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| His parents are from Yemen. Al-Awlaki's father, Nasser al-Aulaqi, earned his master's degree in agricultural economics at ] (1971), received a doctorate at the ], and worked at the ] from 1975 to 1977.<ref name=rad /><ref name=rag/> | His parents are from Yemen. Al-Awlaki's father, Nasser al-Aulaqi, earned his master's degree in agricultural economics at ] (1971), received a doctorate at the ], and worked at the ] from 1975 to 1977.<ref name=rad /><ref name=rag/> | ||
| The family returned to Yemen in 1978,<ref name="UPI">{{cite news |title=Imam in Fort Hood case born in New Mexico |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/11/11/Imam-in-Fort-Hood-case-born-in-New-Mexico/UPI-43701257982479/ |agency=] |location= |date=November 11, 2009 |accessdate=November 13, 2009}}</ref> where al-Awlaki lived for 11 years. His father served as Agriculture Minister and as president of ].<ref name=rad /><ref name=rag>{{cite news|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120904422_pf.html|last=Raghavan|first=Sudarsan|date=December 10, 2009|title=Cleric linked to Fort Hood attack grew more radicalized in Yemen|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=December 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name= "nytimes homegrown">Shane, Scott; ; New York Times, November 18, 2009, last accessed November 20, 2009. |
The family returned to Yemen in 1978,<ref name="UPI">{{cite news |title=Imam in Fort Hood case born in New Mexico |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/11/11/Imam-in-Fort-Hood-case-born-in-New-Mexico/UPI-43701257982479/ |agency=] |location= |date=November 11, 2009 |accessdate=November 13, 2009}}</ref> where al-Awlaki lived for 11 years. His father served as Agriculture Minister and as president of ].<ref name=rad /><ref name=rag>{{cite news|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120904422_pf.html|last=Raghavan|first=Sudarsan|date=December 10, 2009|title=Cleric linked to Fort Hood attack grew more radicalized in Yemen|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=December 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name= "nytimes homegrown">Shane, Scott; ; New York Times, November 18, 2009, last accessed November 20, 2009. | ||
| Al-Awlaki returned to Colorado in 1991 to attend college. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from ] (1994), which he attended on a foreign ] and Yemeni government scholarship, and an M.A. in Education Leadership from ]; he also worked on a ] degree in Human Resource Development at ] from January to December 2001.<ref name=inf /><ref name=rag/><ref name = "wash post">Schmidt, Susan; ; the Washington Post, February 27, 2008, last accessed November 20, 2009.</ref><ref>]'', December 1, 2009, accessed December 1, 2009]</ref><ref>]'', December 2, 2009, accessed December 7, 2009]</ref><ref></ref> His ]ic education consists of a few intermittent months with various scholars, and reading works by several prominent Islamic scholars.<ref name=nef>{{cite news| url= http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/nefabackgrounder_alawlaki.pdf |last=The ]|date=February 5, 2009 |title=Anwar al Awlaki: Pro Al-Qaida Ideologue with Influence in the West |accessdate=December 2, 2009 }}</ref> | |||
| Al-Awlaki returned to Colorado in 1991 to attend college. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from ] (1994), which he attended on a foreign ] and Yemeni government scholarship, and an M.A. in Education Leadership from ]; he also worked on a ] degree in Human Resource Development at ] from January to December 2001. | |||
| ==Ideology== | ==Ideology== | ||
| Al-Awlaki has been accused by a number of sources of ] and encouraging terrorism.<ref name= "nytimes homegrown"/><ref name = "wash post"/><ref name= "Helms"/><ref name=rec/> According to Harry Helms and an independent Yemeni political analyst who insisted on anonymity, al-Awlaki is an adherent of the ] ] sect of ]; Helms also said his sermons were extremely anti-] and pro-'']''.<ref name= "Helms">, p. 55, ISBN 1438295308, accessed November 11, 2009</ref><ref name=rec/> | |||
| He is often noted for targeting young US-based Muslims with his lectures. Terrorism consultant ] calls al-Awlaki "one of the principal jihadi luminaries for would-be homegrown terrorists. His fluency with English, his unabashed advocacy of jihad and ] organizations, and his Web-savvy approach are a powerful combination." He calls al-Awlaki's lecture "Constants on the Path of Jihad", which he says was based on a similar document written by the founder of Al-Qaeda, the "virtual bible for lone-wolf Muslim extremists."<ref>]'', November 9, 2009, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> | |||
| ==Connections to terrorism== | |||
| ===In the US; 1991-2002=== | |||
| Al-Awlaki served as an ] in ], and then of the ] mosque in ], from 1996-2000.<ref name = "wash post"/><ref name= "cha ">{{cite news| url=http://www.verumserum.com/media/2009/11/2003-San-Diego-Trib-Story-on-al-Awlaki.pdf |last=Thornton|first=Kelly|date= July 25, 2003 |title=Chance to Foil 9/11 Plot Lost Here, Report Finds|work='']'' |accessdate= December 1, 2009}}</ref><ref name= "inf ">{{cite news|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Dw1mHo6zjKwC&pg=PT351dq=awlaki++%22san+diego%22+mosque&num=100&ei=tqAVS6rqF4S-yQTo-4n7Aw#v=onepageq=aulaqi&=false|last=Sperry|first=Paul E. |date2005|title=Infiltration: how Muslim spies and subversives have penetrated Washington|work= Thomas Nelson Inc., ISBN 1595550038, 9781595550033|accessdate= December 1, 2009}}</ref> Al-Awlaki was arrested in San Diego in 1996 and 1997 for ] ].