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| “ | Fighting the devil doesn't require consultation or prayers seeking divine guidance. They are the party of the devils. Fighting them is what is called for at this time. We have reached a point where it is either us or them. We are two opposites that will never come together. What they want can only be accomplished by our elimination. Therefore this is a defining battle. | „ |
| ~ al-Awlaki's opinion of the Middle East's conflict with America. |
Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled al-Aulaqi, al-Awlaqi; Arabic: أنور العولقي Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; April 21/22, 1971 – September 30, 2011) was a Yemeni-American preacher and imam, He was also secretly a senior recruiter for Al-Qaeda and allegedly had a role in planning the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, but this has never been definitively proven. though it is known that three of the 9/11 hijackers were regular attendees at his mosque.
He is also a major factor in causing the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, which was carried out by Nidal Malik Hassan. Hassan, a Muslim who had developed a hatred for America, communicated with al-Awlaki via email several times in the weeks before he committed the shooting, most importantly learning the concept of jihad from him.
al-Awlaki was known for his heavy presence on the internet, particularly social media forums like Facebook and YouTube, which he would use as platforms for Al-Qaeda propaganda and as a means of recruiting others into the organization.
al-Awlaki also had contacted Faisal Shahzad and is believed to have influenced him into committing the car bombing attempt in Times Square on May 1, 2010, and possibly was involved in the planning Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's plane bombing attempt on Christmas Day 2009. Shortly after these incidents, he went into hiding, allegedly into southeast Yemen. He was killed in a U.S. drone strike on September 30, 2011.