Military helps American Al Qaeda leader al-Awlaki keep solemn pledge

Two American militants, members of Al Qaeda, were killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen early Friday morning. 

WASHINGTON D.C. (Catholic Online) - One of the dead is senior Al Qaeda leader, Anwar al-Awlaki. According to the CIA, it is the highest profile takedown of a terrorist leader since the killing of Osama bin Laden in May.

The operation was conducted by two Predator drones that were quietly circling al-Awlaki's convoy. They fired aptly-named Hellfire missiles which killed him.

A former CIA intelligence official said that the loss of al-Awlaki is a huge blow to the terrorist organization in Yemen.

Al-Alwaki was a U.S. born Islamic militant cleric who became a high-profile figure in Al Qaeda on the Arabian peninsula, which is also the network's most active branch. He was involved in several terror schemes and was used by al Qaeda for his fluent English and internet skills to recruit new members from English speaking countries. President Obama placed him on a new, "kill or capture" list in 2010. He was the first American to be put on that list. 

The Yemeni government and Defense ministry announced the death, but did not provide any details. It was American officials who confirmed his death was the result of a joint CIA and U.S. military operation. 

According to U.S. officials, the strike hit a vehicle with three or four suspected Al Qaeda members inside, in addition to al-Awlaki. another American militant killed in the strike was, Samir Khan who was a co-editor of an English-language web magazine run by Al Qaeda called, Inspire. 

Kahn was an American of Pakistani descent, who came from North Carolina. The magazine encouraged attacks against U.S. targets and even taught people how to make explosive devices. In the magazine, he pledged to, "wage jihad for the rest of our lives." 

With help from the CIA and U.S. military, he has kept that pledge.

Al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, and officials have said he was key to turning al Qaeda in Yemen into what officials describe as the greatest and most immediate threat to the U.S.. The Yemeni branch has plotted several failed attacks including one to blow up an airliner on Christmas day in 2009. 

His death represents a significant blow to Al Qaeda's propaganda machine as well. al-Awlaki was especially useful to the movement because he understood American pop culture very well. Al Qaeda will have a very hard time replacing him. 

Interestingly, since the unrest in Yemen began as part of the Arab Spring movements, Yemeni officials have been much more cooperative with U.S. officials in hunting down Al Qaeda operatives. They attribute this to the government's fear of uprising and they now have a greater desire to retain the U.S. as an ally during the unrest. 

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