<ref name= "nytimes homegrown"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040621/21plot.htm |title=The imam's very curious story |author=Chitra Ragavan |date=June 13, 2004 |publisher=''U.S. News & World Report'' |accessdate=November 28, 2009}}</ref><ref name=how /> In 1998 and 1999 in San Diego, he served as Vice President for the ] (CSSW), founded by Abdul Majeed al-Zindani.<ref name = "wash post"/> During a terrorism trial, ] (FBI) agent Brian Murphy testified that CSSW was a “front organization to funnel money to terrorists,” and US federal prosecutors have described it as being used to support Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.<ref name = "wash post"/><ref>Hays, Tom, "FBI Eyes NYC ‘Charity’ in Terror Probe," ], February 26, 2004, accessed November 11, 2009</ref> The FBI investigated al-Awlaki beginning in June 1999 through March 2000 for possible fundraising for ], links to al-Qaeda, and a visit in early 2000 by a close associate of "the blind sheik" ] (now in prison for his role in the ]), but was unable to unearth sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.<ref name=inf /><ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=nef /><ref name= "Helms"/><ref name= how>{{cite news| url= http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/FtHoodInvestigation/anwar-awlaki/story?id=9200720&page=3|last=Rhee|first=Joseph |date=November 30, 2009|title= How Anwar Awlaki Got Away; U.S. Attorney's Decision to Cancel Arrest Warrant "Shocked" Terrorism Investigators|work= ='']'' |accessdate= December 1, 2009}}</ref><ref name=cha /> | |||
| ]]] | |||
| ]]] | |||
| While he was in San Diego, witnesses told the FBI he had a close relationship with two of the ] (] and ]) in 2000, and served as their spiritual advisor.<ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=how/><ref></ref> Authorities say the two hijackers regularly attended the mosque al-Awlaki led in San Diego, and al-Awlaki had many closed-door meetings with them, which led investigators to believe al-Awlaki knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance.<ref name=how /><ref name=cha /> | |||
| In his last positions in the US, he headed east and served as Imam at the ] ] in the ] beginning in January 2001, and was also the Muslim ] at ].<ref name=inf /><ref name = "wash post"/><ref>; Cageprisoners.com, November 8, 2006, accessed June 7, 2007</ref> Fluent in English, known for giving eloquent talks on Islam, and with a mandate to attract young non-Arabic speakers, "he was the magic bullet," according to mosque spokesman ]; "he had everything all in a box."<ref>], September 12, 2004, accessed December 9, 2009]</ref> Shortly after this his sermons were attended by two of the 9/11 hijackers (Al-Hazmi again and ]), and by Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.<ref name=how /><ref name=cha /><ref>]'', November 7, 2009, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> The ] concluded that two of the hijackers "reportedly respected al-Awlaki as a religious figure".<ref name=rec>{{cite news|url= http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/1585957.html |title=Is imam a terror recruiter or just an incendiary preacher? |last=Allam |first=Hannah|date= November 22, 2009|work=]|accessdate= November 23, 2009}}</ref> The FBI also learned he may have been contacted by a possible "procurement agent" for Osama bin Laden, Ziyad Khaleel.<ref name = "wash post"/> When police raided the Hamburg, Germany, apartment of ] (the "20th hijacker") while investigating the 9/11 attacks, his telephone number was found among Binalshibh's personal contact information.<ref name=inf/><ref name="wash post"/><ref name="wanted">]'', November 11, 2009, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> | |||
| Writing on the '']'' website six days after the 9/11 attacks, he suggested that Israeli intelligence agents might have been responsible for the attacks, and that the FBI "went into the roster of the airplanes and whoever has a Muslim or Arab name became the hijacker by default."<ref name = "wash post"/> He left the US for Yemen in March 2002, following extensive FBI investigations.<ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=how /> | |||
| Weeks later he posted an essay in Arabic titled "Why Muslims Love Death" on the ''Islam Today'' website, praising the Palestinian ]s' fervor, and months later at a lecture in a London mosque that was recorded on videotape he lauded them in English.<ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=how/> By July 2002 he was under investigation because a subject of a US ] (Joint Terrorism Task Forces are FBI-led, multi-agency teams made up of FBI agents, other federal investigators—including those from the Department of Defense, and state and local law enforcement officers) investigation was discovered to have sent money to al-Awlaki, and his name was placed on an early version of what is now the federal terror watch list.<ref name=inf /><ref name=how/><ref>], November 10, 2009, accessed December 9, 2009]</ref> | |||
| In October 2002, a Denver federal judge signed off on an ] for al-Awlaki for ], but just days later, on October 9, the Denver ] rescinded it.<ref name=inf/><ref name=how/> The prosecutors withdrew the warrant because they ultimately felt they lacked evidence that al-Awlaki had committed a crime, according to U.S. Attorney Dave Gaouette, who authorized its withdrawal.<ref name=att/> While al-Awlaki had listed Yemen as his place of birth (which the prosecutors believed was false) on his original application for a US ] in June 1990, which he then used to obtain a passport in November 1993, he later changed his place of birth information to Las Cruces, New Mexico.<ref name=att/><ref>], accessed December 15, 2009]</ref> Prosecutors could not charge him for his initial lie, because a 10-year ] on lying to the ] had expired.