Australian FM, Attorney-General welcomes death of Anwar al-Awlaki

Australian FM, Attorney-General welcomes death of Anwar al-Awlaki

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Attorney-General Robert McClelland on Saturday welcomed the death of radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, but warned there is still an ongoing threat of terrorism.

The American-born militant cleric, al-Awlaki, was killed in a U. S. air strike in Yemen on Friday.

In respond to the incident, Rudd and McClelland released a statement to welcome his death as a "significant development in the fight against terrorism."

Rudd said al-Awlaki was known as the spiritual leader of al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and was responsible for radicalizing extremists worldwide, mainly through his lectures over the internet, adding that al-Awlaki has also been directly linked to numerous acts of terrorism and plots.

"A number of Australians have been drawn to extremist figures in Yemen, including to Anwar al-Awlaki," McClelland said in a statement on Saturday.

"While the news of his death represents a significant blow to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, it does not eliminate the ongoing terrorist threat.

"We need to realize that al-Qaida's ability to adapt and change its leadership endures."

McClelland said Australian authorities will continue to work together with international partners to identify and mitigate threats, including by preventing Australians from traveling overseas to undertake terrorism-related activity.

Editor: Yamei Wang

English.news.cn   2011-10-01 15:49:14 FeedbackPrintRSS
CANBERRA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua)