The Right Conservative News Sites | Right Side News

February 7, 2009
NefaFoundation.org
(Backgrounder)
Anwar al Awlaki: Pro Al-Qaida Ideologue with Influence in the West U.S. government agencies are increasingly concerned about the ability of pro-Jihad ideologues to use the Internet to incite U.S.-based Muslims to conduct terrorist attacks.

Indeed, there have been several terrorism cases in the years since 9/11 in which actors based in Western countries were influenced by lectures, writings, and videos downloaded from the Internet that were generated by spiritual figures and strategists living in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Anwar al Awlaki, an American who lives in Yemen, who is regarded as an Islamic scholar, may be an influential player in Al-Qaida’s efforts to radicalize and incite American Muslims to commit terrorist acts. His lectures on leaderless jihad were downloaded by, and provided inspiration to, the conspirators in the 2006-07 plot to attack Fort Dix.

In early January of 2009, al Awlaki published an essay titled “44 Ways to Support Jihad” on his web site. The paper is targeted to a young, English-speaking , Muslim audience and calls for armed and financial support of Jihad against the “kuffar.” In the weeks since its initial publication to the web site, it has been reposted to hundreds of other sites. This backgrounder on Anwar al Awlaki discusses his experience in the United States, his reputation as an ideologue, and his connections to Al-Qaida.

----------------------

The NEFA Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt, charitable organization created after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Foundation strives to help prevent future tragedies in the U.S. and abroad by exposing those responsible for planning, funding, and executing terrorist activities, with a particular emphasis on Islamic militant organizations.

The Foundation plays a role in the fight against terror through cohesive and comprehensive efforts to research, analyze, and disseminate information pertaining to past and current terrorist activities. The Foundation shares its findings with law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community where appropriate, and works with other research organizations to educate the public on the threat of terrorism. NEFA, by funding extensive field research, is able to obtain original documents as well as develop an on-the-ground understanding of events.

» If you liked this article, please subscribe to our daily newsletter