<ref>]'', December 2, 2009, accessed December 7, 2009]</ref> "The bizarre thing is if you put Yemen down (on the application), it would be harder to get a Social Security number than to say you are a native-born citizen of Las Cruces," Gaouette said.<ref name=att /> As a result of the withdrawal of the warrant, agents were unable to arrest him when he returned to JFK airport in the US on October 10, 2002—the following day.<ref name=inf /><ref name=how/> '']'' reported that the decision to cancel the arrest warrant outraged members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego who were monitoring al-Awlaki and wanted to "look at him under a microscope", but Gaouette said there was no objection to the warrant being rescinded during a meeting attended by Ray Fournier, the San Diego federal diplomatic security agent whose allegation had set in motion the effort to obtain a warrant.<ref name=att /> Gaouette opined that if al-Awlaki had been convicted, he would have faced about 6 months in custody.<ref></ref> | |||
| Al-Awlaki then returned briefly to Northern Virginia, where he visited radical Islamic cleric ], who is now serving a life sentence for inciting followers to fight with the ] against the US, and asked him about recruiting young Muslims for "violent jihad."<ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=how/> | |||
| ===In the United Kingdom; 2002-04=== | |||
| Al-Awlaki left the US before the end of 2002, because of a "climate of fear and intimidation" according to Imam ] of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque. Moving to the UK, he gave a series of lectures in December 2002 and January 2003 at the London Masjid at-Tawhid mosque, describing the rewards martyrs receive in paradise, and developing a following among ultraconservative young Muslims.<ref name=inf /><ref name=rag/><ref name = "wash post"/><ref name=how/><ref>]'', August 4, 2003, accessed December 9, 2009]</ref> | |||
| He spent several months in Britain in 2003, giving talks to up to 200 youths.<ref name= "st ">{{cite news| url= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6974073.ece |last1=Newell |first1=Claire |last2= Lamb |first2=Christina |last3=Ungoed-Thomas |first3= Jon | last4=Gourlay |first4=Chris | last5=Dowling |first5=Kevin | last6=Tobin |first6=Dominic |date=January 3, 2010 |title=Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab: one boy’s journey to jihad |work= ] |accessdate= January 2, 2010}}</ref> In Britain's ] in 2003, ], ] for ], mentioned the relationship between al-Awlaki and the ] (MAB), a ] ] founded by Kemal el-Helbawy, a senior member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.<ref name= "Family matters">Morgan, Adrian; , FamiySecurityMatters.org, November 10, 2009, retrieved December 1, 2009.</ref> | |||
| ===In Yemen; 2004-present=== | |||
| Al-Awlaki returned to Yemen in early 2004, and lived in his ancestral village in the southern province of ] with his wife and five children.<ref name="wash post"/><ref name=how/> He lectured at ], headed by ], who in 2004 was designated a terrorist associated with al-Qaeda by both the U.S. and the ].<ref name=rag/><ref name = "wash post"/> Some believe that the school's curriculum deals mostly, if not exclusively, with radical Islamic studies, and that it is an incubator of radicalism.<ref name=rag/><ref>Glenn R. Simpson, "Terror Probe Follows the Money," '']'', April 2, 2004</ref> Students are suspected of having assassinated three American ], and "the number two leader for the ]", ].<ref name="treasury">], JS-1190, February 24, 2004, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> ], now serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with his participation in Afghanistan's ] army, is a former student of the university.<ref name=rag/><ref name = "wash post"/> Al-Zindani, however, denied having any influence over al-Awlaki, or that he had been his "direct teacher."<ref name="Zindani">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8453025.stm?CFID=17638234&CFTOKEN=54261596|title=Yemen cleric Zindani warns against 'foreign occupation'|date=January 11, 2010|publisher='']''|accessdate=January 14, 2010}}</ref> | |||
| On August 31, 2006, Al-Awlaki was arrested by Yemeni authorities with regard to what he claims was a "secret police investigation" over "tribal issues", but has been reported to be charges of kidnapping a teenager for ransom and involvement in an al-Qaeda plot to kidnap a U.S. military attaché.<ref name=rad /><ref name=how/> Al-Awlaki blames the U.S. for pressuring the Yemeni authorities to arrest him, and says that in approximately September 2007 he was interviewed by FBI agents with regard to the 9/11 attacks and other subjects. Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen expert, noted that his name was on a list of 100 prisoners whose release was sought by al-Qaida-linked militants in Yemen.<ref name=rec/> After 18 months in a Yemeni prison, he was finally released on December 12, 2007.<ref name= "nytimes homegrown"/><ref name=rec/> | |||
| In December 2008, he sent a communique to the Somalian terrorist group ], congratulating them. He thanked them for "giving us a living example of how we as Muslims should proceed to change our situation. The ballot has failed us, but the bullet has not". In conclusion, he wrote: "if my circumstances would have allowed, I would not have hesitated in joining you and being a soldier in your ranks".<ref></ref> | |||
| He provides al-Qaeda members in Yemen with the protection of his powerful tribe, the Awlakis, against the government. The tribal code requires it to protect those who seek refuge and assistance, and this is an even greater imperative where the person is a member of the tribe, or a tribesman's friend. Al-Awlaki has also reportedly helped negotiate deals with other tribal leaders.<ref>]'', January 3, 2010, accessed January 3, 2010]</ref> | |||
