2002 Marib airstrike

US drone strike on the leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen February 2026 February 2026 2002 Marib airstrike the war on terror MQ-1 Predator.jpg An MQ-1 Predator drone armed with an AGM-114 Hellfire missile Drone strike targeted killing Al-Naqaa desert, Marib Governorate, Yemen 15.538461 N 45.687604 E type:event_region:YE-MA inline,title Yemen United States George Tenet Abu Ali al-Harithi 2002 11 3 no Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division Successful 6 killed, including Harithi and Kamal Derwish 1 300px On November 3, 2002, a remotely piloted aircraft operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched an airstrike on a vehicle travelling through Marib Governorate, Yemen. The strike killed six militants including its target Abu Ali al-Harithi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen. It was the first drone strike conducted by the United States outside of a conventional battlefield, and the first targeted killing in the war on terror. Harithi was a high-profile al-Qaeda member wanted for a role in the USS Cole bombing of 2000, and was subject to a joint US-Yemeni manhunt after the latter failed to capture him in 2001. On the day of the strike, his phone signal was intercepted by the National Security Agency (NSA) and his location pinpointed to a farm where the CIA's Special Activities Division routed an MQ-1 Predator to follow him as he left in a vehicle. After the NSA confirmed Harithi was in the vehicle CIA director George Tenet ordered the airstrike, which destroyed it and killed six people—one occupant escaped injured. DNA analysis verified the deaths of Harithi and four other militants along with Kamal Derwish, ringleader of the Lackawanna Six and an American citizen. The CIA publicly denied knowledge of his presence in the vehicle, although later reports contradict this. Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to the strike on the basis that it would be kept a secret, but with the George W. Bush administration seeking to capitalize on a victory in the war on terror during midterm elections season, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz publicly revealed it during a CNN interview two days afterwards. The announcement elicited concern from the international community and fury from the Yemeni public over what was perceived as a violation of sovereignty. Saleh and his government proceeded to ban further drone strikes in Yemen. American legal experts generally believed the strike was not an assassination, which is illegal under American law, but instead a wartime action against enemy combatants, as claimed by the Bush administration. Many international observers disputed this and decried the strike as an extrajudicial killing, including the United Nations' expert on the matter, Asma Jahangir. The strike effectively neutralized al-Qaeda in Yemen for several years, though the group had reorganized by 2009 prompting further US intervention. American officials supported the operation and noted its success afterwards, with targeted killing soon being adopted as a core strategy in the war on terror across multiple theatres. Background Prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, targeted killing was a sensitive topic within the US government due to Executive Order 11905, which banned political assassinations upon its singing in 1976. Some exceptions and workarounds were permitted since then—a 1989 clarification ruled that terrorists could be subject to military strikes if they posed a threat to the US. The Bill Clinton administration considered giving the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) authority to kill Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, after his 1998 fatwa declaring war on the US. No decision was reached on the matter, partly due to debates regarding what circumstances Bin Laden could be killed in without it being considered an assassination. A week before 9/11, senior officials from the George W. Bush administration were deliberating on whether to target Bin Laden using the MQ-1 Predator, a remotely piloted aircraft which had recently been modified to launch missiles.Woods 2015 47–49 The debate was effectively settled after the attacks—on September 17, Bush signed a secret presidential finding which authorized the CIA to pursue and kill members of al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups, including American citizens, without presidential monitoring if they were listed as a high-value target.Woods 2015 49–50 The finding, requested by CIA director George Tenet, also approved the development of paramilitary-like formations engaged in targeted killing. Administration and military officials now generally endorsed the tactic provided the target could not be captured.Zenko 2010 83–84 According to then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Bush later authorized the CIA to conduct targeted killings through drone strikes in early 2002.Woods 2015 49–50 The Predator was first utilized by the CIA during the invasion of Afghanistan, and was used throughout the next year to target al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders in the country.Zenko 2010 81–82 thumb|The USS Cole off the coast of Aden. Relations between the US and Yemen were already strained following the bombing of the USS Cole, a guided-missile destroyer belonging to the US Navy.Scahill 2013 61Terrill 2011 52 The attack, perpetrated on October 12, 2000, involved two suicide bombers ramming a small boat loaded with explosives into the side of the vessel while it was docked in Aden, killing 17 American sailors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) launched an investigation into the attack but encountered significant difficulties throughout it.2015-02-03 Yemen and the War on Terror https://adst.org/2015/02/yemen-and-the-war-on-terror/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250906071142/https://adst.org/2015/02/yemen-and-the-war-on-terror/ 2025-09-06 2025-08-08 Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training live American agents were operating under the constant monitoring and disdain of local authorities and officials,Scahill 2013 63Clark 2010 174 while the US suspected Islamist sympathizers within the Yemeni government, some of whom were former mujahideen, were complicit. The FBI determined in December al-Qaeda perpetrated the bombing.Clark 2010 174 As the investigation shifted to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, the FBI grew even more cautious of the locals. The investigation was completely halted in mid-2001 when a plot to bomb the local US embassy was discovered.Scahill 2013 63 The 9/11 attacks posed an even greater threat to Yemen's standings with the US. Within the American government, Yemen had begun to be seen as a central front for the war on terror and a prime destination for al-Qaeda members seeking refuge and a place to regroup, owing to its lawlessness and ungoverned areas.Clark 2010 192Zenko 2010 79 Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, feared his country would be the next to see US military action after Afghanistan. Thus, Yemen took the role of a partner in the war on terror, with Saleh sending an advisor to Washington soon after the attacks to clarify what was needed of his country. Several demands were made by the US to assure greater collaboration on counterterrorism, such as the facilitation of greater intelligence cooperation, which allowed the CIA and FBI to resume the Cole investigation and gain access to key case documents, the establishment of a joint US-Yemeni intelligence room to rapidly share information on terrorist targets, with a Cryptologic Support Group (CSG) from the National Security Agency (NSA) being deployed to do so, and the sharing of phone records and dossiers for several al-Qaeda suspects with the CIA.Zenko 2010 79–81 Abu Ali al-Harithi Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi left|thumb|Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld escorting Saleh into the Pentagon on November 26, 2001, the day before he met Bush at the White House. Saleh made a visit to the United States in late November 2001. During a meeting at Yemen's official residence in Washington, CIA director George Tenet directly handed him a list of militants the US government wanted neutralized.Johnsen 2012 90–91 The top priority on the list was the elimination of Abu Ali al-Harithi, al-Qaeda's chief of operations in Yemen as well as a central conspirator in the Cole bombing.Woods 2015 51Scahill 2013 65 This demand was reiterated the next day as Saleh publicly visited the White House, when Bush told him a "good first step" to prove his country's commitment to fighting terrorism was the arrest of Harithi. Although Bush expressed he would be comfortable sending in US special forces to complete the mission if the Yemenis were unable to, Saleh insisted his government alone would first try to deal with it.Johnsen 2012 91 Harithi, along with a handful of other militants, were seeking tribal protection in the remote village of Hosun al-Jalal in Marib Governorate, remaining there from late August 2001 until mid or late November 2001, when they were pressured by the locals into leaving after authorities had demanded they be turned over.Harman 2002Faruqi 2002 On December 18, 2001, Yemeni Republican Guard forces trained by the US launched a raid on the village in an attempt to capture Harithi and his associates. Clashes with local tribesmen left 18 soldiers dead.Faruqi 2002 In the aftermath of the failed raid, the Yemeni government quietly permitted the US to intensify its hunt for Harithi, including authorization for the CIA to fly surveillance drones over its airspace. Numerous US government agencies were involved in tracking down Harithi, including the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the Intelligence Support Activity surveillance unit, US Central Command (CENTCOM) special forces, and State Department diplomats.Zenko 2010 85 US Special Forces teams ostensibly sent in March 2002 to train the Republican Guard were also preparing to "establish operational capacity to track al Qaeda suspects to find and fix their location so that US forces could finish them off."Zenko 2010 81Scahill 2013 66 Ambassador Edmund Hull arranged meetings with local tribesmen and tribal sheikhs in Marib where he distributed payments in exchange for information on Harithi's whereabouts.Scahill 2013 75Clark 2010 194 A breakthrough in the search came in August 2002, when an al-Qaeda plot to attack the local US embassy was foiled after two Islamists handling explosives accidentally detonated them in a Sanaa apartment. Yemeni and US authorities collaborated in the subsequent investigation and the interrogation of the apartment owner, which "regained the initiative" in the search for Harithi.Rufford Allen-Mills Ben Hirsi 2002 Further advances were made in late October 2002 upon the arrest of Abdul Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged mastermind of the Cole bombing, in the United Arab Emirates, where interrogators were able to listen to phone calls between him and Harithi.Zenko 2010 85 Harithi had kept on him up to five phones during his time on the run, each suspected to have been equipped with multiple SIM cards to throw off spies.Hersh 2002 From there, NSA agents gathered a partial list of phone numbers used by Harithi and set up a system which would sound an alarm at their headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, if one of his recorded numbers was ever in use.Bamford 2006 By the time of October, Harithi and his bodyguards were believed to be residing in Yemen's portion of the Rub al Khali desert, constantly shifting locations while utilizing different vehicles and paying local Bedouins to navigate for them.Zenko 2010 85MacFarquhar 2002 Saudi Arabian license plates were later found on the vehicle he was killed in, suggesting to investigators he had been crossing the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.Hersh 2002 Both Yemeni and American special forces contingents, such as the 5th Special Forces Group, had been searching for Harithi on the ground for months, while US Air Force U-2 planes and CIA Predator's patrolled the airspace.Zenko 2010 85Woods 2015 56 In at least two instances, US forces were preparing to launch a drone strike before Yemeni agents informed them they were mistakenly targeting civilian Bedouins.Hersh 2002 Kamal Derwish Kamal Derwish Separately, by mid-2002, American authorities had launched an international manhunt to locate Kamal Derwish, a naturalized US citizen of Yemeni descent who was believed to be the ringleader of the Lackawanna Six, an alleged sleeper cell of Yemeni Americans charged with giving material support to al-Qaeda.Woods 2015 59Scahill 2013 76 Derwish was reportedly a "card carrying member of Al Qaeda" who radicalized the six men and recruited them to attend a training camp in Afghanistan in 2001.Sandler 2003 At the time of the arrest of the Lackawanna Six in September 2002, Derwish was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.Scahill 2013 76 Later in the month, officials voiced belief he was hiding in Yemen, possibly in contact with Harithi.Woods 2015 59Risen Santora 2002 The possibility of killing Derwish was secretly discussed and approved within the government prior to the strike.Purdy Bergman 2003 Airstrike On the afternoon of November 3, 2002, a TROJAN intelligence dissemination antenna system stationed at a US Army base in Kuwait intercepted the signal of a recorded phone number belonging to Harithi.Axe Beckhusen 2014 NSA agents at their headquarters and the CSG unit in Yemen both responded to the signal and, using GPS tracking, pinpointed it to a farm in Marib Governorate.Bamford 2006Scahill 2013 75 Stationed at a military base across the Gulf of Aden in the East African country of Djibouti,Rufford Allen-Mills Ben Hirsi 2002 CIA agents from the Special Activities Division directed a Predator armed with two Hellfire missiles to the location. The drone operators had access to a live video feed from the Predator which was being transmitted to the base.Scahill 2013 75 As the Predator reached and surveyed the position overhead, US special forces were preparing to launch a raid on the farm when Harithi left the premises.Zenko 2010 86Scahill 2013 75 A Yemeni agent on the US ambassador's payroll watched Harithi enter a black Toyota Land Cruiser alongside five other men, and contacted the CIA to share the information.Clark 2010 195 The agent also noted another vehicle was going with them designated specifically for women.McManus 2003 The drone was monitoring Harithi as the group entered their vehicles and proceeded to follow them. CIA director George Tenet, who was viewing the Predator's video feed through a broadcast at the Counterterrorism Mission Center in Langley,Zenko 2010 86 phoned CENTCOM deputy commander Lieutenant General Michael DeLong to inform him on the target. DeLong went to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) room in MacDill Air Force Base, where the video feed displayed the vehicle driving through the desert.Woods 2012 Tenet goes "You going to make the call?" And I said, "I'll make the call." He says, "This SUV over here is the one that has Ali in it." I said, "OK, fine." You know, "Shoot him." They lined it up and shot it. Lieutenant General Michael DeLongWoods 2012 200px When the intercepted call started, an NSA analyst immediately began listening, but was unfamiliar with the person speaking on the phone, who was driving the car while seemingly arranging a rendezvous point with another al-Qaeda operative. He eventually recognized Harithi was in the back seat of the Land Cruiser after hearing a six-second conversation of him giving directions to the driver, confirming it with a colleague.Bamford 2006Scahill 2013 75 Tenet received and relayed the information to DeLong, both of them agreeing that Harithi was positively identified.Scahill 2013 75Zenko 2010 86 The CIA had additionally determined Derwish was present in the vehicle,Woods 2015 59 with Tenet reportedly telling DeLong over the phone "one of them is an American—the fat guy. But he's al-Qaeda."Scahill 2013 75 After receiving final approval to launch the strike from DeLong as well as President Saleh, Tenet gave permission to fire.Woods 2012Clark 2010 195Scahill 2013 76 An hour after the cell signal was originally picked up,Hersh 2002 the Predator launched a missile at the Land Cruiser, as the vehicle made its way from the main road to an open track in the al-Naqaa desert.2002-11-05 6 suspected Al-Qaeda men die in Yemen blast https://www.arabnews.com/node/225713 live https://web.archive.org/web/20250827142316/https://www.arabnews.com/node/225713 2025-08-27 2025-08-06 Arab News en The vehicle was destroyed and six occupants were instantly killed.Clark 2010 195 A seventh passenger managed to escape the vehicle before the missile struck and survived the attack injured.Woods 2015 57McManus 2003 US officials blamed the severity of the destruction on an "unexplained secondary explosion", suggesting the vehicle held explosives or flammable materials.Pincus 2002 Local authorities found traces of weapons, ammunition, explosives and communications equipment within its remains.Whitaker Campbell 2002 The destroyed vehicle was taken to Marib city a day later for inspection, while roadblocks were set up at the scene.Whitaker Campbell 2002 Casualties Casualties Killed Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi (Abu Ali) Munir Ahmed Abdullah (Abu Ubaidah) Saleh Hussein Ali al-Zenu (Abu Hammam) Owsan Ahmed al-Turaihi (Abu al-Jarrah) Adel Nasser al-Sowda (Abu Osama) Kamal Derwish (Ahmed Hijazi) Injured Abdul Rauf Naseeb Sources: A helicopter carrying Yemeni security officials arrived at the scene shortly after to examine the results and confirm the casualties.Shane 2016 78Sandler 2003 A CIA agent was also present, and collected DNA samples from those killed.Scahill 2013 76 The bodies of the victims were then transported to a military hospital in Sanaa, where American officials took additional DNA samples which were sent to a US military laboratory for identification.Hersh 2002 This process confirmed Harithi was one of those killed.Zenko 2010 88 He was reportedly the only identifiable person within the wreckage through a distinct mark on his leg, which he received from a gunshot while defending Bin Laden from an assassination attempt.Clark 2010 195 Upon being discharged, returning Harithi's remains to his tribe, one of the largest and most powerful in the country, could have created problems for the Yemeni government if they claimed a wrongful killing in accordance to tribal law. This was averted however, as the family's liaison accepted his death as a path of his own making upon successful identification.Hull 2011 62 His funeral and burial took place in Shabwah on November 9.al-Haj 2002 Four other individuals killed were members of the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army, a local Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda and the USS Cole bombing.Woods 2015 57 The final person killed was identified by the Yemeni government as Ahmed Hijazi.Risen Santora 2002 On November 7, the Long Island-based newspaper Newsday was the first publication to report Ahmed Hijazi was an American citizen.Powell Priest 2002 At the time, authorities were reported to have been investigating whether Ahmed Hijazi was in fact Derwish, as the name matched an alias he was believed to have used according to the Lackawanna Six case. The CIA and FBI were conducting forensic tests, including DNA sampling, to definitively identify Hijazi.Risen Santora 2002Miller Meyer 2002 A US passport was reportedly found near the area of the strike and was used in the investigation.Sandler 2003 Derwish's family learned of his death through media reports and were not contacted by the US government.Chan 2002 On November 11, a woman believed to be a relative of Derwish confirmed his death and said their family was in mourning. By November 12, US officials believed Derwish was killed in the strike, and had used Ahmed Hijazi as a pseudonym. 