U.S. Born Cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, Killed in Yemen

Reports that U.S. born cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, has been killed in Yemen are surfacing this morning. Al-Awlaki, credited with influencing several attacks against the United States and Britain, has long been sought by the military and intelligence communities and has also been the number one cited hypothetical when national security practitioners and academics discuss the legalities surrounding drones and targeted killing of U.S. and foreign nationals.

It is being reported that “the same U.S. military unit that got Osama bin Laden used a drone and jet strike in Yemen on Friday to kill [al-Awlaki] … U.S. and Yemeni officials said. [He] was killed in a strike on his convoy directed by the CIA and carried out with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command’s firepower, according to a counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.” More to come throughout the day . . .