US-born Islamic cleric warns new attacks on Americans

US-born radical Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, in a new video has warned of new attacks against Americans home and abroad.

The White House immediately termed him as a murderous thug.

"The (US) President will continue to take action directly at terrorists like Awlaki and keep our country safe from their murderous thugs," the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, told the CBS news in an interview soon after a new video of Awlaki appeared.

We are actively trying to find him and many others throughout the world that seek to do our country and to do our interests great harm, Gibbs said.

 

"I think Awlaki is, despite telling the world he's a cleric, you see on a videotape that he supports al-Qaeda's agenda of murder and violence," he added.

"In fact, in recent videotapes, he's said he's a member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who has an agenda just like al-Qaeda to strike targets in Yemen, throughout the world, including here in the United States," Gibbs said.

In his latest video, produced by the media wing of al-Qaeda, Awlaki praised Maj. Nidal Hasan, the US Army psychiatrist charged in the November massacre at Fort Hood, Texas, calling him "one of my students". The Islamic cleric is believed to be hiding in Yemen.

"Oh, America, if you transgress against us, we will transgress against you, and you keep killing our people, we will kill your people," Awlaki said in the video.

"This is the image that we need to present. These American soldiers heading to Afghanistan and Iraq will be killed. We will kill them if we can, there in Fort Hood, or we will kill them in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.

The radical Islamic cleric claimed that he roams freely in Yemen and the US can do no harm to him. "There is a support among my tribesmen. Even though they know they are in danger, they welcome me and greet me because they are righteous people," he said.

"If the Americans want me, let them come and look for me and God will protect me," he said.