Is it because we murder their women and children?
By Kevin Spicer
I wonder if Trump understands that targeting the innocent family members of even “real” terrorists is, in itself a form of terrorism?
That’s right, the United States thinks the “War on Terrorism” should be fought, at least in part, by committing terrorism!
It’s the same ol’ same ol’. Obama had “Terror Tuesdays” where he selected individuals that needed to be murdered via drone strike. And even though Trump said he wanted to stop invading sovereign nations and removing heads of states, it appears he too is powerless to stop the Military Industrial Complex from going around killing whoever a secret group of powerful politicians thinks needs to be murdered. (Along with their wives and families.)
At least Trump is sacrificing young girls and mothers for REAL “terrorists,” in contrast to the so-called “terrorism” of those who merely fight back against the US military when their countries are invaded. (Hmmm, I wonder if I would be classified as a “terrorist” by some foreign invader to our country if I fought back and tried to kick out the invaders?)
*Note to self: never use critical thinking skills.
A mission in Yemen in which ‘almost everything went wrong’
Towards the end of the White House press briefing yesterday, a reporter brought a question that may have seemed strange: “The president has previously indicated that he would encourage the targeting of families of terror suspects. Is that still his current position?”
Press Secretary Sean Spicer, responded, “When did he say that?”
As it turns out, it was on Dec. 2, 2015, at the height of the Republican presidential primary, when a variety of GOP candidates were eager to tell the party’s base how much they supported torture. Trump <http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-presidential-candidates-voice-growing-support-torture> declared, in reference to terrorists, “[Y]ou have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. But they say they don’t care about their lives. You have to take out their families.”
As for why this is suddenly relevant, NBC News ran a striking report <http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/seal-american-girl-die-first-trump-era-u-s-military-n714346> the other day about a deadly mission in Yemen on Sunday (1/29/2017), which did not go according to plan.
In what an official said was the first military raid carried out under President Donald Trump, two Americans were killed in Yemen on Sunday—one a member of SEAL Team 6 and the other the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, the New Mexico-born al Qaeda leader who himself was killed in a U.S. strike five years ago.
The raid in southern Yemen, conducted by the super secret Joint Special Operations Command, was intended to capture valuable intelligence, specifically computer equipment, according to a senior U.S. military official. Three al Qaeda leaders were killed, according to U.S. officials.
Contrary to earlier reporting, the senior military official said, the raid was Trump’s first clandestine strike—not a holdover mission approved by President Barack Obama. The mission involved “boots on the ground” at an al Qaeda camp near al Bayda in south central Yemen, the official said.
According to the unnamed official describing this mission, “Almost everything went wrong.”
One Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owen, was killed in a firefight. Several other SEALs were injured, including one who sustained severe injuries, when their Osprey (huge piece of shit that has killed hundreds of airmen) made a hard landing.
The death of the 8-year-old girl, Nawar al-Awlaki, also known as Nora, is generating considerable attention because of her father, who was killed by a drone in September 2011. His American citizenship made the strike far more controversial than many related strikes that targeted terrorist leaders abroad.
More from the NBC News’ report
Karen Greenberg, director of Fordham University’s Center on National Security, said the girl’s death will be a boon to al Qaeda propagandists. “The perception will be that it’s not enough to kill al-Awlaki—that the U.S. had to kill the entire family,” she said.
Nawar al-Awlaki is the second of Anwar al-Awlaki’s children to be killed by U.S. forces. Two weeks after Anwar was killed in late 2011, his 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman, was also struck in a drone strike. U.S. officials said the younger al-Awlaki was in the wrong place at the wrong time—that he was with their intended target, an al Qaeda leader.
Intentional or not, Greenberg said, the deaths of three al-Awlaki family members will enhance the al Qaeda narrative. She noted that as part of propaganda efforts, terrorist groups have begun to circulate photographs of children reputedly killed by U.S. forces. Photos of Nawar al-Awlaki alive and dead are already circulating widely in Arab media.
Makes you wonder why such photos aren’t circulating in OUR media…
KS
“The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”
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