People in Pakistan protesting against United States military and intelligence drone attacks that have killed many civilians in the so-called war on terrorism. The attacks have escalated under the Obama administration., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
US drone have also hit Yemen and Somalia
Sabir Shah
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
LAHORE: Though the American drone attacks have continued unabated in Pakistan since 2004, they have also been hunting suspects in countries like Yemen and Somalia.
Research reveals that in November 2002, a CIA-controlled Predator drone fired a Hellfire missile at a Sport Utility Vehicle in the Yemeni desert containing Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, a Yemeni suspected senior al-Qaeda stalwart believed to be the mastermind of the October 2000 United States Navy guided-missile destroyer “USS Cole” bombing that had killed 17 Americans.
In addition to al-Harethi, as the “New York Times” had reported, five other occupants of the targeted vehicle were killed, all of whom were suspected al-Qaeda terrorists. One of those killed in this attack was Kamal Derwish, an American citizen. It may be recalled that on September 17, 2008, the American Embassy attack in the city of Sana in Yemen had claimed 19 lives, which made Washington DC believe that Yemen too was a breeding place of al-Qaeda loyalists.
Earlier on March 18, 2008, a mortar attack had missed the US embassy and had instead hit a nearby girls’ school.Based on reports from Reuters, AI (Amnesty International), the Washington Post, the American Long War Journal and the Wall Street Journal etc “The News International” has compiled a time-line of some major US drone attacks on Yemen during the recent years.
Here follows the chronology of attacks:
-On December 17, 2009, a Yemeni village was hit by a US cruise missile, killing 41 people, including 14 women, 21 children, and 14 alleged al-Qaeda members.
-In May 2010, a US drone attack again targeting al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen had killed five people, including the deputy governor of a province, Jaber al-Shabwani. The deputy governor was mediating between the government and the militants. His death had pitched the people of his tribe against the Yemeni security forces resulting in intense fighting and damage to a major oil pipeline.
-On May 5, 2011, a missile fired from a US drone killed Abdullah and Mosaad Mubarak, brothers who were reported to be militants. The missile was fired on their car and both had died instantly.
-Another similar strike in Yemen on June 3, 2011 had killed Abu Ali al-Harithi and Ammar Abadah Nasser al-Wa’eli, the two known al-Qaeda operatives and several other militant suspects. The strike was reportedly coordinated by American special forces and CIA operatives based in Sana.
-On July 14, 2011 US drones had destroyed a police station in Yemen. This police station was occupied by al-Qaeda operatives.
-On August 1, 2011, the US drones and Yemeni aircraft had together attacked three targets with bombs and missiles in South Yemen, killing 15 suspected al-Qaeda militants and wounding 17 others.
-On August 24, 2011, yet another strike had reportedly killed 30 militants and wounded 40 others.
-Between August 30 and September 1, 2011, repeated drone hits had killed 30 militants who were reportedly engaged in combat with Yemeni military forces.
-Two more strikes on September 21, 2011 had reportedly killed another four suspects and the September 30, 2011 offensive had killed a matching number including a renowned al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki. This strike had also killed Samir Khan, American-born editor of a local magazine.
-Five people were killed in October 5, 2011 drone strike.
-Seven were killed in October 14, 2011 strike. ——In the December 22, 2011 strike were killed Abdulrahman al-Wuhayshi, a relative of Yemeni al-Qaeda leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi.
-The December 17, 2011 attack killed eight.
- A drone attack on January 31, 2012 had killed eleven suspects.
-A series of strikes from March 9–11, 2012 had left more than 40 dead.
-four had lost lives on March 14, 2012.
-In the April 11, 2012 attack another 14 militants were killed.
-The April 22, 2012 strike had claimed the scalp of senior al-Qaeda leader Mohammed Saeed al Umda. –A drone strike on May 6, 2012 had killed another al-Qaeda operative Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso.
Here follows the chronology of major US drone attacks on Somalia:
-On June 25, 2011, US Predator drones had attacked an al- Shabaab training camp, killing a senior leader Ibrahim al-Afghani. [The Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen is the Somalia-based cell of al-Qaeda, formally recognized in 2012. Al-Shabaab’s troop strength as of May 2011 was estimated at 14,426 militants.]
-On September 6, 2011, a US drone had struck a large al-Shabaab base, killing 35 militants.
-On September 17, 2011, a drone strike had killed 17 suspects.
-On January 22, 2012, a drone attack near Mogadishu had killed a British al-Qaeda operative Bilal el-Berjawi.
-On February 24, 2012, four al-Shabaab fighters, including a white Kenyan and a Moroccan jihadist named Abu Ibrahim, were killed in a drone strike in Somalia.
Coming briefly to the damage inflicted by drones in Pakistan, the Washington DC-based “New America Foundation,” a US non-profit public policy institute and think tank has estimated that some 2,274 militants, 286 civilians and 270 unidentified/unknown people have been killed in 364 drone attacks since 2004, bringing the total number of dead to 2,830.
The year 2010 had seen 122 drone attacks, the most in any year since 2004. Some 788 militants, 16 civilians and 45 unknown people were killed in 2010, bringing the total number of dead to 849.
The year 2011 saw 73 drone attacks, (second highest) killing 420 militants, 62 civilians and 35 unknown people were killed in 2010, bringing the total number of dead to 517.
The year 2013 till date has witnessed 21 drone attacks, killing 128 militants and civilians, bringing the total number of dead to 132.
Meanwhile, the London-based “Bureau of Investigative Journalism,” composed of journalists who produce investigations for press and broadcast media, has calculated that from 2004 to July 2013, 370 drone strikes had killed between 2,548 and 3,549 humans. This estimate included between 411 and 890 civilian deaths and between 168 and 197 children deaths.
According to the “Bureau of Investigative Journalism,” there were 52 drone strikes during George Bush administration and 318 attacks through this mode during the on-going tenure of Barack Obama.
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