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UNDERREPORTED
Al Qaeda vows to kill U.S. hostages if Fort Hood shooter is put to death
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula warned it will execute any American it captures if the U.S. proceeds with the execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan.
The militant group issued a statement saying that the United States’ decision to carry out Hasan’s death sentence will trigger the killing of any U.S. nationals it later seizes. The threat was announced on Monday and also referenced the group’s support for the Omani suicide attacker who attempted to target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Al Qaeda’s message links the planned execution to a broader promise of retaliation against American captives.
Why it matters
The threat raises the risk of American hostages being killed in response to a high-profile execution.
In this story
Al QaedaU.S. hostagesexecutionNidal HasanFort Hoodretaliationterror threatBen Gurion Airport
