YouTube Removes Video Sermons by al-Awlaki

YouTube has removed from its site videos featuring calls to holy war by an al Qaeda-linked Muslim cleric after pressure from British and U.S. officials.

The New York Times reported on its website Wednesday that YouTube spokeswoman Victoria Grand said the videos by Anwar al-Awlaki violated the site's guidelines prohibiting "incitement to commit violent acts."

The newspaper says YouTube made the move after a British official urged the videos be removed.

Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiner also sent letters to the Google-owned company listing hundreds of videos featuring the U.S.-born Yemeni cleric. Weiner says the company took his request more seriously after last week's attempted mail bombings from Yemen.

YouTube says it doesn't comment on specific videos on its site.

Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in New Mexico who has made Yemen an adoptive homeland, has been linked to the 9/11 attackers, Ft. Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hassan, and to attempted Christmas Day airline bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Yemen put the fugitive cleric on trial in absentia Tuesday, accusing him and two other men with plotting to kill foreigners and of being members of al Qaeda.

It was the first formal legal action by Yemen against Awlaki, and came as the country faces heavy pressure to crack down on the terror network following the interception of two mail bombs intercepted in Dubai and Britain last week.

Yemen's move isn't likely to affect a U.S. decision to charge the cleric itself, since Washington doesn't believe Yemen is reliable at holding its prisoners, especially after a number of high profile suspects were released into the custody of their tribes.

The U.S. has put Awlaki on a list of militants it wants killed or captured without trial.

Al-Awlaki is believed to be living in a mountainous region of Yemen, sheltered by his family and tribal religious leaders who say he has no ties to terrorism. Yemeni officials have said they will not turn him over to the U.S. because, as a Yemeni citizen, he must be prosecuted there.