| Sought now by Yemeni authorities with regard to a new investigation into his possible al-Qaeda ties, the authorities have been unable to locate al-Awlaki since approximately March 2009, and by December 2009 al-Awlaki was on the Yemen government's most-wanted list.<ref>]'', December 25, 2009, accessed December 25, 2009]</ref> | |||
| ;Reaching out to the United Kingdom | |||
| Despite being banned from entering England in 2006, al-Awlaki spoke on at least seven occasions at five different venues around Britain via video-link in 2007-09.<ref name= dt>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html|last1= Sawer |first1= Patrick|last2=Barrett |first2=David| date=January 2, 2010| title=Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities |work='']'' |accessdate= January 2, 2010}}</ref> He gave a number of video-link lectures at the ] during this period. In one instance, the mosque provoked the outrage of '']'' by hosting a video-teleconference by al-Awlaki in 2008, and former ] ] expressed concern over al-Awlaki's involvement.<ref>]'', December 27, 2008, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> On New Year's Day 2009, the mosque played a pre-recorded video lecture by al-Awlaki, with a poster depicting New York in flames.<ref></ref><ref></ref> | |||
| He also gave video-link talks in England to an Islamic student society at the ] in September 2008, an arts center in ] in April 2009 (after the ] council gave its approval), worshipers at the Al Huda Mosque in ], and a dinner of the ] organization in September 2008 at the Wandsworth Civic Centre in ] (at which he said: "We should make ''jihad'' for our brothers").<ref name=dt /><ref>, ''The Times'', January 4, 2010, accessed January 3, 2010</ref><ref></ref> On August 23, 2009, al-Awlaki was banned by local authorities in ], ], from speaking at Kensington Town Hall via videolink to a fundraiser dinner for ] promoted by ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/23/islamist-preacher-council-address |last= Doward|first=Jamie |title=Islamist preacher banned from addressing fundraiser |publisher= ] |date=August 23, 2009 |accessdate=November 12, 2009}}</ref><ref></ref> His videos, which discuss his ]ist theories, have also circulated in England.<ref>Doward, Jamie. ''The Guardian'', December 27, 2009, accessed December 27, 2009.</ref><ref>Spencer, Richard. , ''The Telegraph'', December 28, 2009. accessed December 28, 2009.</ref><ref>Spillius, Alex. , ''The Telegraph'', December 28, 2009. accessed December 28, 2009.</ref> | |||
| ===Other connections=== | |||
| ], former ], who in 2008 publicly warned that al-Awlaki was targeting Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks.]] | |||
| FBI agents have identified al-Awlaki as a known, important "senior recruiter for al Qaeda", and a spiritual motivator.<ref name=rec/><ref></ref> | |||
| Al-Awlaki's name came up in nearly a dozen terrorism cases recently in the US, UK, and Canada. In each case suspects (including suicide bombers in the ], radical Islamic terrorists in the ], and radical Islamic terrorists in the ]) were devoted to al-Awlaki's message, which they listened to on laptops, audio clips, and CDs.<ref name= "nytimes homegrown"/><ref name=how/><ref></ref> Awlaki’s recorded lectures were an inspiration to Islamist fundamentalists who comprised at least six terror cells in the UK through 2009.<ref name= st/> ] (Talib Islam), who attempted on September 24, 2009, to bomb the Federal Building and the adjacent offices of Congressman ] in Springfield, Illinois, with one ton of explosives, admired al-Awlaki and quoted him on his ] page.<ref>], December 2009, accessed December 18, 2009]</ref> In addition to his website, al-Awlaki had a , with a substantial percentage of "fans" from the US, many of whom were high school students.<ref name=nef /> | |||
| In October 2008, ], US ], warned that al-Awlaki "targets US Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks from his new home in Yemen."<ref></ref><ref>], Release Date: October 28, 2008, accessed November 14, 2009]</ref> Quoting Allen, Al-Awlaki responded in December 2008: "I would challenge him to come up with just one such lecture where I encourage 'terrorist attacks'".<ref>], December 27, 2008, accessed January 9, 2010]</ref> | |||
| ====Nidal Malik Hasan==== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| ] suspect ] was investigated by the FBI after intelligence agencies intercepted at least 18 emails between him and al-Awlaki between December 2008 and June 2009.<ref name= lev>{{cite news| url= | |||
| http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG1kZDExQ-Rc-XKZAB2V0sOlGK5wD9C47OUG0|last= Hess |first=Pamela |date=November 21, 2009 |title= Levin: More e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect possible |work=Associated Press |accessdate=November 22, 2009}}</ref> Even before the contents of the emails were revealed, author Jarret Brachman said that Hasan's contacts with al-Awlaki should have raised "huge ]s". According to Brachman, al-Awlaki is a major influence on radical English-speaking jihadis internationally.<ref>], November 10, 2009, accessed November 12, 2009]</ref> | |||
| In one of the emails, Hasan wrote al-Awlaki: "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife. "It sounds like ]s," said Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, a military analyst at the ]. "That he's actually either offering himself up, or that he's already crossed that line in his own mind." Hasan also asked al-Awlaki when jihad is appropriate, and whether it is permissible if innocents are killed in a suicide attack.<ref>]'', November 19, 2009, accessed November 19, 2009]</ref> In the months before the attacks, Hasan increased his contacts with al-Awlaki to discuss how to transfer funds abroad without coming to the attention of law authorities.<ref name=lev /> | |||
