American Jihadi Samir Khan Killed With Awlaki

[Robb]

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/american-jihadi-samir-khan-killed-awlaki/story?id=14640013">American Jihadi Samir Khan Killed With Awlaki

A young American who edited al Qaeda's English-language magazine, and had urged Muslims to mount deadly attacks on U.S. targets, was killed in the same CIA drone strike that eliminated Anwar Awlaki in Yemen Friday, U.S. officials said.

Khan, 25, was the Saudi-born, New York-raised editor behind "Inspire" magazine, the English language online publication of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP. Khan had become a rising figure in jihadist propaganda and an "aspiring" Awlaki, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

But while Awlaki relied on sermons to recruit jihadis, Khan used sarcasm and idiomatic English in an attempt to appeal to Western youth. As Khan himself has said, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that I Al Qaeda to the core." He titled a rebuke of toppled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak "A Cold Diss." Khan's ability to use American vernacular, like a graphic depicting graffiti that reads, "Jihad 4 Eva," had prompted concerns that young Muslims with an interest in jihad and al Qaeda would be drawn to a voice similar to their own.

"He does appear to be increasingly involved with operational activities ", a U.S. official told ABC News in 2010.

Read More: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/american-jihadi-samir-khan-killed-awlaki/story?id=14640013

FWIW he was the subject of a federal grand jury in August of last year: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4508332&mesg_id=4508332

[Robb]

1. Hm. I'd have thought this of interest.

While there can be some debate as to whether Al-Awlaki, as an active planner of specific attacks, was a legitimate military target, there's no chance of that with Khan.

Khan's a true and simple propagandist, with no tactical knowledge of anything more dangerous than Photoshop.

[Robb]

2. Eh. One last kick.

[spanone]

3. k&r..

[kentuck]

4. kick

w/o comment