The Lessons Of Anwar al-Awlaki
In The New York Times’ Magazine, Scott Shane chronicles the continuing influence of former American Al Qaeda affiliate Anwar al-Awlaki years after his death in a U.S. drone strike. Awlaki’s digital imprint has remained his lasting legacy, as his videos promote radical Islam in the English language. On Awlaki’s persistent impact, former C.I.A. officer Bruce Riedel said, “We know how to make our case and sell a product and smear an enemy. With Awlaki, we could have done all of those things: We could have countered his argument, we could have smeared his reputation. Here it is more than three years after his death, and we still haven’t made the case. He still has this iconic status as a knight of Islam.”