Topic: Anwar Al Awlaki

IBM Watson's deal with health insurer WellPoint is highlighted as a fulfilled prediction. A new prediction suggests Gabrielle Giffords will run as Vice President alongside Barack Obama. Additionally, the discussion covers FBI investigations into Anwar al-Awlaki and his contacts prior to the September 11 attacks.

MSNBC's Nicole Wallace compared domestic extremists to Anwar al-Awlaki, suggesting that the U.S. should target those who "incite" violence just as it did with overseas terrorists. The hosts discuss the historical precedent of law enforcement targeting groups like the Black Panthers.

The discussion shifts to social media companies suspending hundreds of thousands of accounts for promoting terrorism. The hosts express concern over the push for Silicon Valley to police speech and mention the legal drone strike on American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

Fox News coverage featuring Catherine Harridge and Megan Kelly links the Nice attack to a 2010 edition of Al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine. The publication, associated with Anwar al-Awlaki, reportedly encouraged using trucks as "mowing machines" for civilian targets. Analysts suggest the "inspired by" narrative serves to indirectly criticize the Obama administration's drone program and counter-terrorism efficacy.

The hosts discuss the "secret" use of drones in Yemen, noting that the program was public knowledge long before official leaks. They mock the idea of a "Do Not Drone List" and the targeted killing of American citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki. The segment highlights the absurdity of government secrecy regarding well-documented military actions.

Comedian Bill Maher and his guests suggest that Fox News and Matt Drudge are responsible for inspiring the Charleston shooter through "coded language." Maher compares the influence of Fox News to that of Anwar al-Awlaki, suggesting that if the U.S. drones terrorists for "inspiring" violence, the same logic could apply to media figures. The hosts condemn this rhetoric as dangerous and unhealthy.

Before leading DHS, Jeh Johnson served as the Pentagon's top lawyer, where he provided the legal sign-off for drone strikes against suspected terrorists, including American citizens. Johnson described the "momentum" of these decisions, noting it was often easier to say "yes" than "no" to lethal force requests.

Journalist Jeremy Scahill argues that the U.S. media has inflated the status of the deceased Anwar al-Awlaki to link him to every modern terror plot, including the Charlie Hebdo attack. While al-Awlaki's English-language speeches inspire "lone wolf" actors, Scahill asserts he was never a top-level operational leader within AQAP.

Intelligence reports link the Charlie Hebdo attackers to Anwar al-Awlaki and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). A recurring media "meme," potentially originated by Rudy Giuliani, claims it takes 20 to 30 officers to surveil a single suspect 24/7, serving as a justification for why surveillance on the attackers was dropped six months prior to the incident.

RT and Fox News' Catherine Herridge revisit the history of Anwar al-Awlaki, noting he was once invited to speak at the Pentagon as a "moderate" imam after 9/11. The narrative regarding the drone strike that killed his 16-year-old son has reportedly shifted from a cafe setting to a "barbecue" in an obscure region, a change suggested to make the use of lethal force appear more justifiable.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack in a 12-minute video featuring a spokesperson with a suspicious-looking beard. NBC's Richard Engel reported on the rivalry between ISIS and Al-Qaeda as the latter seeks a "comeback." The video notably called for a boycott of Western products, a tactic the hosts compare to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

The FBI arrested 20-year-old Christopher Lee Cornell in Ohio for an alleged plot to attack the U.S. Capitol with pipe bombs and rifles. Media reports emphasized that Cornell was "inspired" by ISIS and the deceased cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The hosts analyze the case as a potential instance of FBI entrapment, where a confidential informant may have coerced an impressionable youth into a plot he could not have executed alone.

A 41-page Department of Justice memo, written 14 months before the 2011 drone strike on Anwar al-Awlaki, provides the legal justification for killing a U.S. citizen overseas. The document argues that public safety justifications and the laws of war allow the executive branch to target citizens if capture is unfeasible and the threat is imminent. Legal experts note the memo relies on broad interpretations of "battlefields" extending beyond traditional war zones.

The Obama administration is reportedly contemplating a drone strike against an American citizen overseas involved in Al-Qaeda plotting, sparking a legal debate over due process. This news coincided with the release of grainy footage showing Delta Force commandos capturing Anas al-Libi in Libya. The timing of these reports suggests a coordinated effort to justify drone assassinations by claiming capture is not always a viable option despite proven special forces capabilities.

The Obama administration released a fact sheet regarding the Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on the use of lethal force in counter-terrorism operations outside active hostilities. President Obama defended the 2011 drone strike on U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki by comparing him to a sniper firing on a crowd. Critics argue that the administration attempted to kill al-Awlaki as early as 2009, well before the specific allegations used to justify his eventual execution were established.

Analysis of an MSNBC segment focuses on the concept of "homegrown radicalization" and the influence of English-speaking extremist preachers like Anwar al-Awlaki. The hosts mock the media's use of terms like "religiosity" and "truth-erism" to categorize individuals who consume alternative media or question government narratives.

In the same interview with Ben Swann, President Obama refused to comment on the "kill list" or the drone assassination of US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, citing national security. Obama claimed news reports on the matter were unconfirmed conjecture while defending the legality of his administration's counter-terrorism operations.

A congressional hearing revealed that the FBI dropped an outstanding arrest warrant for Anwar al-Awlaki in 2002, allowing him to remain free before he was eventually killed in a U.S. drone strike. The hosts discuss the implications of the government killing an American citizen without trial. They suggest that al-Awlaki may have been a double agent or part of a staged extraction.

Dalia Mogahed serves as an advisor to President Obama, while the late Anwar al-Awlaki is noted for having previously spoken at the Pentagon. The discussion suggests these figures may play roles in desensitizing security forces to extremist ideologies. It is also noted that moderate Muslims often speak out against radicalism but receive little coverage from mainstream media.

Senator Ron Wyden challenges Attorney General Eric Holder over the legal justification for the drone killing of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki. Holder maintains that the Department of Justice is not required to provide formal legal opinions to Congress on the matter.