Anwar al-Awlaki: al Qaeda's rock star no more

[Kurmudgeon]

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/30/anwar-al-awlaki-al-qaedas-rock-star-no-more/?hpt=hp_bn4
"Two cases illustrate al-Awlaki's ability to attract followers online. The best known is the messages exchanged between him and U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is being tried for the murder of 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas. In subsequent interviews, al-Awlaki said Hasan had initiated e-mail correspondence with him in December 2008. Al Jazeera reported: "He was asking about killing U.S. soldiers and officers," says al-Awlaki. "His question was, is it legitimate" under Islamic law.

More than a dozen e-mails followed, with Hasan asking al-Awlaki about martyrdom, about when jihad is permissible (about which al-Awlaki had written volumes), the death of innocent bystanders in attacks. And after the shootings, al-Awlaki was quick to praise them. In the Al Jazeera interview, he calls the shooting "a heroic action."

"The operation had a military target inside America, and there's no dispute about that," says al-Awlaki, adding that the soldiers killed "were prepared and equipped to fight and kill oppressed Muslims." He also mocked U.S. intelligence for not picking up on the e-mail traffic. "

[Kolesar]

1. The unreccing crew won't let you criticize Al-Awlaki

They must be fans.

[saras]

2. More like Al-Qaeda's Shaggs. Even his cult doesn't think he's actually GOOD.

He might have had as many as a couple hundred followers. Some articles actually try to claim that 150K YouTube views is somehow equal to 150K supporters.