Yemeni cleric Alwaqi says killing Americans does not require consultation

[News_Editor]

Yemeni cleric Alwaqi says killing Americans does not require consultation

2010-11-08 22:57:36 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW DELHI, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- U.S.-born Yemeni radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi in a video message on Monday called for the killing of Americans, while criticizing "corrupt" Arab leaders.

A 23-minute video message was posted on radical web sites in which Alwaqi, who was born in the U.S. state of New Mexico, is seen wearing traditional Yemeni clothes with a knife in his belt.

"Don't consult with anybody in killing the Americans, fighting the devil doesn't require consultation or prayers seeking divine guidance. They are in the group of the devils," Alwaqi states in the video. "We are two opposites who will never come together."

Alwaqi also fired back against Arab leaders, calling them corrupt. "Kings, emirs, and presidents are not now qualified to lead the nation, or even a flock of sheep," he said. "If the leaders are corrupt, the scholars have the responsibility to lead the nation."

U.S. officials say Alwaqi is the leader of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the group has claimed responsibility for the parcel bombs that were sent through UPS targeting several embassies and officials across Greece and Europe last week.

On Saturday, a court in Yemen ordered the arrest of Awlaqi after strong pressure from the United States.

Investigators previously linked Alwaqi to the killings of 13 people at U.S. army base Fort Hood in Texas in 2009 after giving religious advice to the accused killer, Major Nidal Hasan. He is also believed to have recruited Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is being accused of attempting to detonate a bomb on a Detroit-bound flight on December 25, 2009. He is further believed to have been involved in a plot to carry out a car bombing in Times Square in New York City.

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