Anwar al-Awlaki

Anwar al-Awlaki was a U.S.-Yemeni dual citizen and longtime cleric, propagandist, and operative for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). On September 30, 2011, Awlaki was targeted and killed in Yemen in the first U.S. drone strike to deliberately target a U.S. citizen. While he was alive, Awlaki directed a number of terrorist plots against the United States, and disseminated English- and Arabic-language videos, audio recordings, and articles online.

Anwar al-Awlaki’s Ties to Extremists

In the Counter Extremism Project’s online resource, Anwar al-Awlaki’s Ties to Extremists, CEP has counted 99 extremists with ties to Anwar al-Awlaki.

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Anwar al-Awlaki on YouTube

YouTube's features has served to lure users to extremist content on YouTube, despite CEP's calls for YouTube to cease hosting Awlaki content.

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Anwar al-Awlaki and Google’s Counter-Narrative Program

In February 2016, Google (YouTube’s parent company) announced plans to divert its users away from extremist content towards counter-narratives meant to challenge the appeal of extremist material.

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News and Blogs

Press Release

CEP Report Examines Ties Between Right-Wing Extremism And Organized Crime

(New York, N.Y.) — Last month, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) released a report authored by CEP Senior Advisor Alexander Ritzmann along with 11 other researchers from CEP and other institutions in the U.S. and Europe exploring the connections…

News

Daily Express: The hate-filled views of the late al-Awlaki and el-Faisal are still being shared on websites 15 years after 7/7 attack

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen writes: "The repeated failure to properly regulate hate speech on social media platforms has consistently facilitated the radicalization of extremists across the nation.  The ease of access to…

Press Release

Over 100 Anwar Al-Awlaki Videos Found on YouTube

Report Marks Second Time Awlaki’s Propaganda Re-uploaded to Platform (New York, N.Y.) - On December 5, The Times (London) reported its discovery of over 100 radicalizing extremist videos from notorious al-Qaeda operative Anwar al-Awlaki on…

News

The Times: YouTube still hosting lectures by Islamist hate preacher Anwar al-Awlaki

"Lectures by an Islamist hate preacher whose teachings helped to radicalise the London Bridge terrorist Usman Khan have been found on YouTube years after experts warned of the dangers they present. The Counter Extremism Project (CEP), which aims to…

News

The Scottish Sun: WEB OF HATE YouTube STILL hosting more than 100 videos by hate preacher who inspired London Bridge attacker years after being told

"Lectures by an Islamist hate preacher who helped radicalise London Bridge terrorist Usman Khan have been found on YouTube years after experts warned they fuel extremism. Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed by a US drone strike in Yemen eight years ago…

Tech & Terrorism Blog

Extremism Spotlight: Yusuf al-Qaradawi Benefits From Legitimization Through Social Media

Muslim Brotherhood-Affiliated Islamist Maintains Extensive Online Presence Despite Extremist Rhetoric Seven years ago, notorious AQAP propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in a U.S. drone strike; but even in his death, his works and lectures…

Tech & Terrorism Blog

YouTube Must Remove Remaining Anwar al-Awlaki Content

CEP Reports Findings Regarding Extremist Content Online Every week, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) releases a report detailing the way extremists interact online, explaining current trends and how they are misusing the Internet and social…

News

PBS: The Open Mind

CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace and Senior Advisor, Dartmouth College computer scientist Dr. Hany Farid, discuss the successful campaign to remove thousands of Anwar al-Awlaki videos from YouTube and how existing technologies…

Press Release

Extremist Propagandists and Ideologues Maintain Presence Online

(New York, NY) – YouTube’s November 2017 decision to remove the videos of notorious al-Qaeda propagandist and recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki was a long overdue step in the right direction, but many more radicalizing propagandists and ideologues have been…

CounterPoint Blog

YouTube: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

YouTube’s actions continue to fall short of its rhetoric when it comes to fighting extremism. Despite very public announcements of new technologies, more content reviewers, and a stated dedication to preventing terrorists and extremist groups from…

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On January 23, 2019, two car bombs exploded outside of a mosque in Benghazi, Libya, killing 41 people and injuring 80 others. No group claimed responsibility for the blast, but remnants suggested an ISIS affiliate was responsible.  

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