Al-Qaeda Leader Anwar al-Awlaki Killed: Watch Obama Speech Live

by NowPublic Staff | September 30, 2011 at 07:06 am

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Anwar al-Awlaki Killed in CIA Drone Strike

Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in Yemen by a CIA drone strike. US President Barack Obama will address the nation about al-Awlaki's death at around 11am ET/8am PT.

Watch Obama Speech Live : Anwar Al-Awlaki Killed

Despite Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's assertions that he's in charge of fighting terror in Yemen, a diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks showed that he struck a deal to allow the US to conduct anti-terror operations on his soil.

Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen, was a trainer and spiritual leader for al-Qaeda recruits. He became even militant at some point after 2002; earlier he had denounced the 9/11 attacks, though had been tied to fundraising efforts to Hamas, and had met woth Omar Abdel Rahman ("The Blind Sheik"). He was the man behind Inspire, the propaganda publication aimed at AQAP (al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula).

Samir Khan, another American al-Qaeda member, was also killed in the strike.