Rep. Pete King probing American-born Al Qaeda imam Anwar Al-Awlaki's role in 9/11 attack

New York Daily News – by Joseph Straw

WASHINGTON - Rep. Pete King is reexamining whether an American imam turned top Al Qaeda recruiter played a role in the 9/11 attacks.

New Mexico-born Anwar Al-Awlaki, now on the run from U.S. drones in Yemen, preached to two of the 9/11 hijackers at a San Diego mosque.

When Al-Awlaki moved to a Northern Virginia mosque in 2000, the two terrorists soon joined him there.

The 9/11 Commission found that the events "may not have been coincidental," but could not determine whether the cleric knew about the attack plot, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

King (R-Nassau), the boss of the House Homeland Security Committee, requested Al Awlaki's dossier from Attorney General Eric Holder.

King said he believes Al-Awlaki "may have played greater roles in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as well as other terrorist plots, than those of which we have been previously aware."

After fleeing the U.S. in 2002, Al-Awlaki took to the internet to incite terrorist violence, with great effect.

Al-Awlaki corresponded with "underwear" bomber Umar Farouk Amdulmutallab, traded e-mails with Maj. Nidal Hasan, who awaits trial for the Fort Hood Massacre, and inspired Faisal Shahzad to mount his failed bombing attack on Times Square last year.