Ruppersberger: Al-Awlaki's Death Big Blow to Al-Qaeda

U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on the death of Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen:

“This is a great day for America.  This is the second biggest blow to Al-Qaeda since September 11^th, 2001, right behind the elimination of .  Anwar al-Awlaki was an extremely dangerous, charismatic leader who actively recruited and inspired people to murder innocent Americans using hate-filled media messages.

"Al-Awlaki was behind several high-profile attacks including the failed attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day in 2009 and U.S. bound cargo planes in 2010.  Al-Awlaki has now been removed from the battlefield.  This is a major accomplishment.

"I applaud our intelligence professionals who work tirelessly, around the clock and around the world, to keep us safe.   Al-Qaeda should be on notice.  If you come after Americans and try to kill us, we will come after you and bring you to justice.”

Ruppersberger that he was especially worried about al-Awlaki after the death of .

The U.S.-born al-Awlaki, 40, was based in Yemen and studied at Colorado State, San Diego State and George Washington University. He was very keen at utilizing social media to spread his message, using Facebook, YouTube and blogs.

Known as “the bin Laden of the Internet,” al-Awalaki helped inspire the Fort Hood shootings by Nidal Malik Hasan along with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged “underwear bomber” who attempted to detonate plastic explosive while onboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009.

Al-Awalaki also inspired Faisal Shahzad, who confessed to attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square in May 2010.