Senator Ayotte's Statement on Death of Anwar Al-Awlaki

Statement

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released this statement following today's announcement that terrorist and radical Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, has been killed in Yemen. Awlaki, a member of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has been linked to several major terrorist plots against the United States in recent years.

"The death of Anwar al-Awlaki is a significant accomplishment in the War on Terror. AQAP has emerged as the most active and dangerous al Qaeda affiliate, and Awlaki played an important role in AQAP as a propagandist and planner. Awlaki's death is a blow to AQAP, but the threat persists and we must continue to go after terrorists who threaten our country."

Awlaki played an important role in planning or inspiring a November 2009 Fort Hood shooting that resulted in the death of 13 Americans, a Christmas 2009 attempted airline bombing, and a May 2010 plot to explode a car bomb in Times Square. Awlaki may have also been involved in a November 2010 plot involving printer cartridge bombs.

In a May 2010 video, Awlaki praised Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan and called his murder of Americans a "heroic and wonderful act."

Responding to Senate Armed Services Committee questions in advance of his June 9, 2011, confirmation hearing, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta wrote, "AQAP is intensely focused on conducting a near-term attack against the United States, and poses an immediate terrorist threat to U.S. interests and the homeland...al-Qa'ida and its affiliate, AQAP, are still actively plotting attacks, with the principal goal of successfully striking the U.S. Homeland."

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