2002-11-12 Yemeni-American Killed in CIA Strike Was Alleged Leader of Buffalo Six https://www.foxnews.com/story/yemeni-american-killed-in-cia-strike-was-alleged-leader-of-buffalo-six live https://web.archive.org/web/20250824074238/https://www.foxnews.com/story/yemeni-american-killed-in-cia-strike-was-alleged-leader-of-buffalo-six 24 August 2025 2025-08-06 Fox News en-US Associated PressEnsor 2002 Officials initially claimed the CIA did not know Derwish was in the car at the time of the strike.Risen Santora 2002 However, this was contradicted by Dana Priest in a 2010 article for The Washington Post. According to her, the CIA knew Derwish was in the vehicle alongside Harithi, but due to the latter's importance and the rarity of the circumstances, the CIA justified the deaths of everyone in the car as legitimate because they were associating with him.Woods 2015 59–60 Aftermath Both the CIA and Saleh agreed to keep the airstrike a secret from the public; Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage recalled "the deniability was an important component of the mission".Zenko 2010 86 Shifting the blame would grant the US the luxury of avoiding questions about the legality and ethics of the operation.Ahmad 2013 For the Yemeni government, it would allow them to avoid inevitable criticism and resentment of US military action that would arrive from the "traditional, tribal Muslim society" of Yemen.Shane 2016 79 The Yemeni government publicly presented several cover-up stories to explain the incident;Scahill 2013 76 the Land Cruiser was carrying a propane tank or explosives and had blown up accidentally, or had struck a landmine in the desert.Clark 2010 195Zenko 2010 87 These narratives were what was originally reported by local and international media based on "unnamed tribal or government sources".Zenko 2010 87 Despite this, within two days local tribesmen were detailing to journalists how they had seen a helicopter at the scene of the strike, which US media interpreted to be a drone.Hosenball 2002 CIA and Department of Defense personnel initially refused to discuss the strike publicly, only stating the US military was not responsible. However, in spite of the agreement, Washington was eager to showcase a significant victory in the war on terror and a definite projection of power.Hull 2011 61 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld refused to directly acknowledge any US involvement, but told reporters regarding the death of Harithi "it would be a very good thing if he were out of business". During a rally for the upcoming midterm elections, Bush told supporters al-Qaeda would be treated as "international killers" and would be hunted down wherever.Scahill 2013 76 Beyond indirect references, by the next day several news agencies were reporting a drone strike conducted by the CIA via anonymous sources.Shane 2016 79 However, these were still perceived internally as "vague sourcing that could be absorbed in the static of unending news in the Middle East."Hull 2011 61 Public leak and reactions thumb|294x294px|Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz leaked the strike to the public in spite of an agreement with the Yemeni government to keep it a secret. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz revealed the US had conducted the drone strike and praised it during an interview with CNN on November 5, labeling it a success against al-Qaeda which would pressure it to change its tactics.Scahill 2013 77 Wolfowitz's public acknowledgement of the strike, allegedly done on the order of Rumsfeld,Zenko 2010 87 was intended to serve as a victory for the Bush administration just before midterm elections were set to take place.Clark 2010 196Woods 2015 60 Within the government, it was likely assumed the disclosure would not cause significant controversy as the Yemeni government had agreed to it and no civilians were harmed.Terrill 2011 68–69 The Telegraph reported the disclosure may have provided a boost in popularity for the Republican Party during the election.Smucker Harnden 2002 The American public was generally supportive of the strike, praising it as a success in the war on terror.Hersh 2002McManus 2003 It was noted to be consistent with the Bush Doctrine, which commits to preemptive strikes against terrorist targets.Miller 2002 Meanwhile, the Yemeni-American community in Lackawanna mourned the death of Derwish and questioned the decision to kill him. 2002-11-11 Family Confirms Derwish Killed in Missile Attack https://www.btpm.org/2002-11-11/family-confirms-derwish-killed-in-missile-attack live https://web.archive.org/web/20250408173750/https://www.btpm.org/2002-11-11/family-confirms-derwish-killed-in-missile-attack 8 April 2025 2025-08-07 Buffalo Toronto Public Media PBS en Within the international community, several figures condemned the strike as an extrajudicial killing.Woods 2015 64 The open adoption of a targeted killing operation led to accusations of the US holding a double standard on the matter, as it routinely condemned Israel's targeted killings of Hamas leaders.Clark 2010 196Hosenball 2002 Furthermore, the revelation that an American citizen was killed led to additional opposition from civil liberties and human rights groups.Scahill 2013 77 Internally, the American intelligence and special operations communities, which had specifically intended for the strike to remain confidential, were angered by the public claim of responsibility.Scahill 2013 77 One CIA official complained other countries would be more hesitant of allowing the organization to operate their Predators due to the leak.Hosenball 2002 Regardless, the Bush administration publicly defended the strike and claimed it was not representative of a broader shift in policy.Scahill 2013 78Boyle 2020 68 Several officials, such as National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, called it a defensive act and highlighted the unique nature of the war on terror as justification.Scahill 2013 78Johnston Sanger 2002 State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher affirmed the US would maintain its position on targeted killing in regards to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.Gusterson 2016 16 Secretary of State Colin Powell dismissed targeted killing-related criticisms by equating the strike to other operations launched by previous administrations, specifically the 1998 missile strikes in Afghanistan against Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. He further elaborated this instance of targeted killing was different than Israel's as the latter was obstructing the region's peace process. 