In commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Americans should acknowledge that al-Qaeda achieved some of its most fundamental goals.
The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage but they also led to the unsuccessful invasion of Afghanistan and the overthrow of the Taliban regime, which had harbored al-Qaeda.
The killing of American citizens by US military drone strikes should not be controversial, because the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, which protects individuals from the federal government, states that no person shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
Some of the specific procedural protections that are considered to be part of due process include:
- The right to be notified of the charges against you
- The right to a fair and impartial hearing
- The right to be represented by an attorney
- The right to confront witnesses against you
- The right to present evidence in your own defense
- The right to a jury trial
The right to due process is one of the most important protections in the Constitution. It ensures that the government cannot take away our rights without following fair procedures. This is also a principle of international law, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone is entitled to “due process of law.”
Anwar al-Awlaki was a US-born Muslim cleric who was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011 after being accused of serving as an al-Qaeda recruiter and propagandist.
Samir Khan was a US-born Muslim who was the editor of Inspire, an al-Qaeda magazine, killed in the same drone strike as al-Awlaki.
Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, Al-Awlaki’s 16-year-old son, was killed in a separate drone strike in Yemen in 2011. He was not a known member of al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group.
Nawar al-Awlaki, Al-Awlaki’s 8-year-old daughter, was not a known member of any terrorist group but she was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2012.
Hassan Ghul was a US citizen who was captured in Pakistan in 2004 and held in Guantanamo Bay for nearly ten years. He was released in 2014 and killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan in 2016.
Jude Kenan Mohammed, a US citizen and accused member of al-Qaeda, was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2010.
Ahmed Farouq, a US citizen and accused member of al-Qaeda, was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in 2011.
Abdul Kareem Qurban, a US citizen and accused member of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, was killed in a drone strike in Somalia in 2013.
Kamal Derwish, a US citizen and accused member of al-Qaeda, was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2015. He was accused of being a member of al-Qaeda.
Some people believe that it is a legitimate use of force against terrorists, while others believe that it is illegal and immoral.
The Obama administration defended the use of drone strikes, arguing that they were necessary to protect national security. The Trump administration continued the use of drone strikes, but it expanded the criteria for who could be targeted.
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, there were 2,243 drone strikes carried out by the United States during the Trump administration, from 2017 to 2021. Of these strikes, 384 were in Somalia, 237 were in Yemen, 116 were in Afghanistan, and 66 were in Pakistan.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism also reports that 804 civilians were killed in these strikes, including 169 children. It is possible that some of these civilians were US citizens, but the US government has not released any information about the nationality of those killed in drone strikes.
The Trump administration has been criticized for its use of drone strikes, particularly in Somalia and Yemen. Critics argue that the strikes are often inaccurate and that they kill innocent civilians. They also argue that the strikes violate international law.
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the United States carried out 563 drone strikes during the Obama administration, from 2009 to 2017. Of these strikes, 384 were in Pakistan, 57 were in Yemen, 60 were in Somalia, and 22 were in Libya.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism also reports that 3,797 civilians were killed in these strikes, including 424 children. It is possible that some of these civilians were US citizens, but the US government has not released any information about the nationality of those killed in drone strikes.
The Obama administration was criticized for its use of drone strikes, particularly in Pakistan. Critics argue that the strikes are often inaccurate and that they kill innocent civilians. They also argue that the strikes violate international law.
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the United States carried out at least 13 drone strikes in Somalia and Yemen during the Biden administration, from January 2021 to July 2023. The strikes killed at least 42 people, including 10 civilians.
The Biden administration has said that it will review the use of drone strikes and take steps to minimize civilian casualties, but it continues to use drone strikes as a tool in the fight against terrorism.
There is no publicly available information about any US citizens who were killed by drone strikes carried out during the Trump administration or the Biden administration. It is possible that some of the civilians killed in drone strikes since the Obama administration were American citizens, but there is no way to know for sure without disclosures from the US government.
The US government has defended its use of drone strikes, arguing that they are a necessary tool in the fight against terrorism. The government also argues that it takes steps to minimize civilian casualties, such as using intelligence to target suspected terrorists and conducting strikes during off-peak hours.
“The ACLU commemorates the victims, their families, and all of those impacted by the tragic attacks on September 11th, 2001,” said Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project. “We also pay particular tribute to John Perry who died in the World Trade Center and who served on the New York Civil Liberties Union board of directors.”
“After the attacks, we urged the government to respond with fairness and justice, transparency and accountability, and commitment to fundamental human rights,” said Shamsi. “Instead, to our national shame, political leaders’ fear launched forever wars, torture, indefinite detention, and other horrific abuses. Thanks to the persistent work of impacted communities, independent media, and rights advocates and allies, some of the worst abuses came to light and ended. But, many more continue.”
“Today, the government continues to discriminate against Muslim, Black, and Brown people, scapegoating entire communities under the guise of ‘national security.’ We are deeply dismayed to see the same fear-based playbook used against Asian communities in the U.S. and people who dissent against the government,” said Shamsi. “The country we want and need must ground security for everyone in human rights and civil liberties, equality, dignity, and accountability. No exceptions.”
There has been an alarming increase in recent years in the number of high-profile cases in which unarmed black men and women have been killed by police. These cases have sparked protests and calls for reform of the criminal justice system.
Some of the most well-known cases include:
- The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. Brown was unarmed when he was shot and killed by a white police officer.
- The chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York City in 2014. Garner was unarmed when he was put in a chokehold by a police officer and died.
- The shooting of Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014. Rice was a 12-year-old black boy who was playing with a toy gun when he was shot and killed by a white police officer in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014.
- The shooting of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota in 2016. Castile was a black man who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop.
- George Floyd: Floyd was a 46-year-old black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020. The officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for over 8 minutes, even after Floyd said he could not breathe.
These are just a few of the many cases in which US citizens have been killed by police without due process of law.
Philando Castile was a 32-year-old African-American man who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota on July 6, 2016. The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, shot Castile five times after Castile told him he was armed during a traffic stop that occurred due to racial profiling. The shooting took place in 40 seconds, from the officer saying “Hello, sir” to firing seven shots.
A year after the shooting, Yanez was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. The ACLU of Minnesota fought to get the video footage released, which was made public after the acquittal.
Castile was a nutritional supervisor at J. J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, where he was known as “Mr. Phil”. The Philando Castile Relief Foundation was created after his death
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