Attorney-General Admits Deaths of Four Americans in Drone Attacks

The Obama Administration has formally admitted killing four of its citizens in authorized drone attacks in Yemen and Pakistan since 2009, according to a letter from US attorney-general Eric Holder.

The letter, which was addressed to congressional leaders on Wednesday, named three US citizens – Samir Khan, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, and his father, Anwar al-Awlaki, the intended target of a drone strike in September 2011.

However, the fourth citizen, Jude Kenan Mohammed, was regarded as a victim of America’s efforts to combat terrorism through drone strikes.

The letter reads, “Since 2009, the United States, in the conduct of US counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and its associated forces outside of areas of active hostilities, has specifically targeted and killed one US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki.”

“The decision to target Anwar al-Awlaki was lawful, it was considered and it was just,” he wrote.

“The United States is further aware of three other US citizens who have been killed in such US counterterrorism operations over that same time period,” Holder added, after which he named three citizens.

Holder refused to explain why Jude Mohammed and 16-year-old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki were killed. “These individuals were not specifically targeted by the United States,” he said.

“The administration is determined to continue these extensive outreach efforts to communicate with the American people. To this end, the president has directed me to disclose certain information that until now has been properly classified. You and other members of your committee have on numerous occasions expressed a particular interest in the administration’s use of lethal force against US citizens.”

“In light of this face, I am writing to disclose to you certain information about the number of US citizens who have been killed by US counterterrorism operations outside of areas of active hostilities.”

The letter came just a day before US President Barack Obama was scheduled to deliver a speech on the use of drones, and was addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Apparently, it was released with the purpose of defending the Obama Administration over allegations that it wasn’t holding up to its promise of utmost transparency as Obama’s campaign plans has stated.

Only a few months earlier, Senator Rand Paul led a marathon filibuster in an effort to criticize the drone program of the CIA, demanding the administration stand before lawmakers and justify the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the execution of suspected enemies of the state while turning a blind eye to the innocent civilians killed in the process.