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THE TARTAN Oct. 5, 2011

Al-Qaeda leaders killed Friday in drone strike

Three days prior to the strike led by the CIA, NATO captured the head of the Haqqani network

JENNIFER WERNER
jwerner2@radford.edu
Performing an operation along the borders of Pakistan on Tuesday, Sept 27 in the eastern Paktia provinces Jani Khel district, NATO captured a senior leader of the Haqqani network, Haji Mali Kahn. Khan surrendered without resistance. NATO captured his bodyguard and deputy as well as

Photo courtesy of Site intelligence

Anwar al-Awlaki used the internet to preach his jihadist message.

several other insurgents. The Haqqani network is closely allied with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. He was one of the highest ranking members of the Haqqani network and a revered elder of the Haqqani clan,said NATO. He worked directly under Siraj Haqqani and managed bases and oversight of operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Khan also moved forces from Pakistan to Afghanistan to conduct terrorist activity. Three days later, on Sept. 30, a CIA-led drone strike killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric and digital jihadist, at his hideout in Yemen. A joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin claimed that al-Awlaki was the inspiration for countless plots in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Federal authorities are afraid that the strike will cause revenge attacks. The strike also killed Saudi-born, Samir Khan. Raised in New York, Khan was the editor of the English language publication

of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Inspire magazine. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Khan was a rising figure in jihadist propaganda. Khan is linked to other jihadists including Somali-American, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who was arrested by FBI officials and was accused of attempting to detonate what was believed to have been a car bomb in Portlands Pioneer Courthouse Square from a cellular device during a Christmas lighting event in Portland, Oregon. According to an FBI affidavit, Mohamud is alleged to have admitted to writing four articles since 2004 for the jihadist magazine. According to ABC News, Khan had edited seven separate issues of Inspire. The publication had several sermons by different jihadist figures including al-Awlaki who enthusiastically described the plan for the printer cargo plane plot that failed. On Saturday, Oct. 1, the state department issued a travel alert following the death of al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, warning people

Photo courtesy of the Washington Examiner

Haji Mali Khan was captured last Tuesday.

of the possibility of attacks against Americans. The death of Awlaki, in the near term, could provide motivation for anti-American attacks world-wide from individuals or groups seeking to retaliate against US citizens or interests because of this action, said the state department.

SGA active in representing RU

nior Class President Steve Teresi, each gown saves 23 bottles from going into a landll. Brian Massie Another one of these recommendations, a Medical Amnesty Protocol, bmassie@radford.edu grants students immunity from strikes during emergency medical situations. It is currently under review by the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Mark Shanley, and the Dean of Students ofce, headed Last year the Radford University SGA directly apby the recently hired Dr. Don Appiarius. proved spending nearly $1.2 million dollars. Some Occasionally, the SGA will issue public statements about of the groups funded with that money include Revents to reect student opinions. After the Center for SPaCE, Campus Recreation, Sports Club CounBio-ethical Reform demonstration, the SGA issued the cil, Club Programming and the Greek Governing following statement: Councils. To be clear the SGA in no way opposes the right of free SGA also developed several policy recommendaspeech as guaranteed in the rst amendment of the Unittions currently under review by the administration ed States Constitution; however, we also do not endorse for implementation. While the Student Finance the use of graphic images such as death or aborted fetuses to Committee develops a budget recommendation, the Courtesy of SGA further any cause whatsoever. SGA has to approve it. SGA represents the interests of nearly 10,000 students at RU. The SGA hosts and co-sponsors a few events during the I am positive and enthusiastic about the upcoming year. There is a year, but it is primarily a deliberative body used to voice the general opinion of the student body. SGA is sometimes confused by students renewed sense of interest in what happens at RU, in the city of Radford, in the state of Virginia, and in these United States, said President Lee with R-SPaCE which handles a lot of on-campus events. Policy recommendations are a primary duty of the SGA. One recom- Hicks. We have a lot of new members in the Senate and I personally mendation that passed and was adopted last year was the use of recycled look forward to getting to know each of them and working with them plastic gowns for commencement ceremonies. Put forward by then Se- during the coming year.

HISTORY: This
week in 1911, McConnell elected first president of RU

Photos courtesy of McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections, Radford University This picture was taken of McConnell Library c. 1930.

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HISTORIC: St. Albans has uncertain future

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(owners of New River Trail Outtters in Galax) drew up an agreement to purchase the property for $500,000, and also to invest $3 million dollars into its renovation. St. Albans was to be reopened as St. Albans Center for Research and Enlightenment, a center that Gregory wanted to serve as a place for seminars and discussions of ideas. This sale was never completed. Since then, St. Albans has set relatively vacant, occasionally being used for various historic and ghost tours. There have also been a handful of paranormal investigations held on the site. Investigations have been held by multiple local paranormal societies, as well as by the nationally known group The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). TAPS is most recognized from their television show on the SyFy channel, Ghost Hunters. The St. Albans website offers information for groups interested in participating in an investigating the grounds. The current charge begins at $75 per person with a requirement of at least 10 people in the group. In the current and upcoming months, St. Albans has two major events that will be occurring on its grounds. First, during the month of October, St. Albans will host a haunted house attraction titled The Asylum. The St. Albans Sanatorium hosts this attraction with volunteer aid and presentation from members of the Mountain Ridge Paranormal Research Society. The Asylum will occur on every Friday and Saturday night for the month of October, from 8 p.m. to midnight and costs $10 to attend. A portion of those proceeds will go to a local charity. In addition to the haunted house portion of the attraction, St. Albans will have, in the former cafeteria of the building, casual sessions with local paranormal teams. The teams will be set up to present evidence that they have found during their investigations of St. Albans and will be there to discuss with those interested. Late Monday evening (Oct. 3), St. Albans Sanatorium announced on their Facebook account that Amy Bruni from TAPS will be attending the opening night this Friday, Oct. 7. Bruni will lead a discussion on the paranormal and the ghost tour of St. Albans will follow. Food will be provided on this specic night, which is sponsored by R-SPaCE. Information about this night, and about the entire Asylum event can be found on the St. Albans Sanatorium website (stalbans-virginia.com). Free tickets for Oct. 7 are available during the preceding week, Monday through Thursday from the Student Activity Ofce (from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Friday from the R-SPaCE table in the Bonnie (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). St. Albans will also host the TAPS Academy, the ofcial training program for TAPS and its family on Nov. 12. Information about this event, as well as ticket information, is available on the academy website (www.tapsacademy.com). While St. Albans seems to be receiving a fair amount of use in the immediate future, plans for the not-so-immediate future appear much more grim. The Roanoke Times has stated that Shah Development has plans to demolish the main building of St. Albans and offer the grounds for some sort of commercial use if the property is not purchased by January of 2012. Weve given it enough time three years to see if anyones interested in buying it, said David Hagan, one of the propertys owners. We think an empty commercial lot would be a lot more valuable to the community.

construction. He completed these tasks, all without compensation, while continuing to still hold his previous job as dean and professor of history and economics at Emory and Henry College. He was also responsible for attending to disciplinary conduct issues. McConnell did not believe that the faculty should discipline the students. According to Radford University: Investing in Lifetimes, His belief was that they were too busy preparing and teaching classes to be involved in student lives outside of the classroom. McConnell is still remembered today as the library was named in honor of him. His time as the rst president inspired many people to take the education of women more seriously.

AJ Schrantz | The Tartan

St. Albans sits empty awaiting its fate.

This is a painting of John Preston McConnell c. 1930.

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