Obama WH Admits to Killing 4 Americans With Drones

Kristin Tate

It’s been a long time coming, but the Obama administration finally admitted to killing four Americans in drone strikes.

Gee, I am shocked. Shocked that the administration finally took responsibility, that is.

In a letter to Congressional leaders, Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the administration intentionally killed Anwar al-Awlaki in a September 2011 drone strike. Awlaki was a radical Muslim cleric — he was also an American citizen.

For a while now, it has been obvious (and heavily reported) that the United States was responsible for the death of Awlaki. But the Obama administration would not confirm or deny the drone strike, which happened in Pakistan’s tribal area, until now. Holder’s letter said that the US had also killed three other Americans: Samir Khan, who was killed in the same strike as Awlaki; Abdulraham al-Awlaki, the son of Anwar al-Awklaki; and Jude Mohammed, who was killed in a Pakistan drone strike. These three individuals “were not targeted by the United States,” according to Holder.

During a speech last year, Holder said that American citizens who pose an “imminent threat of violent attack” may be targeted. Although this very abstract thinking was elaborated in his letter to Congress, what defines an “imminent threat of violent attack” is still not specified. In his letter, Holder said that Awlaki was killed because he had plans to attack Americans, and apparently his plans were a lot more specific than just words urging violent attacks on US citizens. Holder said that Awlaki planned the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound plane in December 2009, and played a “key role” in a October 2010 plan to bomb cargo planes headed for the United States.

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

I guess that means it’s “lawful” for the US government to kill any American citizen who they subjectively think poses an imminent threat on Americans. For the love of God, WHY hasn’t Kim Kardashian been targeted then?

President Obama announced Awlaki al-Awlaki’s death on Sept. 30, 2011. At no time did he admit that Awlawki had been killed in an American drone strike. The president reminds me of my 14-year-old cousin. And no, it’s not their mutual desire to be Beyonce’s bestie that makes them so similar. It’s the fact that both of them are willing to take credit for anything that goes well, and are also quick to blame everyone else when something negative happens.