Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- American-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki -- whose fluency in English and technology made him one of the top terrorist recruiters in the world -- was killed in Friday airstrike in Yemen, officials said.
Al-Awlaki's death, confirmed by U.S. and Yemeni officials, dealt yet another dramatic blow to an al Qaeda network still reeling from the killing and capture of several top leaders this year, most notably Osama bin Laden.
U.S. officials say al-Awlaki -helped recruit Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, the Nigerian man known as the underwear bomber, who was charged with trying to blow up a transatlantic flight as it landed in Detroit on December 25, 2009.
The militant cleric is also said to have exchanged e-mails with accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hassan, who is accused of killing a dozen fellow soldiers and a civilian in a rampage at the Texas Army post.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/world/africa/yemen-radical-cleric/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
It's noteworthy that he was a US citizen although in my mind he forfeited his citizenship when he declared war on America.