Al Qaeda Leader in Yemen Killed by Drone

[hue]

Source: abc NEWS

The Yemen-based branch of al-Qaida confirmed on Wednesday that the group's No. 2 figure, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, was killed in a U.S. drone strike.

The announcement, posted on militant websites, gave no date for the death of Saudi-born Saeed al-Shihri.

The confirmation was significant, however, because al-Shihri had twice before been reported dead but the terror group later denied those reports.

His killing is considered a major blow to the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, known as Al-Qaida in The Arabian Peninsula.

Yemeni security officials said al-Shihri died of serious injuries sustained when a drone strike targeted him in November last year

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/al-qaida-branch-leader-killed-yemen-19684610#.UeaXi6z7Zw8

[GoneFishin]

1. I have very little faith in the networks for stories like this.

They have pretty much proven they will report anything they are asked to report regarding the MIC, and they have cut back so much on international investigative journalism that I am pretty sure all of their information is second hand or father removed.

I would be about as invested in a story from the major networks declaring "high probability of weather over the coming weeks".

[OnyxCollie]

2. The article doesn't say how many "suspected militants," i.e. innocent civilians

were "not intentionally targeted" when killing this guy.

Apparently, he was standing in the middle of nowhere (it is Yemen, after all), using his cellphone (metadata!) and no one got hurt and nothing was damaged.

[Blandocyte]

3. Was it another Number 2 guy?

You can tell the Number 2 guys by the red shirt they wear. I hear that when they get to be the Number 2 guy they get a cool red shirt to wear.

[Bosso 63]

5. "So who wants to be the new Number 2 guy?"

"Hello? . . . . . anyone? .. . .is anybody out there?"

[panzerfaust]

4. ... three children also slain?

Well perhaps not this time.


Or, if so, was not reported after (yet another) Great Victory by Our Gallant Forces as they take another Huge Stride to Victory in the War on Terror.

Likely the drone operator will be awarded the new Distinguished Warfare Medal for such a great achievement.

A medal which ranks higher than some combat medals such as the Bronze Star or the Purple Heart. Odd, given that the only risk the drone operator runs is falling out of his or her chair.

[sigmasix]

7. so you're rooting for terrorists

so does the love of terrorists become OK because you are convinced that President Obama likes to kill children for fun with drones? I realize a nuanced understanding of the real threat to America presented by these terrorists is contrary to knee-jerk assertions and trivialization of the threats represented by the continued build-up of terrorist training facilities and leaders. Drones are morally problematic. Idoits that trivialize terrorist threats to America are guilty of being morally problematic as well. Anyone that attempts to present the drone situation as a simple case of right vs. wrong is guilty of willfull ignorance and outrite dishonesty. If the drone program really bothers someone I would think they would want to be honest about the conditions and prior attempts at disarming evil fundamentalist terrorists that murder little girls for going to school. But the outrage here has nothing to do with humanitarian concerns and everything to do with smearing America and the president. There was a big hole in the ground in ny that represents the lengths these terrorists will go to to murder American children and innocents. Allowing the terrorists to attack us because you think America deserves it is not an adequate defense for this sort of inanity.

[WatermelonRat]

6. It's amazing to see people jeering a victory over al-Qaeda

Have people forgotten who these guys are?

[frylock]

8. the US has been eliminating AQ's #2 guy going on 12 years now..

which has accomplished fuckall. that role has probably already been backfilled, and the next #2 we get will be backfilled, ad nauseum. you'll have to forgive us for not throwing a party.

[penultimate]

9. As Frylock said, we've been doing this for over a decade and haven't seen much improvment

Best case, it seems to be a fairly ineffective strategy that isn't getting us where we need to go. But really, there is a good case that can be made to say these actions have actually made it worse and decrease our overall safety. That being said, I don't shed any tears over legitimate assholes being taken out. But our actions feed into those asshole's narrative and only serves to strengthen their cause.