Nawar "Nora" al-Awlaki (Arabic: نوار العولقي; 2008/2009 – January 29, 2017) the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki was killed on January 29, 2017, during the Raid on Yakla, a commando attack ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.[1][2][3][4]
Nawar al-Awlaki | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Nawar al-Awlaki 2008/2009 |
| Died | January 29, 2017 (aged 8) |
| Cause of death | Homicide (gunshot wound to the neck) |
| Other names | Nora |
| Known for | Being killed in a United States military raid ordered by the Trump administration |
| Father | Anwar al-Awlaki |
| Relatives | Nasser al-Awlaki (grandfather) Abdulrahman al-Awlaki (half-brother) |
Conducted in southern Yemen, the raid was an attempted attack on a branch of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.[2] The raid in southern Yemen was conducted by the supersecret Joint Special Operations Command and was, according to a senior U.S. military official, intended to capture valuable intelligence, specifically computer equipment. According to U.S. officials, In addition to the death of Nawar al-Awlaki, a U.S. Navy S.E.A.L and three al Qaeda leaders were killed. [5]
Nawar al-Awlaki's death gained national coverage and attention in both mainstream and online media sources.[6][7][8] Nawar's grandfather, Nasser al-Awlaki, said of her killing, "She was hit with a bullet in her neck and suffered for two hours. Why kill children? This is the new U.S. administration – it's very sad, a big crime."[9] Nawar died with her mother and uncle by her side. Her alleged last words were, "Don't cry, mama. I'm fine."[10]
Nawar was the third member of her immediate family killed during military orders issued with executive powers. Her father, Anwar al-Awlaki, was the first to be killed by the executive branch when on September 30, 2011, CIA orders calling for a precision drone strike targeting him[11] were given presidential approval by President Barack Obama.[12] Anwar al-Awlaki was alleged by the U.S. government to be a leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that had gone "operational",[13] although the US government has refused to declassify much of the evidence that led them to this conclusion. Two weeks after the death of her father, Nawar's sixteen-year-old half-brother, Abdulrahman, was also killed in a U.S. drone strike.[14][15][16][17]
See also
edit- Killing of Abdulrahman al-Awlaki – Incidental death of teenaged American citizen in 2011 due to proximity to terrorist target.
- Raid on Yakla – 2017 US-led operation in Yemen against al-Qaeda
References
edit- ^ Scahill, Jeremy, Pardiss Kebriaei, Baraa Shiban, and Amy Goodman. "Yemen: Jeremy Scahill & Advocates Question "Success" of Trump Raid That Killed 24 Civilians", Democracy Now!, February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Ghobari, Mohammed and Phil Stewart. "Commando dies in U.S. raid in Yemen, first military op OK'd by Trump", Reuters, January 29, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Myre, Greg. "Trump Aims For Big Splash In Taking On Terror Fight", NPR, January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "1 US service member killed, 3 wounded in Yemen raid" Archived February 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, WPVI-TV, 6 ABC Action News, Philadelphia, PA. January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "Navy SEAL, 8-year-old American girl died in Yemen raid". NBC News. January 31, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "SEAL, American Girl Die in First Trump-Era U.S. Military Raid". NBC News. January 30, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ "Eight-year-old American girl 'killed in Yemen". The Guardian. February 1, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ "Obama Killed a 16-Year-Old American in Yemen. Trump Just Killed His 8-Year-Old Sister". The Intercept. January 30, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ Ghobari, Mohammed; Stewart, Phil (January 29, 2017). "Commando dies in U.S. raid in Yemen, first military op OK'd by Trump". Reuters. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ Wilkins, Brett (January 31, 2017). "Nawar al-Awlaki, 8-yr-old killed in U.S. Yemen raid, was American". DigitalJournal.
- ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Schmitt, Eric; Worth, Robert F. (September 30, 2011). "Two-Year Manhunt Led to Killing of Awlaki in Yemen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan (September 30, 2011). "Awlaqi hit misses al-Qaeda bombmaker, Yemen says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Friedersdorf, Conor (October 24, 2012). "How Team Obama Justifies the Killing of a 16-Year-Old American". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ CODEPINK Repeatedly Disrupts Brennan Hearing Calling Out Names Of Civilians Killed in Drone Strikes 10:38 minutes in
- ^ Johnson, Carrie (July 19, 2012). "Families Sue Over U.S. Deaths In Yemen Drone Strikes". NPR. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
- ^ "American drone deaths highlight controversy". NBC News. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
- ^ Al-Aulaqi v. Panetta