According to the Department of Justice, Syed Farook was influenced by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (Inspire) magazine and the teachings of Anwar al Awlaki. Shortly after the San Bernardino shooting, an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State’s Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was posted on a Facebook page associated with Farook’s wife, Tafsheen Malik.
One of the brothers responsible for the attack on Charlie Hebdo claimed to have met with Anwar al Awlaki. The other may have met with Awlaki as well. Meanwhile, another terrorist responsible for the siege of a kosher market claimed he was a member of the Islamic State.
An indictment unsealed yesterday alleges that Nigerian citizen Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi is a member of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who aided in the production of Inspire magazine and was given money to recruit other Nigerians.
The Webster Commission released its final report on the FBI’s handling of evidence regarding Major Nidal Malik Hasan prior to the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shootings. Hasan sent a number of emails to al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki prior to the attack.
On Monday, a British Airways employee named Rajib Karim was convicted of plotting to blow up a US-bound airliner. While planning the attack, Rajib emailed back and forth with al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki. The emails reveal that Awlaki played a direct, operational role in Rajib’s plotting.
AQAP has released the fourth edition of its Inspire magazine. In it, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki calls on Muslims to steal from the disbelievers in order to fund their jihad. Awlaki’s message may indicate that AQAP’s fundraising has been hampered by US-led efforts.
Two articles by al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki are featured in the latest edition of Inspire magazine. The publication also mentions the controversy surrounding the Obama administration’s decision to allow US forces to target Awlaki in Yemen.