2002-11-24 Yemen killing called close to assassination https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/11/24/us-killing-of-al-qaeda-suspects-was-lawful/ live https://archive.today/20250802210255/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/11/24/us-killing-of-al-qaeda-suspects-was-lawful/ 2025-08-02 2025-08-02 Chicago Tribune en-US In contrast to most of the Western world, news of the strike produced outrage in Yemen.Clark 2010 196 Even prior to it, sentiment critical of the US and in some regards sympathetic to Islamists already ran high among parts of the populace.Zenko 2010 80 This was further amplified amid the buildup to the invasion of Iraq, leading to the Yemeni public virulently opposing any cooperation with the US during the timeframe.Terrill 2011 69–70 In the immediate aftermath of the leak, Middle Eastern political analyst Walid Kazziha said:On an official level in the Arab world I think there will be a lot of resentment simply because, even though the Yemen government and other Arab governments are cooperating in terms of information, intelligence with the United States, this kind of action undermines the credibility of the Arab governments friendly to the United States. I think on the level of governments they would be put in an awkward position. On the level of the public it would only infuriate the public and draw more parallels between U.S. actions and Israeli actions.2002-11-05 US Strike in Yemen Could Draw Negative Reaction from Arab Countries https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2002-11-05-3-us-66462442/551578.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20250328220828/https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2002-11-05-3-us-66462442/551578.html 2025-03-28 2025-08-02 Voice of America enAs Wolfowitz's statement, which directly contradicted Sanaa's narrative, was repeatedly broadcast by CNN and reported elsewhere, it created the implication to Yemenis the US was seeking to intentionally humiliate their government.Hull 2011 62 A survey by the Yemen Times found 93% of Sanaa residents disapproved of the strike, 85% viewed it as a violation of sovereignty, and 97% did not believe the Yemeni government had permitted it. 2002-11-11 Survey shows public aghast https://yementimes.com/survey-shows-public-aghast-archives2002-46-front-page-3/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20251126143506/https://yementimes.com/survey-shows-public-aghast-archives2002-46-front-page-3/ 2025-11-26 2025-10-27 Yemen Times en-GB Nationwide anti-American protests led to authorities evacuating and temporarily shutting down the US embassy in Sanaa.Clark 2010 196 The local political opposition capitalized on the events to berate the Saleh administration and its credibility gap.Hull 2011 63 The Yemeni government was angered at the US violating their agreement on maintaining the secrecy of the strike, partly due to the fact that they were still hunting Harithi's associates.Boyle 2020 68 Ambassador Hull received numerous phone calls from upset Yemeni officials urging the Wolfowitz interview be pulled, though their American counterparts communicated they had no control over the situation.Hull 2011 61 Yahya al-Muttawakil, a senior member of the ruling General People's Congress, was the first official to publicly discuss the strike. He told an interviewer the situation was an example as to why Yemen was reluctant to cooperate closely with the US, saying "They don't consider the internal circumstances in Yemen. In security matters, you don't want to alert the enemy."Zenko 2010 87 On November 19, interior minister Rashad al-Alimi acknowledged Yemen's cooperation in conducting the strike and claimed they were intending to release a joint statement with the US before the leak.2002-11-19 Yemen Searching for Survivor of U.S. Airstrike https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/20/yemen-searching-for-survivor-of-us-airstrike/1fb7d8bf-7de4-498a-af41-c37888b6c9f5/ limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20250215175212/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/20/yemen-searching-for-survivor-of-us-airstrike/1fb7d8bf-7de4-498a-af41-c37888b6c9f5/ 2025-02-15 2025-02-15 The Washington Post ReutersBin Salman 2002 President Saleh was enraged by the leak, and complained to American general Tommy Franks during a later meeting it would "cause major problems for me."Scahill 2013 77 He felt as though he was slighted and embarrassed by the US after risking his reputation locally and in the region, particularly with Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.Clark 2010 196–197Gusterson 2016 17 Denying it at first, it would take a year for him to eventually admit he had personally authorized the strike amid relentless public criticism.Terrill 2011 69 The US was thereon banned from launching airstrikes from drones over the country's airspace from 2002 onwards,Woods 2015 60–61 maintained for the rest of Bush's time in office.Ahmad 2013 According to Hull, "Saleh drew a lesson: while counterterrorism cooperation with the Americans could be effective, it could not be discreet."Hull 2011 62 Al-Qaeda response Being the most senior al-Qaeda commander remaining in Yemen, Fawaz al-Rabeiee organized a cell to assassinate Hull as revenge for the killing of Harithi. The plot was developed throughout the rest of 2002 into early 2003. Three militants Ibrahim Howaidi, Abdulghani Qifan, and Qasim al-Raymi, were tasked with monitoring the ambassador's convoy as it left the American embassy in Sanaa, while Fawzi al-Habibi obtained heavy weaponry. Only two routes were available from the embassy's main gate; one from the right leading to a roundabout and another from the left heading towards an intersection. The militants were planning to wait at either location and ambush Hull as his vehicle drove through, either with explosives or with small arms. Yemeni intelligence eventually uncovered the safehouse in Sanaa's Madhbah neighborhood from which the attack