Anwar al-Awlaki Killed

The guy responsible for inspiring Nidal Malik Hasan to go on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, TX, killing 14 and injuring 32 is now, himself dead. Anwar al-Awlaki was also credited with being the inspiration for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the underwear bomber who attempted to detonate a bomb on a plane during its descent into Detroit. The Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad also gave credit to al-Awlaki for motivating him to kill infidels.

Via the BBC:

The US-born radical Islamist cleric and suspected al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed in Yemen, the country's defence ministry reported.

US administration officials confirmed the reports, according to US media.

Awlaki, of Yemeni descent, has been on the run in Yemen since December 2007.

The US had named him a "specially designated global terrorist" for his alleged role in a number of attacks and US President Barack Obama is said to have personally ordered his killing.

The defence ministry statement said only that he died "along with some of his companions".

It gave no further details of his death.

But tribal sources told AFP news agency Awlaki was killed in an air strike in the eastern Marib province, said to be an al-Qaeda stronghold.

It is not clear whether he was killed by Yemeni forces or a US drone strike.

This is a big deal in many respects. Awlaki was a US citizen and was very fluent in both English and Arabic. He also was credited with taking internet jihad to a new level.

h/t Free Republic