Anwar al Awlaki

Has the Department of Defense finally gotten it right with respect to the Fort Hood Shooting? In January, you may recall, the DoD released a pathetic whitewash of the events of November 5, 2009. The report ("Protecting the Force: Lessons from Fort Hood") said nothing of consequence about Major Nidal Malik Hasan, what led him to open fire on his fellow Americans (e.g., his radical jihadist beliefs), or the many warning signs the DoD and others missed.  The report did not even mention the fact that Hasan had been in contact with a known al Qaeda cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, who has repeatedly called on Muslims serving in America and elsewhere to turn on their “infidel” compatriots.

Andy McCarthy writes that President Obama's authorization of the targeted assassination of Anwar al-Qalaki is "obviously the right call."

We are at war against al Qaeda under an authorization from Congress. Anwar al-Awlaki, a purportedly American-born Islamic cleric, who is now operating in Yemen, ministered to the 9/11 hijackers, inspired the Ft. Hood assassin, probably directed the would-be Christmas bomber, and is believed to be orchestrating and recruiting for violent jihad operations against the United States. The president is the commander-in-chief with primacy on questions regarding the conduct of war. Even if we were to accept for argument's sake that at issue is a legal rather than a political judgment, Supreme Court precedent (the World War II era Quirin case and the 2004 Hamdi decision) hold that American citizens who fight for the enemy in wartime may be treated as enemy combatants, just like aliens.

The Obama administration says that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (UFA), the failed Christmas Day bomber, is now cooperating with investigators after weeks of silence. Assuming that’s true, then authorities should be able to get answers to the following questions:

--Press reports indicate that UFA met with Anwar al Awlaki, a notorious al Qaeda cleric, while in Yemen. Awlaki was a “spiritual adviser” to at least two of the 9/11 hijackers, had ties to other 9/11 hijackers, and also advised Major Nidal Malik Hasan prior to the Fort Hood Shootings. What is the relationship between UFA and Awlaki? How did UFA get in touch with Awlaki in the first place? Al Qaeda maintains strict security protocols and not just anyone can meet with an influential ideologue like Awlaki. Someone within the terror network probably vouched for UFA prior to his meeting with Awlaki. If so, then who vouched for UFA?