Radical Anwar al-Awlaki on the Run from FBI, Airline Bomb Suspect

by Michael Small | February 4, 2010 at 05:22 pm

164 views | 10 Recommendations | 0 comments

The hunt for U.S.-born Yemeni radical Anwar al-Awlaki, the cleric for the Nigerian airline bomb suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has heated up since the student has apparently turned against his teacher.

Law enforcement officials say that Abdulmutallab is working with the FBI to track down his former mentor.

His cooperation talking about U.S.-born Yemeni radical Anwar al-Awlaki is significant because it could provide fresh clues for authorities trying to capture or kill him in the remote mountains of Yemen. Al-Awlaki has emerged has a prominent al-Qaida recruiter and has been tied to the 9/11 hijackers, Abdulmutallab and the suspect in November's deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood.

Abdulmutallab agreed to work with authorities after his family was flown in from Nigeria and pleaded with the 23-year-old to cooperate.

Awlaki preached at mosques in California and North Virginia, and also posted Internet sermons calling for Muslims to fight in Jihad. The FBI will attempt to piece together the relationship between Awlaki and Abdulmutallab, as well as his connections to al-Queda.