Via The Investigative Project On Terrorism:
When Anwar al-Awlaki emerged as the clear inspiration behind a series of terror plots in 2009, his former associates in America insisted he was radicalized well after leaving the United States in 2002.
But in what might be his last published work, Awlaki explains that his involvement in violent jihad dated back to 1991, and that he hated the American government as far back as his college days.
"Spilling out the Beans: Al Awlaki Revealing His Side of the Story," appeared this week in the final edition of al-Qaida's English-language magazine Inspire.
The clarification flies in the face of claims by American Muslim leaders that he had been radicalized by Islamophobia after the 9/11 attacks, and motivated to violence following his 18 month imprisonment in Yemen, starting in 2006. At the heart of some Muslim leaders' argument was a desire to distance themselves from Awlaki's new public radicalism, and to twist the debate to focus on America's role in creating a vengeful monster. (continue reading at IPT)
Since he mentioned it started out in his college days, I have to ask, was he radicalized in the mosque or the lecture room in college. I know the jihadists from the mosques have spilled a lot more blood, but I wonder who does more damage in the long run, the haters in western colleges or in the mosques.
Posted by: Right Wing Theocrat | May 06, 2012 at 05:43 AM
Interesting he said he was recruited to be a spy while in San Diego. I have long wondered whether the USG thought of him as a mole and that's why he was invited to the Pentagon and allowed to leave the country after 9/11, etc.
Interesting also that he doesn't mention his interaction with the west coast 9/11 hijackers or al-Timimi.
Posted by: McCloud | May 07, 2012 at 09:24 PM