Senior U.S. Official Confirms Radical Qaida Cleric Awlaqi Dead
A senior U.S. official confirmed Friday that U.S.-born al-Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi was dead, after the Yemeni defense ministry said he had been killed with several other suspected militants.
"I can confirm... he's dead," the senior administration official said when asked about the incident, without providing further details.
Awlaqi, a U.S.-Yemeni citizen who had eluded capture for years, was believed to be a key leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and had been linked to a number of terror plots against the United States.
Republican Representative Peter King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, called Awlaqi's killing "a great success in our fight against al-Qaida and its affiliates."
"For the past several years, al-Awlaqi has been more dangerous even than Osama bin Laden had been. The killing of al-Awlaqi is a tremendous tribute to President Obama and the men and women of our intelligence community," he said.
In April 2010, a U.S. official said President Barack Obama's administration had taken the rare step of authorizing the targeted killing of Awlaqi, after U.S. intelligence agencies linked him to attacks.
U.S. intelligence officials believe Awlaqi was linked to a U.S. army major who allegedly shot dead 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas, and to a Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner on December 25, 2009.
Ben Venzke, who monitors militant groups at the U.S.-based IntelCenter, said the death of Awlaqi would deal a "significant blow" to al-Qaida's Arabian Peninsula franchise.
"It will especially impact the group's ability to recruit, inspire and raise funds as Awlaqi's influence and ability to connect to a broad demographic of potential supporters was unprecedented," he wrote.
Awlaqi, a charismatic preacher who spoke fluent English, was seen as having the unique ability to recruit al-Qaida operatives in the West.
Source: Agence France Presse
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