was being planned, and sent in security forces to raid the premises in early March 2003. Rabeiee and another militant, Hizam Mujali, managed to escape the scene in a vehicle and head southwards to Abyan, where they confronted and killed a police officer at a checkpoint and then drove to Marib, where they were captured weeks later.Johnsen 2012 130Hull 2011 63, 72–73 Five men were convicted of plotting the attack and were sentenced to five years of imprisonment in August 2004.2004-08-28 Death sentence in Yemen terror case https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/8/28/death-sentence-in-yemen-terror-case live https://web.archive.org/web/20250617181301/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/8/28/death-sentence-in-yemen-terror-case 2025-06-17 2025-08-08 Al Jazeera en Survivor The sole survivor of the strike, Abdul Rauf Naseeb, continued to "bedevil counterterrorism authorities for years to come".Shane 2016 80 He had managed to successfully flee the scene after the strike as the US "thought he had expired somewhere in the desert."Hull 2011 98 The Yemeni government stated later in November that security were pursuing Naseeb, who was not named in their statement. Naseeb was apprehended by security forces in Abyan governorate on March 4, 2004, after being besieged in the mountains with a group of militants the previous day. He was suspected of planning the April 2003 prison break in Aden which freed several al-Qaeda suspects involved in the USS Cole bombing.2004-03-04 Yemen arrests leading al-Qaida member https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4444546 live https://web.archive.org/web/20250408173814/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4444546 8 April 2025 2025-02-17 NBC News en Associated Press He was tried in a Yemeni court for an alleged minor role in the Cole bombing, but was later acquitted. He was arrested once again in 2012 as an al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander,Woods 2015 58 and was killed by another drone strike later in the year.2012-12-24 Yemen: 2 militants killed in US airstrike https://abc13.com/archive/8930293/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250122103208/https://abc13.com/archive/8930293/ 2025-01-22 2025-10-29 ABC13 Houston en Associated Press Legality Under US law With assassinations considered illegal under American law, officials publicly rationalized the strike through the fact that none of the individuals killed were regarded as political leaders, as well as through a presidential finding authorizing the CIA to attack al-Qaeda targets internationally, making Harithi, Derwish and their associates armed combatants and military targets.Johnston Sanger 2002Priest 2002 Most American legal experts, although critical of the government's methods in some regards, did not deem the strike on Harithi to be illegal under domestic law.Hersh 2002 Jeffrey Smith, former general counsel of the CIA, said the operation "was not an assassination–it was simply a responsive military strike." Suzanne Spaulding, a former deputy general counsel, believed it could not be considered an assassination due to the Bush administration framing the strike as a wartime action against an enemy combatant. Defining an assassination as a killing which "is undertaken for political purposes during peacetime", Duke University law professor Scott Silliman saw the strike as ineligible to be considered so as the US was "most emphatically at war".Hess 2002 American University Washington College of Law professor Robert K. Goldman believed the Bush administration would frame the strike as a case of self-defense against al-Qaeda, stating: "The US is not in a situation of peace with these people. This is not putting poison into Castro's toothpaste." Not all opinions were positive however. President emeritus of the International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul University, M. Cherif Bassiouni, called the strike "a dangerous precedent", comparing the situation to "if a US drug agent killed a narcotics trafficker rather than arresting him and putting him on trial". According to him, relatives of the victims killed could potentially sue US officials involved in the strike under the Alien Tort Claims Act, but not the CIA itself due to sovereign immunity.Schrader Weinstein 2002 The US State Department initially intended to regard the strike as an extrajudicial killing in its annual report on human rights in Yemen, but removed it at Hull's request after Bush referred to it as a success during his 2003 State of the Union Address.Woods 2015 61 American citizens are typically granted significant legal protections by the US regardless of whether or not they are overseas or part of groups hostile to the country.Miller Meyer 2002 At the time, the CIA claimed it was specifically targeting Harithi in the strike and did not know Derwish, who held US citizenship, was in the vehicle. Officials rejected assertions his citizenship would make a difference in his killing as he was affiliated with al-Qaeda, and thus was an enemy combatant.Powell Priest 2002 National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, maintained the strike did not breach Derwish's rights under the American constitution. 2002-11-11 Rice: Bush authorizes 'Yemen-style' strikes in Islamic countries https://www.haaretz.com/2002-11-11/ty-article/rice-bush-authorizes-yemen-style-strikes-in-islamic-countries/0000017f-f364-d5bd-a17f-f77e8fe00000 live https://archive.today/20250803040042/https://www.haaretz.com/2002-11-11/ty-article/rice-bush-authorizes-yemen-style-strikes-in-islamic-countries/0000017f-f364-d5bd-a17f-f77e8fe00000 2025-08-03 2025-08-03 Haaretz en Reuters In December, anonymous officials further elaborated on the presidential finding, stating it did not differentiate between Americans associated with al-Qaeda and non-Americans. Therefore, because Derwish was fighting alongside an enemy combatant, his constitutional rights could effectively be voided.Chan 2002 Regarding the rationale for killing Derwish, CBS legal analyst Andrew Cohen said:This is legal because the President and his lawyers say so — it's not much more complicated than that. Congress has no great political incentive to tie the hands of the White House in going after these sorts of adversaries. And the federal courts won't get involved unless and until someone challenges the practice — and that's not likely given how these things typically play out. This is just the new reality, — new rules for a new kind of war — and there really isn't much anyone who