The death of Anwar al-Awlaki
The US has praised his killing as a big triumph for its intelligence, but what does Awlaki’s death mean for Yemen?
Wanted by both the US and Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki was accused of being an al-Qaeda preacher and mentor. He was killed on Friday by a US drone strike in the province of al-Jawf, north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Barack Obama, the Us president, said the killing of Awlaki was a “significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates”.
While holding Awlaki “directly responsible” for the deaths of many Yemeni citizens, Obama cautioned that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was still dangerous although it remained a “weakened” outfit.
Will the death of the US-born cleric have much of an impact on the organisation? What does al-Awlaki’s death mean for thousands of angry Yemenis calling for a regime change? And will it help President Saleh as he clings to power?
Inside Story, with presenter Shakuntala Santhiran, discusses with Shiraz Maher, a senior fellow at the International Centre for Study of Radicalization at King’s College London; Christopher Swift, a fellow at the Centre for National Security Law at the university of Virginia; and Hassan al-Haifi, a political commentator and columnist.