The Next Osama?

Anwar al-Awlaki is a name unfamiliar to most Americans, but it is one well-known in the jihadist world. This American member of Al-Qaeda used to serve as a prominent imam in the U.S., and is doing wonders for the terrorist group’s efforts to recruit Westerners and inspire homegrown terrorists. At this rate, he is well on his way to becoming the next Osama Bin Laden.
Unlike Osama Bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki speaks English fluently and has lived in the U.S. for much of his life. He has religious credentials as an imam (despite his history with prostitutes), references pop culture icons like Michael Jackson in his sermons, and has proven adept at using the Internet to build a following. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the affiliate based in Yemen that he holds a senior position in, is playing an increasingly prominent role in the overall terror network. He is the rising star in the jihadist world.
During his time in the U.S., al-Awlaki mastered the art of deception. He condemned the 9/11 attacks and was so slick that he was described by The New York Times as a “new generation of Muslim leader capable of merging East and West” in October 2001. He complained about U.S. foreign policy but said killing in retaliation was not justifiable and that the U.S. had a right “to bring the perpetrators to justice.” Yet, Ray Suarez of PBS caught on to al-Awlaki’s act after the attacks.
“One could walk away from the Friday sermon, or from the interview, struck by how in his rhetoric he could dance right up to the edge of condoning violence, taking the side of anti-American forces in the Muslim world, and then, just as carefully, reel it back in, pulling the punch, softening the context, covering the sharp-edged scalpel of his words in a reassuring sheath,” Suarez eloquently wrote.
Al-Awlaki is inspiring and perhaps playing an operational role in the latest wave of terrorist incidents against the United States. Whereas Bin Laden’s location is unknown and commanders and individual militants have little or no contact with him, al-Awlaki is often in direct contact with operatives. Major Nidal Malik Hussein, the perpetrator of the Fort Hood shooting in November that killed 13, exchanged at least 18 emails with al-Awlaki as he looked for religious approval for his plans. Hussein also attended al-Awlaki’s sermons at Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia at the same time as two of the 9/11 hijackers. Al-Awlaki described him as a “hero” after the shooting.
by  Ryan Mauro
  Ryan Mauro  the founder of WorldThreats.com, National Security Advisor to the C.A.N, and an intelligence analyst with the Asymmetric Warfare and Intelligence Center.