| A DC-based Joint Terrorism Task Force that operates under the FBI was notified of the emails, and the information was reviewed by one of its Defense Criminal Investigative Service personnel. Army employees were informed of the emails, but they didn't perceive any terrorist threat in Hasan's questions. Instead, they viewed them as general queries about spiritual guidance with regard to conflicts between Islam and military service, and judged them to be consistent with legitimate mental health research about Muslims in the armed services.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihGepAkECGoDagETVBMpPb3w7Y3gD9BSM4NG0|date=November 10, 2009|title= FBI reassessing past look at Fort Hood suspect}}</ref> The assessment was that there was not sufficient information for a larger investigation.<ref></ref> Despite two ] investigators on two joint task forces looking into Hasan's communications, Defense Department higher-ups said they were not notified of such investigations before the shootings. '']'' reported that another government said that Hasan also had contact with other people being tracked by the FBI, who have not been publicly identified. | |||
| Charles Allen, no longer in government, said: "I find it difficult to understand why an Army major would be in repeated contact with an Islamic extremist like Anwar al-Awlaki, who preaches a hateful ideology directed at inciting violence against the United States and the West... It is hard to see how repeated contact would in any legitimate way further his research as a psychiatrist."<ref name=dal/> And former ] officer ] opined: "E-mailing a known al-Qaeda sympathizer should have set off alarm bells. Even if he was exchanging recipes, the bureau should have put out an alert."<ref name=dal/> | |||
| Al-Awlaki had set up a website, with a ] on which he shared his views.<ref name=dal>{{cite news| url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-shooterimam_29pro.ART.State.Edition2.4b91281.html|last=Egerton|first=Brooks |date= November 29, 2009|title= Imam's e-mails to Fort Hood suspect Hasan tame compared to online rhetoric |work= The Dallas Morning News|accessdate= December 1, 2009}}</ref> On December 11, 2008, he condemned any Muslim who seeks a religious decree "that would allow him to serve in the armies of the disbelievers and fight against his brothers."<ref name=dal/> The ] noted that on December 23, 2008, six days after he said Hasan first e-mailed him, al-Awlaki wrote on his blog: "The bullets of the fighters of Afghanistan and Iraq are a reflection of the feelings of the Muslims towards America".<ref>," '']'', November 16, 2009, retrieved November 16, 2009]</ref> | |||
| In "44 Ways to Support Jihad," another sermon posted on his blog in February 2009, al-Awlaki encouraged others to "fight jihad", and explained how to give money to the ] or their families after they've died. Al-Awlaki's sermon also encouraged others to conduct weapons training, and raise children "on the love of Jihad." <ref name="adl.org"></ref> Also that month, he wrote: "I pray that Allah destroys America and all its allies."<ref name=dal /> He wrote as well: "We will implement the rule of Allah on Earth by the tip of the sword, whether the masses like it or not."<ref name=dal /> On July 14, he criticized armies of Muslim countries that assist the US military, saying, "the blame should be placed on the soldier who is willing to follow orders ... who sells his religion for a few dollars."<ref name=dal /> In a sermon on his blog on July 15, 2009, entitled "Fighting Against Government Armies in the Muslim World," al-Awlaki encouraged Muslims to fight against American soldiers, and wrote, "Blessed are those who fight against them, and blessed are those ] who are killed by them."<ref name="adl.org"/><ref>], November 18, 2009, accessed December 9, 2009]</ref> | |||
| A fellow Muslim officer at Fort Hood said Hasan's eyes "lit up" when gushing about al-Awlaki's teachings.<ref>], November 11, 2009, accessed December 10, 2009]</ref> | |||
| After the ], on his now temporarily inoperable website (apparently because some web hosting companies took it down),<ref name= "nytimes homegrown"/> al-Awlaki praised Hasan's actions:<ref name="abcnews.go.com"/> | |||
| :Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people.... Any decent Muslim cannot live, understanding properly his duties towards his Creator and his fellow Muslims, and yet serve as a US soldier. The US is leading the war against terrorism which in reality is a war against Islam. Its army is directly invading two Muslim countries and indirectly occupying the rest through its stooges. | |||
| :Nidal opened fire on soldiers who were on their way to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. How can there be any dispute about the virtue of what he has done? In fact the only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the US army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal. | |||
| :The heroic act of brother Nidal also shows the dilemma of the Muslim American community. Increasingly they are being cornered into taking stances that would either make them betray Islam or betray their nation. Many amongst them are choosing the former. The Muslim organizations in America came out in a pitiful chorus condemning Nidal’s operation. | |||
| :The fact that fighting against the US army is an Islamic duty today cannot be disputed. No scholar with a grain of Islamic knowledge can defy the clear cut proofs that Muslims today have the right - rather the duty - to fight against American tyranny. Nidal has killed soldiers who were about to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to kill Muslims. The American Muslims who condemned his actions have committed treason against the Muslim ] and have fallen into hypocrisy.... | |||
