  4 American citizens killed in drone strikes, U.S. confirms May 23, 2013 - 09:29 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. attorney general has acknowledged four U.S. citizens have been killed in drone strikes since 2011, according to BBC News. In a letter to the Senate judiciary committee, Eric Holder defended the targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki. But he said Awlaki's 16-year-old son as well as two other individuals were “not specifically targeted by the U.S.” The disclosure comes as President Barack Obama prepares to make a speech on counter-terrorism and the drone program on Thursday, May 23. A White House official quoted by Reuters said the U.S. president would discuss why the use of drones was "necessary, legal and just". The disclosure of the killings in Yemen and Pakistan marks the first formal public acknowledgement of the U.S. citizen deaths in drone strikes. "The president has directed me to disclose certain information that until now has been properly classified," Holder wrote. America's top law enforcement official defended the killing of Awlaki, whom he described as a "senior operational leader" of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Holder said Awlaki was "intimately involved in detailed planning and putting in place plots against U.S. persons". He added officials "appropriately concluded that [Awlaki] posed a continuing and imminent threat" to the U.S. Awlaki, who was born in the U.S. state of New Mexico, was killed in a missile strike from an unmanned plane in Yemen in September 2011. U.S. officials announced his death but did not officially reveal he was killed by a drone. Samir Khan, a naturalized U.S. citizen who produced an online magazine promoting al-Qaeda's ideology, died in the same missile strike. Awlaki's 16-year-old son Abdulrahman, who was born in Colorado, was killed in Yemen a month later. Jude Kenan Mohammad, a North Carolina resident with a Pakistani father and an American-born mother, was arrested in Pakistan in 2008 after trying to enter a part of the country that is dominated by militants and is off-limits to foreigners. He was charged with weapons possession and lacking the correct paperwork but disappeared after being granted bail. According to his acquaintances, Mohammad is thought to have died in a strike in November 2011 in Pakistan's South Waziristan region   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
