Adam Gadahn: Californian Turned Al-Qaida Spokesman Killed By US

From Phil Shuman:

On the grounds of the sprawling Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove, the sounds of school children almost drowned out the soft-spoken Religious Director Dr Muzammil Sidiqqi. He's been here for almost three decades, and remembered quite well when a teenaged Adam Gadahn came to the Mosque seeking to convert to Islam. "Like we do with all people , we welcomed him... he was quiet and calm. ''

But after a dispute with a member, he was asked to leave, and about that time he became 'radicalized' to use the latest term, moved to Pakistan, and lost contact with his family. Dr. Sidiqqi says he would just be speculating but there are lots of things that ''go wrong'' from for various reasons.. . ''family problems..there are a number or reasons people are getting involved with all these horrible things. ''

He also went on to ''denounce all acts of terrorism '', and asked me to to remind our viewers that ''Islam is a religion of peace." Apparently not to Gadahn, who proclaimed his hatred of America and his praise of 9-11 in a series of videos posted on the web. He was the first American indicted for treason by the federal government, back in 2006, accused of ''giving comfort and aid to Al Qaeda. ''There was a million dollar reward offered for his capture. It's not clear who if anyone will get that, as we've just found out now that Gadah apparently perished in a drone strike way back in January. As one local man , having coffee in an Arab bakery in Anaheim's '' Little Gaza '' put it when he heard that, ''He's dead ? that's good, I like that."