| :May Allah grant our brother Nidal patience, perseverance, and steadfastness, and we ask Allah to accept from him his great heroic act. Ameen.<ref></ref><ref>], November 9, 2009, accessed December 16, 2009]</ref> | |||
| Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Hider Shaea interviewed al-Awlaki in November 2009.<ref name="confidant">]'', November 16, 2009, accessed November 16, 2009]</ref> Al-Awlaki acknowledged his correspondence with Hasan. He said he "neither ordered nor pressured ... Hasan to harm Americans". Al-Awlaki said Hasan first e-mailed him December 17, 2008, introducing himself by writing: "Do you remember me? I used to pray with you at the Virginia mosque." Hasan said he had become a devout Muslim around the time al-Awlaki was preaching at ], in 2001 and 2002, and al-Awlaki said 'Maybe Nidal was affected by one of my lectures.'" He added: "It was clear from his e-mails that Nidal trusted me. Nidal told me: 'I speak with you about issues that I never speak with anyone else.'" Al-Awlaki said Hasan arrived at his own conclusions regarding the acceptability of violence in Islam, and said he was not the one to initiate this. Shaea summarized their relationship by saying, "Nidal was providing evidence to Anwar, not vice versa."<ref name="confidant"/> | |||
| Asked whether Hasan mentioned ] as a target in his e-mails, Shaea declined to comment. However, al-Awlaki said the shooting was acceptable in Islam because it was a form of jihad, as the West began the hostilities with the Muslims. The cleric also denounced what he described as contradictory behavior by Muslims who condemned Hasan's actions and "let him down."<ref name= "Yemeni reporter">]'', November 16, 2009, retrieved November 16, 2009]</ref> Referring to the post on his blog praising the shootings after they occurred, al-Awlaki said he "blessed the act because it was against a military target. And the soldiers who were killed were not normal soldiers, but those who were trained and prepared to go to Iraq and Afghanistan".<ref name="confidant"/> | |||
| ====Northwest Airlines Flight 253 bomber==== | |||
| ], the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 suspected bomber]] | |||
| A number of sources reported contacts between al-Awlaki and ], the suspected al-Qaeda attempted bomber of ] on December 25, 2009. There is evidence that al-Awlaki was one of Abdulmutallab's recruiter and one of his trainers, and met Abdulmutallab prior to the attack. | |||
| ] ], the senior ] on the ], said officials in the Obama administration and officials with access to law enforcement information told him the suspect "had contact and that he was recently in Yemen. The question we'll have to raise is was this imam in Yemen influential enough to get some people to attack the U.S. again."<ref>Allen, Nick. ''The Telegraph'', December 25, 2009, accessed December 26, 2009</ref><ref>Esposito, Richard; and Ross, Brian. '']'', December 26, 2009, accessed December 26, 2009.</ref><ref>Preddy, Melissa, ''AFP'', December 26, 2009, accessed December 27, 2009.</ref> Hoekstra added in an interview: "The suspicion is ... that had contact with al-Awlaki. The belief is this is a stronger connection with al-Awlaki" than Hasan had.<ref> ''Business Week'', December 26, 2009, accessed December 26, 2009.</ref> On December 27, Hoekstra said that credible sources told him the suspect "most likely" has ties with al-Awlaki.<ref>Warrick, Joby; and Nakashima, Ellen. ''The Washington Post'', December 27, 2009, accessed December 27, 2009.</ref><ref>, '']'', December 27, 2009, accessed December 27, 2009.</ref> | |||
| '']'' established that Abdulmutallab first met al-Awlaki in 2005 in Yemen while he was studying Arabic.<ref name= mi>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6973954.ece|last=Leppard |first=David |date=January 3, 2010 |title=MI5 knew of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s UK extremist links|work= ] |accessdate= January 2, 2010}}</ref> During that time the suspect attended lectures by al-Awlaki.<ref name= st/> | |||
| The two are also "thought to have met" in London, according to '']''.<ref>]'', January 2, 2010, accessed January 2, 2010]</ref> Evidence collected during searches of "flats or apartments of interest" connected to Abdulmutallab in London showed that he was a "big fan" of al-Awlaki, as web traffic showed he followed Awlaki's blog and website.<ref>Herridge, Catherine. , '']'', December 28, 2009, accessed December 28, 2009.</ref> '']'' and '']'' reported that Abdulmutallab was at a talk by al-Awlaki at the East London Mosque (which al-Awlaki may have attended by video teleconference).<ref name= dt>{{cite news| url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6924653/Detroit-bombers-mentor-continues-to-influence-British-mosques-and-universities.html |last1= Sawer |first1= Patrick|last2= Barrett |first2=David|date=January 2, 2010 |title= |work= Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities |accessdate= January 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>, '']'', December 29, 2009, accessed December 29, 2009.</ref> | |||
| ] historian, and professor of international relations, ] wrote that the suspect was "on American security watch-lists because of his links with ... Al-Awlaki".<ref>{{cite news|author=Almond, Mark|title=Al Qaeda terror plot that was born in Africa|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1238688/Al-Qaeda-terror-born-Africa.html|date=December 27, 2009|work=Daily Mail|publisher=Associated Newspapers|accessdate=December 27, 2009}}</ref> | |||
