Awlaki lands on al-Qaida suspect list

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WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki was placed on the so-called 1267 list of sanctioned al-Qaida suspects, U.S. officials announced.

The United Nations' 1267 Committee placed Awlaki on its consolidated list of suspects tied to the Taliban or al-Qaida.

The U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1267 in 1999. Classification under the list requires U.N. member states to freeze the assets, impose a travel ban and prevent weapons from landing in the hands of designated individuals or entities.

The U.S. Treasury Department singled out Awlaki as a terrorist organizer last week. He is accused of talking with the alleged triggerman in the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting rampage in November and the alleged would-be bomber of a U.S. passenger plane bound for Detroit on Christmas Day.

"Awlaki also recruits individuals to join al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, facilitates training at camps in Yemen in support of acts of terrorism, and encourages AQAP's focus on planning attacks on U.S. interests," the U.S. State Department said.

U.S. President Barack Obama sparked controversy in April when he authorized the assassination of Awlaki.

The State Department said Awlaki was in a Yemeni jail in 2006 but was released in 2007 and remains in hiding.

"Awlaki and AQAP actively engage in terrorist plotting with the intent to harm U.S. citizens," said Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the Department of State's Coordinator for Counter-terrorism. "The U.N.'s listing of Awlaki highlights the threat (he) poses to the international community."