Thursday, April 23, 2015

American Lives Lost In Killing Of Adam Gadahn!

Adam Gadahn was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan. His death marks a blow to al Qaeda. The American born extremist was an unlikely target. But in the quest to capture him, the U.S. admits two civilians died in this.

The news is that American born al Qaeda terrorists were killed in a CIA-drone strike in Pakistan. In the causalities, comes an American and Italian humanitarian workers.

President Barack Obama announced the capture of American led al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn and Ahmed Farouq were killed in separate drone strikes. But that drone strike led to the deaths of innocent civilians.

The president acknowledged failure on his part and he wants to get to the bottom of the reckless call.

Ahmed Farouq was killed in drone strkie.
A great day in the fight against extremism but unfortunately a debate into targeted killings, Americans being targeted in the fight against terrorism and habeas corpus.

The White House said that Warren Weinstein, an American held by al Qaeda since 2011, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian held since 2012, were killed in a January operation in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The operation targeted an al Qaeda-associated compound and there was no reason to believe either hostage was present, the White House said.


The White House said Farouq and Gadhan were not specifically targeted in the operations, nor did the U.S. have information indicating their presence at the sites.

President Barack Obama was to appear in the White House briefing room at mid morning to make a statement on the incidents.

The White House said Obama takes "full responsibility for these operations and believes it is important to provide the American people with as much information as possible about our counterterrorism operations, particularly when they take the lives of fellow citizens. "

The White House said that while it believes the operations were lawful, the U.S. is conducting an independent review to understand what happened.

The White House released a statement Thursday morning:

It is with tremendous sorrow that we recently concluded that a U.S. Government counterterrorism operation in January killed two innocent hostages held by al-Qa’ida. Our hearts go out to the families of Dr. Warren Weinstein, an American held by al-Qa’ida since 2011, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian national who had been an al-Qa’ida hostage since 2012. Analysis of all available information has led the Intelligence Community to judge with high confidence that the operation accidentally killed both hostages. The operation targeted an al-Qa’ida-associated compound, where we had no reason to believe either hostage was present, located in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy.

Obama noted he had spoken with both Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the wife of Weinstein about the deaths.
The CIA and President Barack Obama confirms that two Western hostages were killed in their pursuit of Adam Gadahn.
"As a husband and as a father, I cannot begin to imagine the anguish that the Weinstein and Lo Porto families are feeling today," Obama said.

"I know there's nothing I can ever say or do to ease their heartache," he added.

Two other Americans who were working with al Qaeda were also recently killed in the same region, according to the White House. Ahmed Farouq, an American who was an al Qaeda leader, was killed in the same operation that took the lives of Weinstein and Lo Porto, while American Adam Gadahn, a member of al Qaeda, was killed in a separate operation in January. The White House said the two were not specifically targeted and counterterrorism officials "did not have information indicating their presence at the sites of these operations."

The Wall Street Journal reports this is the first known instance in which the U.S. has accidentally killed hostages in a drone strike.

"No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.

Obama defended U.S. counterterrorism operations in his remarks Thursday, saying the strikes occurred after "hundreds of hours of surveillance" had been conducted. He noted "it is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally, and in our fight against terrorists specifically, mistakes...can occur."
President Barack Obama is not happy about today's news that an al Qaeda operative was put down at the cost of two innocent lives.
After Obama gave his remarks, Weinstein's wife released a statement on behalf of the family condemning the "cowardly actions of those who took Warren captive" and expressing disappointment in the U.S. government.

“I want to thank Congressman John Delaney, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and Senator Ben Cardin – as well as specific officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation – for their relentless efforts to free my husband.” Elaine Weinstein said. “Unfortunately, the assistance we received from other elements of the U.S. Government was inconsistent and disappointing over the course of three and a half years. We hope that my husband’s death and the others who have faced similar tragedies in recent months will finally prompt the U.S. Government to take its responsibilities seriously and establish a coordinated and consistent approach to supporting hostages and their families.”

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto.

We don't advocate extremism. But to get an understanding of Gadahn, watch him explain his mission to fight against the United States. He demands that Muslims take arms and fight. Even in his death, he spoke of more strategic attacks. 

Adam Yahiye Gadahn (Arabic: آدم يحيى غدن‎, Ādam Yaḥyā Ghadan; September 1, 1978 – January 2015) was an American senior operative, cultural interpreter, spokesman and media advisor for the Islamist group al-Qaeda. Since 2004, he had appeared in a number of videos produced by al-Qaeda as "Azzam the American."

Gadahn, who converted to Islam in 1995 at a California mosque, was described as "homegrown," meaning that he had converted to an ideology so firmly that he was willing to harm his country of origin.

American intelligence officials allege that he inspired the 2007 Osama bin Laden video.

In 2004, he was added to the FBI Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list. On October 11, 2006 he was removed from that list, and placed on the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Rewards for Justice Program list of wanted criminals.On the same day, Gadahn was indicted based on the testimony of the FBI case agent E. J. Hilbert II, in the Southern Division of the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a federal grand jury for the capital crime of treason for aiding an enemy of the United States, i.e., al-Qaeda.

Watch with discretion.





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