U.N. places al-Awlaki on terrorist list

The United Nations has put the radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki on its terrorist list, calling for member countries to freeze his assets and ban his travel.
 
This action follows a similar one by the U.S. Treasury Department last week.
 
Based in Yemen, al-Awlaki has taken on a greater role with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, leading to his placement earlier this year on a secret U.S. government list of terror targets to be captured or killed, according to U.S. officials.
 
Al-Awlaki, who was designated a “key leader” for the Yemen-based terror group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has sought to encourage his supporters to provide money for terrorist causes, according to CNN official website.
 
He played a key role in recent terror attacks against America targets including the failed Christmas Day attempt to take down a Detroit-bound passenger jet. Al-Awlaki is believed to have communicated with Omar Farouk Abdul-Muttaleb, the Nigerian accused of trying to blow up the airliner.
 
Born in New Mexico the U.S. citizen, al-Awlaki, 39, initially served more as an inspiration for would-be militants, particularly over the Internet. But more recently officials believe he has gotten more involved in the day-to-day operations of the al-Qaida linked group.
 
The move is in direct response to the operational role he plays in AQAP, and more importantly because of the integral part he played in planning AQAP’s attempted destruction of Northwest Airlines flight 253 over the United States.” said Daniel Benjamin, State Department coordinator for counterterrorism.

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