He has become a recruiter of terrorists against America, and on Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department designated American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki a leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The move freezes any assets he may have here and makes it illegal for anyone in the United States to engage in any transactions with Awlaki or to provide him with material support. It has been reported that President Obama already had authorized killing Awlaki, who is connected to a series of recent attacks, including Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan and failed Detroit airline bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. He also called for direct attacks on American civilians.

Awlaki "has proven that he is extraordinarily dangerous, committed to carrying out deadly attacks on Americans and others worldwide," Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey said in a statement. "He has involved himself in every aspect of the supply chain of terrorism -- fundraising for terrorist groups, recruiting and training operatives, and planning and ordering attacks on innocents."

Awlaki was born in New Mexico and preached in Colorado, San Diego and Virginia. The 9/11 Commission report tied him to at least two of the hijackers in that attack and recent reports indicate AQAP has recruited dozens of Westerners for terrorist training in Yemen.

Read the Treasury announcement here.