Thaindian News

Washington, Feb.4 (ANI): Experts have warned that American jihadis trained by radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, could attack the United States sooner than later.

Counter-terror chiefs told senators on Tuesday an attempted strike by terrorists within six months is “certain.”

“There was nothing specific any of them were alluding to,” a senior counter-terror official told The News, adding “But we certainly have indications that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has a variety of plans to strike the United States.”

According to the New York Daily News, al-Awlaki is now on a targeting list signed off on by the Obama administration.

Asked by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) Wednesday about the “hypothetical” targeted killing of an American “cleric” overseas, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair explained why they’d draw a bull’s-eye on someone like Awlaki.

“We don’t target people for free speech. We target them for taking action that threatens Americans,” Blair told the House Intelligence Committee.

“If we think direct action will involve killing an American, we get specific permission to do that,” Blair added.

Awlaki befriended several 9/11 hijackers while an imam at mosques in San Diego and Washington’s Virginia suburbs.

From Yemen, he traded e-mails with the Fort Hood mass killer, U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, and with Nigerian rich kid Abdulmutallab, whom he also likely met with, according to the sources.

“We don’t know how many additional Americans he’s gotten to,” the senior official said of Awlaki, who escaped a Dec. 24 U.S. air strike aimed at Al Qaeda in Arabia leaders.

Awlaki told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Abdulmutallab was his “student” but he didn’t give him a fatwa - a religious order - to bomb a U.S.-bound jetliner. He did allow that he’s looking over his shoulder due to his unapologetic ties to the other killers. (ANI)