U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki appeared on a video tape released Monday (April 26th) under the sign of Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP). While the cleric's involvement with the group has long been suspected, this is the first time he has openly identified with them.

On the tape, which was aired by Al Jazeera, Awlaki said he taught both Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab, who unsuccessfully tried to blow up a US jetliner in December 2009, and US army psychiatrist Maj Nidal Malik Hassan who shot dead 13 people at a Texas base last year. Awlaki remains in hiding.