A Nigerian man, who is accused of trying to blow up an airliner over the US on Christmas 2009, claimed during the court hearing in the US that American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki "is still alive."
A Nigerian man, who is accused of trying to blow up an airliner over the US on Christmas 2009, claimed during the court hearing in the US that American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki "is still alive."
"Anwar is alive," said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man dubbed as the "Underwear Bomber".
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"The mujahadeen will wipe out the US-the cancer US," he added.
According to Fox News, al-Awlaki, who was killed by a joint CIA air strike in Yemen, was directly involved in the failed Christmas 2009 plot on a commercial jet and failed October 2010 plot on cargo planes.
He trained Abdulmutallab how to detonate the bomb he is accused of hiding in his underwear, said an FBI bulletin.
"AQAP external operations to date have focused on the aviation subsector, and the group has also revealed its interest in carrying out an attack against the United States using unconventional means, such as chemical or biological agents," the bulletin read.
The bulletin added that Awlaki recruited operatives and facilitated training camps in Yemen for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and has played a role targeting the US since 2009.
According to the report, Abdulmutallab, a well-educated Nigerian from an upper-class family, was directed by Awlaki and wanted to become a martyr when he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam in 2009.
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