doesn't like it can do about it right now. The president has the authority to order the killing of enemy soldiers in wartime and that authority apparently has been extended to a much cloudier area.Chan 2002 Under international law thumb|Asma Jahangir, a United Nations special rapporteur, believed the strike to be an extrajudicial killing. The strike was viewed by the international community as not occurring within a legally defined battlefield, where actions would be governed by the law of war and international humanitarian law. The Bush administration sought to portray the strike as part of "an armed conflict against Al Qaida" and the target as an enemy combatant due to Harithi's involvement in the USS Cole bombing, but at the same time they classified the war on terror as neither type of recognized armed conflict: an international conflict between sovereign states or a non-international conflict, which referred to state's fighting insurgencies or civil wars within their own territory. Due to this, the strike was viewed as taking place in a nation considered to be at peace with the US, thus invoking international human rights law, the lens through which critics of the strike viewed it.Woods 2015 62–64 Sweden's foreign minister Anna Lindh called the strike a summary execution, arguing "even terrorists must be treated according to international law. Otherwise any country can start executing those whom they consider terrorists".Gusterson 2016 16 In a letter directed to Bush, Amnesty International stated "if this was the deliberate killing of suspects in lieu of arrest in circumstances in which they did not pose an immediate threat, the killings would be extrajudicial executions in violation of international human rights law", urging his administration to condemn the practice and hold those involved responsible.Scahill 2013 77 Human Rights Watch initially viewed the strike as legitimate, considering Harithi's status as a combatant to be valid and factoring in the lack of law enforcement that might apprehend him in the ungoverned region. However, it later wrote in its year-end report the strike could set a precedent for a "huge loophole in due process protections worldwide" if the US could single-handedly determine who is a combatant and then act on it.Sandler 2003 Charles Allen, deputy general counsel of the Department of Defense, rejected these criticisms by claiming the strike to be an act of self-defense and consistent with the law of war. He further said the US was not obliged to tell the militants to surrender before they launched the strike as it was a "lawful military target".McManus 2003 On November 15, 2002, Asma Jahangir, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, issued her opinion on the strike in a message to the US and Yemen, stating it "constitutes a clear case of extrajudicial killing", violated international human rights and humanitarian law, and could potentially normalize the practice so long as the host country consents to it. Yemen responded to the UN first, explaining the individuals killed in the strike were being pursued by authorities for terrorist activities, and were previously sought out for arrest multiple times but escaped.Zenko 2013Woods 2015 64 The US government essentially disregarded the concern from the UN.Archambault Trenta Duroy 2024 The State Department responded to Jahangir's comments in April 2003, expressing neutrality on the findings but criticizing the consideration of the strike as extrajudicial in the first place, claiming that it had occurred in the context of an armed conflict and thus, by considering al-Qaeda to be a participant, "enemy combatants may be attacked unless they have surrendered or are otherwise rendered hors de combat". The statement asserted the strike was not within the UN Human Rights Council or the special rapporteur's jurisdiction.Zenko 2013 Based on this outlook, al-Qaeda members were theoretically "combatants who are susceptible to direct attack at all times" according to professor Goldman.Schrader Weinstein 2002 A report by Amnesty International questioned this defense and the relevance of the law of war in the strike's context, noting the US (a state-actor) could not legally be considered to be at war with al-Qaeda (a non-state actor) or Yemen, nor could Yemen be considered as being at war with al-Qaeda and the US be a supporting combatant. The report reiterates the organization's view that the individuals should have been genuinely pursued for capture by the US and Yemen before being killed.Amnesty International 2003 21–22 Analysis The elimination of Harithi, a veteran militant who personally trained many recruits into skilled fighters, dealt al-Qaeda in Yemen a significant blow.Johnsen 2012 129 Neither of the two next highest-ranking members of the group in Yemen, Rabeiee or Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal, were prepared to take over for him, the former due to a lack of experience and the latter mostly having a logistics role.Johnsen 2012 129 Although Ahdal took the role of caretaker leader,Scahill 2013 130 with dozens of his men having been arrested as part of a government crackdown and he himself facing pressure, the group was in shambles.Johnsen 2012 132 On September 25, 2003, Ahdal surrendered to authorities after they found him at a wedding party in Sanaa.Johnsen 2012 132Hull 2011 28 This event effectively marked the defeat of al-Qaeda in Yemen, and from 2003 to 2006 both the American and Yemeni governments shifted their attention to other matters. However, this period of relieved pressure gave al-Qaeda time to recuperate; imprisoned militants radicalized many younger cellmates arrested on only loose affiliations to the group.Scahill 2013 130 Through a prison escape in 2006 which freed several key militants, al-Qaeda in Yemen would reorganize and once again emerge as a threat, culminating in a 2008 attack on the US embassy which served as a "wake-up call for all of Washington."Hull 2011 116–117 US military action took place in Yemen again starting in 2009,Woods 2015 60–61 while drones began to launch targeted strikes in the country in 2011 as Saleh's control weakened amid the Yemeni revolution.Gusterson 2016 17 According to political scientist Micah Zenko, the strike had one military objective: the death of Harithi, along with two larger political objectives; the demoralization of al-Qaeda which would ward off future terrorist attacks against the US and its allies, and to "compel more consistent counterterrorism cooperation from Yemen." Militarily, the strike