Killing of Abdulrahman al-Awlaki

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Abdulrahman al-Awlaki
Nawar al-Awlaki
(half-sister)

Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled al-Aulaqi,

Arabic: عبدالرحمن العولقي; August 26, 1995 – October 14, 2011) was a 16-year-old United States citizen who was killed by a drone strike on October 14, 2011, under a policy approved by U.S. President Barack Obama.[2][3][4][5]

Abdulrahman al-Awlaki's father, Anwar al-Awlaki, was alleged to be an operational leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[6] Anwar was killed by a CIA drone strike[7] ordered by Obama two weeks prior to the killing of his son.

Context and consideration on escalations in Yemen

  1. 2011 Protests and Political Instability: Inspired by the Arab Spring, protests erupted in Yemen against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The unrest escalated throughout the year, with violent crackdowns, significant political defections, and an assassination attempt on Saleh. January 27 - Tens of thousands of people protest in Sana'a calling for an end to the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
  2. February 2 - President Ali Abdullah Saleh backtracks on his plan to rule Yemen for life and to then allow his son to inherit his rule during an emergency session of parliament ahead of tomorrow's "day of rage" against his three-decade rule.
  3. Yemen declares state of emergency in March 2011.[8][9]
  4. Power Vacuum and Increased Militant Activity: Saleh's departure and the ensuing political transition created a power vacuum. This was exploited by various militant groups, notably Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which strengthened its foothold in the country.[10]
  5. Drone Strikes Intensify: In response to the growing threat of AQAP, the U.S. increased its use of drone strikes in Yemen to target AQAP leaders and militants. This was part of the larger U.S. counter-terrorism strategy in the region. See Drone strikes in Yemen#2011
  6. Civil War Breaks Out: Political instability continued to escalate, leading to the outbreak of a full-scale civil war in 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of large parts of the country, including the capital Sana'a. The chaos and violence of the civil war further complicated the counter-terrorism efforts in Yemen. [10]
  7. Ongoing Conflict and Drone Strikes: As the civil war escalated, so did the drone strikes, often resulting in civilian casualties and increased anti-American sentiment, which in turn fueled further recruitment for militant groups. Drone strikes in Yemen


Killing

Human rights groups questioned why al-Awlaki was killed by the U.S. in a country with which the United States was not at war. Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, stated "If the government is going to be firing Predator missiles at American citizens, surely the American public has a right to know who's being targeted, and why."[11]

Two U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity stated that the target of the October 14, 2011, airstrike was Ibrahim al-Banna, an Egyptian believed to be a senior operative in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[11] Another U.S. administration official speaking on condition of anonymity described Abdulrahman al-Awlaki as a bystander who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time", stating that "the U.S. government did not know that Mr. Awlaki's son was there" before the airstrike was ordered.[11] When pressed by a reporter to defend the targeted killing policy that resulted in Abdulrahman al-Awlaki's death, former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs deflected blame to the victim's father, saying, "I would suggest that you should have a far more responsible father if they are truly concerned about the well-being of their children. I don't think becoming an al-Qaeda jihadist terrorist is the best way to go about doing your business".[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Abdulrahman al-Awlaki's birth certificate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  2. ^ CODEPINK Repeatedly Disrupts Brennan Hearing Calling Out Names Of Civilians Killed in Drone Strikes 10:38 minutes in
  3. ^ Johnson, Carrie (July 19, 2012). "Families Sue Over U.S. Deaths In Yemen Drone Strikes". NPR. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "American drone deaths highlight controversy". NBC News. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Al-Aulaqi v. Panetta
  6. ^ Mark Mazzetti; Charlie Savage; Scott Shane (March 9, 2013). "How a U.S. Citizen Came to Be in America's Cross Hairs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  7. ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan (September 30, 2011). "Awlaqi hit misses al-Qaeda bombmaker, Yemen says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  8. ^ "'State of emergency' declared". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  9. ^ Friedman, Uri (March 18, 2011). "Yemen Declares State of Emergency After Bloody Protest". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Yemen Uprising of 2011–12 | Causes, Impact & Outcome | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Whitloc, Craig (October 23, 2011). "U.S. airstrike that killed American teen in Yemen raises legal, ethical questions". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  12. ^ Grim, Ryan (October 24, 2012). "Teen Killed In U.S. Drone Strike Should Have 'More Responsible Father,' Obama Campaign Official Says". HuffPost.
  13. ^ Friedersdorf, Conor (October 24, 2012). "How Team Obama Justifies the Killing of a 16-Year-Old American". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 27, 2017.

External links