Jihadi Cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki to Jihadists Living in the West: Obtain Money By Any Means Possible, Especially from the U.S. Government and its Citizens

In a new fatwa issued in the lead article of the fourth issue of Inspire magazine, which was published on January 16, 2011, Yemeni-American jihadi cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki encourages jihadists living in the West to assist the financing of jihadi activities through any means possible, including theft, embezzlement and seizure of property. The U.S. government, and U.S. citizens are singled out as prime targets for these acts. Following are the main points and excerpts from the article: In an attempt to deal with the cash-shortage jihadist groups are facing, Al-Awlaki gives religious justification to any actions used by jihadists to obtain money. In the article, titled "The Ruling on Dispossessing the Disbelievers' Wealth in Dar Al-Harb", He deals with the issue by ruling that Western countries are considered Dar Al-Harb, i.e. the territory of war, countries on which the rules of war apply. Since this is the case, Al-Awlaki says Muslims living in the West are not bound by any laws or contracts that prohibit them to harm their countries of residence: "It is the consensus of our scholars that the property of the disbelievers in dar al-harb is halal [permissible] for the Muslims and is a legitimate target for the mujahidin."