the obama administration reluctantly acknowledged drone strikes killed four americans overseas since 2009. one of whom, anwar al-aulaqi, was targeted in yemen - he'd planned and was planning terrorist attacks on the united states: principally the plot to blow up an airliner over detroit on christmas eve 2009.
the revelation came in a letter from attorney eric holder to congressional leaders and chairmen of key congressional committees. holder wrote, "the president has directed me to disclose to you certain information," about the number of americans killed by u.s. counter-terrorism operations outside of areas of active combat such as afghanistan.
holder said the u.s. government was "aware of three other u.s. citizens who have been killed in such u.s. counter-terrorism operations over that same time period (since 2009): 'abd al-rahman anwar al-aulaqi, samir khan and jude kenan mohammed. these individuals were not specifically .targeted by the united states."
mohammed was on the fbi's most wanted list. an fbi notice said, "on july 22, 2009, a federal grand jury in north carolina indicted jude kenan mohammed for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country. mohammed is at large and a federal warrant was issued by the united states district court, eastern district of north carolina, raliegh, north carolina, for his arrest."
on al-aulaqi, holder said, "it was al-aulaqi's actions - and, in particular, his direct personal involvement in the continued planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the u.s. homeland - that made him a lawful target and led the united states to take action."
the origins of this information is being kept secret to protect u.s. intelligence methods and sources. holder also wrote, "today's disclosure builds on the administration's effort to pursue greater transparency around our counter-terrorism operations, including the president's commitment in this year's state of the union. this disclosure was also intended to coincide with the speech the president will give tomorrow, in which he will discuss our broader counter-terrorism strategy."
i am
- mark j. tuggle
- harlem, usa
- same-gender-loving contemporary descendant of enslaved africans. community activist, feminist, health educator, independent filmmaker, mentor, playwright, poet & spiritual being. featured at, in & on africana.com, afrikan poetry theatre, angel herald, bejata dot com, bet tonight with tavis smiley, blacklight online, black noir, brooklyn moon cafe, gmhc's barbershop, klmo-fm, lgbt community services center, longmoor productions, nuyorican poets cafe, our corner, poz, pulse, rolling out new york, rush arts gallery, saint veronica's church, schomburg center for research in black culture, sexplorations, the citizen, the new york times, the soundz bar, the trenton times, the village voice, upn news, uzuri, venus, vibe, wbai-fm, wnyc-fm & wqht-fm. volunteered with adodi, bailey house, inc., black men's xchange-new york, colorofchange.org, drug policy alliance, east harlem tutorial program, imagenation film & music festival, presente.org, save darfur coalition, the enough project, the osborne association, the sledge group & your black world. worked on films with maurice jamal & heather murphy. writing student of phil bertelsen & ed bullins. mjt975@msn.com.
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