Al-Awlaki’s death major blow to Al Qaeda: Obama
October 1st, 2011 - 4:14 am ICT by IANS
Washington, Oct 1 (IANS) US President Barack Obama Friday said the killing of radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen is a major blow to the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
He made the remarks in the retirement ceremony of Adm. Mike Mullen, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Xinhua reported.
Obama said Al-Awlaki was behind several high-profile attacks on the US, and is “directly responsible for the deaths of many Yemeni citizens”.
“He directed the failed attempt to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. He directed the failed attempt to blow up US cargo planes in 2010,” said Obama.
Al-Awlaki was killed earlier in southeast Yemen in an air raid, according to Yemen’s defence ministry.
He was a major recruiter for Al Qaeda, and US officials suspect him to have provided spiritual guidance to attackers who carried out Fort Hood shooting in Nov 2009 and the underwear bomb attempt on a US airliner the following month.
The 40-year-old cleric was born in the US state of New Mexico to Yemeni parents, and has US citizenship.
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- Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki sentenced to ten years in prison - Jan 17, 2011
- Obama orders deployment of US drones to target Yemeni terrorist - May 02, 2010
- Yemen charges US-born radical cleric Al-Awlaki for first time - Nov 03, 2010
- Obama not pushing for Yemen president to go because of Al Qaeda threat: Experts - Mar 23, 2011
- Xmas bomb suspect claims radical imam told him to bomb jet - Feb 06, 2010
- Anwar al-Awlaki calls for more terror attacks on West in new video - Sep 30, 2010
- US born cleric al-Awlaki added to terror blacklist - Jul 17, 2010
- Al Qaeda in Yemen issues fresh threats to Americans - May 17, 2010
- Bomb discovery underscores threat from Yemen, al-Qaeda: US offficial - Oct 30, 2010
- US citizen behind Al Qaeda magazine - Jul 20, 2010
- Steal from enemy to fund terror: Al Qaeda - Jan 20, 2011
- Anwar al-Awlaki plotting attacks on UK - Mar 01, 2011
- Texas man indicted for being in contact with al Qaeda leader Awlaki since 2008 - Jun 04, 2010
- Us judge dismisses suit challenging government's authority to kill Qaeda's Al-Awlaki - Dec 08, 2010
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