Videos of his speeches have gone viral, receiving hundreds of thousands of hits, and his words resonate deeply with disaffected young Muslims, angered by what they see as Western attacks on Islam. "We are fighting for truth and justice, and you are fighting for oppression," he said in a March video calling for young American Muslims to wage a "holy war" against the US Many YouTube users responded with blessings, thanks and vows to join the jihad.
Terrorism specialists say Al-Awlaki could be more influential than Osama bin Laden, especially among potential radicals within the US Last week, Mr. al-Awlaki, a dual citizen of the US and Yemen, reportedly was put on a CIA hit list.
Here in Yemen's capital, the cleric already seems like a ghost. Imams who preached with him in the mid-2000s say they now fear acknowledging that they even know him. Many people, including high-ranking officials, said they heard his name for the first time after he made headlines for supporting the Fort Hood, Texas, shootings.
