An unnamed official claimed there was good reason to believe Awlaki " has been involved in very serious terrorist activities since leaving the US in 2002 , including plotting attacks against America and our allies . " US President Barack Obama approved the targeted killing of al-Awlaki by April 2010 , making al-Awlaki the first US citizen ever placed on the CIA target list . That required the consent of the US National Security Council , and officials argued that the attack was appropriate because the individual posed an imminent danger to national security . In May 2010 , Faisal Shahzad , who pleaded guilty to the 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt , told interrogators he was " inspired by " al-Awlaki , and sources said Shahzad had made contact with al-Awlaki over the Internet . Representative Jane Harman called him " terrorist number one " , and '' Investor 's Business Daily '' called him " the world 's most dangerous man " . In July 2010 , the US Treasury Department added him to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists , and the UN added him to its list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda . In August 2010 , al-Awlaki 's father initiated a lawsuit against the US government with the American Civil Liberties Union , challenging its order to kill al-Awlaki . In October 2010 , US and UK officials linked al-Awlaki to the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot . In September 2011 , al-Awlaki was killed in a targeted killing drone attack in Yemen . On March 16 , 2012 , it was reported that Osama bin Laden plotted to kill US President Barack Obama
2010 Times Square car bombing attempt
2010 Times Square car bombing attempt
Al-Qaeda