U.S.- BORN CLERIC CHARGED IN YEMEN

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Authorities in Yemen Tuesday charged radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki with plotting to kill foreigners and belonging to al-Qaida.

 

Al-Awlaki is being tried in absentia in Yemen's capital an Oct. 6 rampage at the Austrian energy group OMV's office in Sanaa, Yemen's Saba news agency reported. 

The action means when al-Awlaki is finally captured he would remain in Yemen and not be extradited to the United States, authorities in Yemen said.

U.S. authorities have said they believe al-Awlaki's group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is behind the recent plot to send parcel bombs from Yemen to the United States.

A federal official who was briefed by authorities told CNN the group's bombmaker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, has been linked to the packages bound for Chicago.

Al-Asiri, a native of Saudi Arabia, is also believed to be the designer of the underwear bomb for last year's Christmas Day attempt to blow up an airliner over the United States.

Al-Awlaki has been linked with Fort Hood, Texas, shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan and with Christmas Day bombing suspect Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, CNN reported.

UPI