American-Yemeni Islamic cleric Imam Anwar al-Awlaki was charged with attempting to kill foreigners and being a member of Al Qaeda on Tuesday.
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Facing pressure to crackdown on terrorism following last week's international bomb scare, Yemen has charged a radical, U.S.-born Muslim cleric with attempting to kill foreigners and being a member of Al Qaeda.
The announcement to try Anwar al-Awlaki (who is already on a U.S. list of militants to assassinate) was made at the trial of another radical, Hisham Assem on Tuesday.
Assem is charged with a shooting and killing of a Frenchman at a local oil compound last month.
Al-Awlaki is said to be hiding in the mountains of Yemen with his family and friends. He was charged in absentia.
U.S. authorities say e-mails link al-Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico and raised in Yemen, to the Army psychiatrist accused of last year's killings at Fort Hood, Texas.
They also say that he helped prep Nigerian "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab, who is accused in the failed attempt to bring down a Detroit-bound airplane last Christmas. Officials said he also had a hand in the foiled Times Square bombing.
In a rare move, the Obama administration has authorized the targeted killing of al-Awlaki in April, arguing he had become a terrorist recruiter and is an operative of Al Qaeda. Officials said it was unusual to place an American on the assassination list.
The charges by Yemen were the first formal legal action against the cleric. The country has been facing mounting criticism since last week when U.S.-bound packages were discovered to have originated from Yemen. The mail bombs were intercepted in Dubai and Britain.
Officials said they believe the shipments were a dry run by Al Qaeda to test the logistics of the air cargo system.
Assem admitted on Tuesday in court that he received e-mails from al-Awlaki inciting him to kill foreigners and sent sermons justifying their deaths.
The court was adjourned until Saturday to publish an announcement in the papers notifying al-Awlaki of the charges against him.
With News Wire Services
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