Abdulrahman al-Awlaki
| Abdulrahman al-Awlaki | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Abdulrahman Anwar al-Aulaqi[1] August 26, 1995[1] Denver, Colorado, U.S.[1] |
| Died |
October 14, 2011 (aged 16) Yemen |
| Nationality | American[1] |
| Known for | Being killed in a drone strike ordered by the Obama administration |
Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki (born al-Aulaqi; August 26, 1995 – October 14, 2011) was a Yemeni-American 16-year-old who was killed while eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant[2][3][4][5] by a drone airstrike in Yemen on October 14, 2011. Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki's father Anwar was himself an operational leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[6] Anwar al-Awlaki was killed by an airstrike by an armed CIA drone[7] two weeks prior to the death of his son.
Death
Human rights groups have raised questions as to 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."[8]
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.[8] 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.[8] White House press secretary Robert Gibbs commented on the airstrike: "Maybe he (Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki) should've had a more responsible father."[9][10]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Abdulrahman al-Awlaki's birth certificate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ↑ CODEPINK Repeatedly Disrupts Brennan Hearing Calling Out Names Of Civilians Killed in Drone Strikes 10:38 minutes in
- ↑ Families Sue Over U.S. Deaths In Yemen Drone Strikes
- ↑ American drone deaths highlight controversy
- ↑ Al-Aulaqi v. Panetta
- ↑ 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 2015-09-29. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- ↑ Raghavan, Sudarsan (September 30, 2011). "Awlaqi hit misses al-Qaeda bombmaker, Yemen says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- 1 2 3 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 September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ↑ "If U.S. Government Can Kill An American Child In A Drone Strike, Is Anyone Safe?". August 28, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/how-team-obama-justifies-the-killing-of-a-16-year-old-american/264028/
External links
- An American Teenager in Yemen: Paying for the Sins of His Father?, article about Yemeni reaction to American drone attacks
- A Tale of Two Murders Antiwar.com, March 31, 2012