Anwar al-Awlaki

Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled al-Aulaqi, al-Awlaqi; Arabic: أنور العولقي‎ Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; April 21, 1971 – September 30, 2011) was an American and Yemeni imam and Islamic lecturer. U.S. government officials allege that he was a senior recruiter and motivator who was involved in planning terrorist operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, and he became the first United States citizen to be targeted and killed in a United States drone strike. His son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, was killed by a U.S. drone strike two weeks later. With a blog, a Facebook page, the al-Qaeda magazine Inspire, and many YouTube videos, al-Awlaki was described by Saudi news station Al Arabiya as the "bin Laden of the Internet." After a request from the US Congress, in November 2010 Google removed many of al-Awlaki's videos from its websites. Al-Awlaki's teachings are still influencing Islamists in the West and internationally, with his statements, articles, and lectures being cited and used as inspiration by Islamic extremists.