| ''CBS News'' said that the two were communicating in the months before the bombing attempt, and sources say that at a minimum al-Awlaki was providing spiritual support.<ref name="cbsnews.com"/> According to federal sources, over the year prior to the attack, Abdulmutallab intensified electronic communications with al-Awlaki.<ref>Johnson, Carrie; DeYoung, Johnson; DeYoung, Karen; and Kornblut, Anne E. , '']'', December 30, 2009. accessed December 30, 2009.</ref> One government source described intercepted "voice-to-voice communication" between the two during the fall of 2009, saying that al-Awlaki "was in some way involved in facilitating 's transportation or trip through Yemen. It could be training, a host of things."<ref>]'', December 31, 2009, accessed December 31, 2009]</ref> | |||
| Abdulmutallab told the FBI that al-Awlaki was one of his trainers when he underwent al-Qaeda training in remote camps in Yemen, and there were "informed reports" that Abdulmutallab met al-Awlaki during his final weeks of training and indoctrination prior to the attack.<ref></ref><ref>O'Neil, Sean. , '']'', December 28, 2009, accessed December 28, 2009.</ref> According to a U.S. intelligence official, intercepts and other information point to connections between the two: | |||
| <blockquote>Some of the information ... comes from Abdulmutallab, who ... said that he met with al-Awlaki and senior al-Qaeda members during an extended trip to Yemen this year, and that the cleric was involved in some elements of planning or preparing the attack and in providing religious justification for it. Other intelligence linking the two became apparent after the attempted bombing, including communications intercepted by the ] indicating that the cleric was meeting with "a Nigerian" in preparation for some kind of operation.<ref>]'', December 31, 2009, accessed December 31, 2009]</ref></blockquote> | |||
| Yemen's Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs, Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, said Yemeni investigators believe the suspect traveled in October to Shabwa, where he met with suspected al-Qaeda members in a house built by al-Awlaki and used by al-Awlaki to hold theological sessions, and that Abdulmutallab was trained there and equipped there with his explosives.<ref></ref> "If he went to Shabwa, for sure he would have met Anwar al-Awlaki," al-Alimi said. Al-Alimi also said he believed al-Awlaki is alive.<ref name="upi.com"></ref> And Abdul Elah al-Shaya, a Yemeni journalist, said a healthy al-Awlaki called him on December 28 and said that the Yemeni government's claims as to his death were "lies". Shaya declined to comment as to whether al-Awlaki had told him about any contacts he may have had with Abdulmutallab. According to Gregory Johnsen, a Yemeni expert at ], Shaya is generally reliable.<ref name ="IsikoffAlive" >Isikoff, Michael; Newsweek.com, Declassified; posted and accessed December 29, 2009.</ref> | |||
| ==Current status== | |||
| Yemeni authorities have been trying to locate al-Awlaki, who according to his father disappeared approximately March 2009. He was believed to be hiding in Yemen's ] or ] regions, which are part of the so-called "triangle of evil" (known as such because it attracts al-Qaeda militants seeking refuge among local tribes that are unhappy with Yemen's central government).<ref name="wanted"/> | |||
| Reports quoting Yemeni sources originally said al-Awlaki might have been killed in a pre-dawn air strike by ] ] on a meeting of senior al-Qaeda leaders at a hideout in Rafd, a remote mountain valley in eastern Shabwa, on December 24, 2009, but the working assumption now is that he survived.<ref></ref> '']'' reported that Yemeni planes, using Saudi Arabian and US intelligence aid, killed at least 30 Al Qaeda members from Yemen and abroad, and that an al-Awlaki house was "raided and demolished". '']'' reported the dead might include ] (the region's al-Qaeda leader), ] (the region's No. 2 al-Qaeda leader), and al-Awlaki.<ref name=AbcNews2009-12-24>{{cite news| url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/12/sources-air-strike-in-yemen-may-have-killed-imam-who-inspired-fort-hood-shooter-two-top-al-qaeda-officials.html| title=Sources: Air Strike in Yemen May Have Killed Imam Who Inspired Fort Hood Shooter, Two Top Al Qaeda Officials| publisher=]| date=December 24, 2009| author=Jake Tapper| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.abcnews.com%2Fpoliticalpunch%2F2009%2F12%2Fsources-air-strike-in-yemen-may-have-killed-imam-who-inspired-fort-hood-shooter-two-top-al-qaeda-officials.html&date=2009-12-24| archivedate=December 24, 2009}}</ref> On December 28 '']'' reported that US and Yemeni officials said that al-Awlaki was at the meeting of senior al-Qaeda leaders that was attacked, but his fate was still unknown.<ref></ref> | |||
| Al-Awlaki's relatives did not believe he was among those killed, however.<ref>]'', December 24, 2009, accessed December 24, 2009]</ref> And according to Abdul Elah al-Shaya, a Yemeni journalist, the former imam called him on December 28, 2009, and said that the claims of his death by the Yemeni government were "lies," and that he was well. The journalist said that al-Awlaki told him that he had been home at the time of the bombing, and did not attend the al-Qaeda meeting. Al-Shaya insisted that al-Awlaki is not tied to Al Qaeda, and declined to comment as to whether al-Awlaki had told him about any contacts he may have had with Abdulmutallab. According to Gregory Johnsen, a Yemeni expert at ], the journalist is generally reliable.<ref name="IsikoffAlive"/> Yemen's Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs also said he believed al-Awlaki is alive.<ref name="upi.com"/> | |||
