Terrorism

Jihadist: Kill David Letterman

Online posting calls for Muslims to cut out his tongue.

A poster on an al-Qaeda message board has called on U.S. muslims to cut out David Letterman’s tongue and “break his neck” after the late-night host made a joke about terrorists. "Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" the poster, who went by Umar al-Basrawi, asked. (Al-Mairi killed Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane in 1990; Letterman is not Jewish.) Al-Basrawi was particularly angered by jokes Letterman had made about Osama bin Laden and Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri, an al-Qaeda operative who was killed June 3. When it learned of the threat, the NYPD notified CBS and Letterman at his suburban home; the department may also provide a police detail when Letterman comes to New York City.