From 1996 – 2000 , al-Awlaki was imam of the Masjid Ar-Ribat al-Islami mosque in San Diego , California , where he had a following of 200 – 300 people . U.S. officials later alleged that Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar , hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 , attended his sermons and personally met him during this period . Hazmi later lived in Northern Virginia and attended al-Awlaki 's mosque there . The '' 9/11 Commission Report '' said that the hijackers " reportedly respected al-Awlaki as a religious figure " . While in San Diego , al-Awlaki volunteered with youth organizations , fished , discussed his travels with friends , and created a popular and lucrative series of recorded lectures
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77
Anwar al-Awlaki