| Al-Awlaki's father, Nasser, proclaimed his son's innocence in a recent interview with ]'s ], saying: "I am now afraid of what they will do with my son. He's not Osama bin Laden, they want to make something out of him that he's not." As to his son's whereabouts, responding to Yemeni officials' claims that Anwar was hiding out in in the southern mountains of Yemen with al-Qaeda, Nasser said: "He's dead wrong. What do you expect my son to do? There are missiles raining down on the village. He has to hide. But he is not hiding with al Qaeda; our tribe is protecting him right now." The Awlaq tribe is large and powerful, with a number of connections to the Yemeni government. "He has been wrongly accused, it's unbelievable. He lived his life in America, he's an all-American boy", said his father.<ref name="Daddy dearest">Newton, Paula. , published and retrieved January 10, 2010.</ref> | |||
| ==Works== | |||
| The ] says Al-Awlaki's ability to write and speak in straight-forward English enables him to be a key player in inciting English-speaking Muslims to commit terrorist acts.<ref name=nef /> As al-Awlaki himself wrote in ''44 Ways to Support Jihad'': | |||
| <blockquote>Most of the Jihad literature is available only in Arabic and publishers are not willing to take the risk of translating it. The only ones who are spending the time and money translating Jihad literature are the Western intelligence services ... and too bad, they would not be willing to share it with you.<ref name=nef /></blockquote> | |||
| ===Written works=== | |||
| * ''44 Ways to Support Jihad''—Essay (January 2009)—writes "The hatred of '']'' is a central element of our military creed," asserts that all Muslims must participate in Jihad in person, by funding it, or by writing. All Muslims must remain physically fit and train with firearms to be ready for the battlefield."<ref name=nef /><ref></ref> | |||
| * Al-Awlaki has also written for ''Jihad Recollections'', an English language online publication published by Al-Fursan Media, an apparent collaboration of online terrorist sympathizers.<ref name="adl.org"/> | |||
| ===Lectures=== | ===Lectures=== | ||
Revision as of 20:08, 15 January 2010
| Anwar al-Awlaki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Anwar Nasser Abdulla Aulaqi (1971-04-22) April 22, 1971 (age 53) Las Cruces, New Mexico |
| Alma mater | Colorado State University; San Diego State University; The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development |
| Occupation(s) | lecturer/former Imam/ al-Qaeda Regional Commander |
| Employer | Iman University |
| Known for | accused of being senior Al-Qaeda recruiter and motivator linked to various terrorists |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled Aulaqi; Arabic: أنور العولقي Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; born (1971-04-22) April 22, 1971 (age 53) in Las Cruces, New Mexico) is a Muslim lecturer, spiritual leader
Early life
His parents are from Yemen. Al-Awlaki's father, Nasser al-Aulaqi, earned his master's degree in agricultural economics at New Mexico State University (1971), received a doctorate at the University of Nebraska, and worked at the University of Minnesota from 1975 to 1977.
The family returned to Yemen in 1978, where al-Awlaki lived for 11 years. His father served as Agriculture Minister and as president of Sanaa University.<ref name= "nytimes homegrown">Shane, Scott; Born in U.S., a Radical Cleric Inspires Terror; New York Times, November 18, 2009, last accessed November 20, 2009.
Al-Awlaki returned to Colorado in 1991 to attend college. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University (1994), which he attended on a foreign student visa and Yemeni government scholarship, and an M.A. in Education Leadership from San Diego State University; he also worked on a Doctorate degree in Human Resource Development at George Washington University Graduate School of Education & Human Development from January to December 2001.
Ideology
Lectures
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|
References
- Murphy, Dan (November 10, 2009). "Fort Hood shooting: Was Nidal Malik Hasan inspired by militant cleric?". Christian Science Monitor. Boston. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ "Imam in Fort Hood case born in New Mexico". United Press International. November 11, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ Cardona, Felisa (December 3, 2009). "U.S. attorney defends dropping radical cleric's case in 2002". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Cite error: The named reference
infwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - Shephard, Michelle (October 18, 2009). "The powerful online voice of jihad". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|newspaper=(help) - ^ Sharpe, Tom (November 14, 2009). "Radical imam traces roots to New Mexico; Militant Islam cleric's father graduated from NMSU". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan (December 10, 2009). "Cleric linked to Fort Hood attack grew more radicalized in Yemen". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- Cite error: The named reference
nefwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links
- "Exclusive; Ray Suarez: My Post-9/11 Interview With Anwar al-Awlaki," PBS, October 30, 2001
- al-Awlaki, Anwar, "Understanding Ramadan: The Muslim Month of Fasting", The Washington Post, November 19, 2001
- Ragavan, Chitra, "The imam's very curious story: A skirt-chasing mullah is just one more mystery for the 9/11 panel," US News and World Report, June 13, 2004
- "Anwar al-Awlaki: 'Lies of the Telegraph,'" The NEFA Foundation, December 27, 2008
- "A Critique of the Methodology of Anwar al-Awlaki and his Errors in the Fiqh (Issue) of Jihad in Light of the Qur'an, Sunnah, and Classical to Contemporary Scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah" Salafi Manhaj, 2009
- "Al-Jazeera Satellite Network Interview with Yemini-American Cleric Shaykh Anwar al-Awlaki Regarding his Alleged Role in Radicalizing Maj. Malik Nidal Hasan," The NEFA Foundation, December 24, 2009