrabyee-e.blogspot.com/2009/12/al-qaeda-under-fire.html
If the bastard is dead, I suspect that his extensive fanclub in the UK which includes the MCB, Green Lane Mosque, CagePrisoners, The Cordoba Foundation, the Islamic Forum Europe amongst others will be holding a group janaza for their favourite imaam. I wonder which mosque will be doing the honours.