Counterterrorism chief underscores Yemeni cleric’s power to radicalize Americans online – NextGov
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the alleged mastermind behind a thwarted October plot to bomb U.S.-bound planes, represents the greatest threat to the U.S. homeland and its leader is the most influential proselytizer on the Internet, the national counterterrorism center director said on Wednesday.
Anwar al Aulaqi, a dual U.S.-Yemeni citizen and AQAP cleric, is inciting foreign and homegrown terrorism, said Michael E. Leiter, the center’s director, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on considerations for the 112th Congress.
