Jihad "Is Becoming As American As Apple Pie," Says US-born Cleric Anwar Al-Awlaqi

The AFP reports that violent jihad is "becoming as American as apple pie," according to US-born fugitive cleric Anwar Al-Awlaqi in an unauthenticated message released Friday.

"Western jihad is here to stay," warned Awlaqi as he commented on the 46-year old blonde American Colleen LaRose from Pennsylvania who dubbed herself "JihadJane" and has pleaded not guilty to trying to recruit Islamist militants to murder a Swedish cartoonist. "Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea," the US-Yemeni cleric said. "Eight years after 9/11 and the declaration of war against terrorism, jihad is still reaching the shores of Europe and America. Not from the outside, but from within. Jihad is not being imported but is being homegrown," read the message. He also referred to Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. "The US has spent billions to protect its airlines but they couldn't prevent Umar Farouk, and the West has been profiling until 'Jihad Jane' shattered whatever trust was left in the value of profiling," the message read. "A blond, blue-eyed, small framed, middle-aged female. It couldn't get any further from your typical 'terrorist' profile."

The AFP further explains that "Awlaqi has been cited as an influence on three of the hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks and exchanged emails with Major Nidal Hasan, the US army psychiatrist accused of opening fire on fellow soldiers at a Texas army base, killing 13 people in November. The imam has also been linked to Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight with explosives in his underwear on December 25." Tweet