succeeded. However, although some signals intelligence reports were received indicating al-Qaeda was initially shocked by the strike, the group as a whole still perpetrated numerous attacks throughout the decade, and the death of Harithi likely did not affect planning for any attacks as he had spent most of his time up until that point evading the search for him. Although the Yemeni government cracked down on local support for al-Qaeda in some regards, intelligence cooperation remained inconsistent as some internal elements remained sympathetic to the group, and likely assisted in perpetrating the 2006 prison break.Zenko 2010 88–89 Officials within the Bush administration and the military were highly supportive of the strike, including Bush himself, and its effectiveness was noted afterwards.Zenko 2010 89–90Boyle 2020 68 Prior to it, the only other drone strikes conducted by the US were within the war in Afghanistan; though they were widely regarded as military actions rather than targeted killings. Therefore, the decision to launch the strike in Yemen made it the first operation to be conducted against al-Qaeda outside of Afghanistan and in a country which was not an active battlefield.Zenko 2010 73Archambault Trenta Duroy 2024 The death of Derwish was also the first instance of an American citizen being killed by the US during the war on terror.Sandler 2003 Commentators have labeled the strike "momentous" and "a seminal moment in the war on terror" for these reasons.Woods 2015 57Scahill 2013 78 Targeted killing would come to be recognized by the US as a key means of counterterrorism,Woods 2012 with the State Department eventually ending its criticism of Israel for the practice.Woods 2015 57 By the time of the presidency of Barack Obama, targeted killing through drone strikes were expanded and normalized as a strategy to a campaign encompassing Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan.Archambault Trenta Duroy 2024Woods 2012 The Obama administration used the death of Derwish as a precedent for the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, a fellow Yemeni-American jihadist assassinated by a CIA drone in 2011.Scahill 2013 78 Learning from the Wolfowitz leak, the political repercussions and the legal implications which followed it, both the Bush and Obama administrations shrouded their later drone campaigns in secrecy;Boyle 2020 68Zenko 2010 87 official discussion of the subject would not occur until 2013.Shane 2016 80 More generally, the strike contributed towards the normalization of targeted killing in the view of the Western world, which allowed the US and its allies to eventually endorse the tactic without even having to offer a legal explanation for it, such as with the killing of Bin Laden in Pakistan and Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, and Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.Archambault Trenta Duroy 2024 See also Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration United States–Yemen relations 2010 Marib airstrike References Bibliography Books 30em yes Boyle Michael J. https://books.google.com/books?id=6wbcDwAAQBAJ The Drone Age: How Drone Technology Will Change War and Peace Oxford University Press 2020 9780190635862 en Clark Victoria https://books.google.com/books?id=kXj5nQEACAAJ Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes Yale University Press 2010 9780300117011 en Gusterson Hugh Hugh Gusterson https://books.google.com/books?id=eyMeDAAAQBAJ Drone: Remote Control Warfare MIT Press 2016 9780262034678 en Hull Edmund Edmund Hull https://books.google.com/books?id=ncCMg0aLficC High-Value Target: Countering Al Qaeda in Yemen Potomac Books 2011 9781597977548 en Johnsen Gregory https://books.google.com/books?id=Oz6sQKfUh5AC The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's war in Arabia 2012-11-26 Scribe 9781922072108 en Scahill Jeremy Jeremy Scahill https://books.google.com/books?id=wA44zi04pkEC&pg=PT77 Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield Nation Books 2013 9781568587271 en Shane Scott Scott Shane https://books.google.com/books?id=_A-PEAAAQBAJ Objective Troy: A Terrorist, a President, and the Rise of the Drone Crown Publishing Group 2016 9780804140317 en Terrill W. Andrew https://books.google.com/books?id=WzdPAQAAMAAJ The Conflicts in Yemen and U.S. National Security Strategic Studies Institute 2011 9781584874744 en 11758 free Woods Chris https://books.google.com/books?id=1s5OCwAAQBAJ Sudden Justice: America's Secret Drone Wars Oxford University Press 2015 9780190202590 en Zenko Micah Micah Zenko https://books.google.com/books?id=4Mnt0YzGdjUC Between Threats and War: U.S. Discrete Military Operations in the Post-Cold War World Stanford University Press 2010 9780804775168 en News and other 30em yes Ahmad Muhammad Idrees 2013-07-03 Obama Won't End the Drone War, but Pakistan Might https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2013/7/3/obama-wont-end-the-drone-war-but-pakistan-might live https://web.archive.org/web/20250523020325/https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2013/7/3/obama-wont-end-the-drone-war-but-pakistan-might 2025-05-23 2025-08-07 Al Jazeera en al-Haj Ahmed 2002-11-08 Al-Qaida Suspect Buried in Yemen https://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Al-Qaida-Suspect-Buried-in-Yemen-10475712.php 2025-08-05 Edwardsville Intelligencer Associated Press Archambault Emil Trenta Luca Duroy Sophie 2024-10-03 The Killing of Hassan Nasrallah and How the West Legitimised its Use of Assassination http://theconversation.com/the-killing-of-hassan-nasrallah-and-how-the-west-legitimised-its-use-of-assassination-240247 live https://web.archive.org/web/20250826095547/http://theconversation.com/the-killing-of-hassan-nasrallah-and-how-the-west-legitimised-its-use-of-assassination-240247 2025-08-26 2025-08-03 The Conversation en-US Axe David David Axe Beckhusen Robert 2014-08-28 Anatomy of an Air Strike: Three Intelligence Streams Working in Concert https://jp.reuters.com/article/anatomy-of-an-air-strike-three-intelligence-streams-working-in-concert-idUS1566323486/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250408173613/https://jp.reuters.com/article/anatomy-of-an-air-strike-three-intelligence-streams-working-in-concert-idUS1566323486/ 8 April 2025 2025-02-03 Reuters en Bamford James James Bamford 2006-04-01 "He's in the Backseat!" https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/04/-hes-in-the-backseat/304712/ subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250126081410/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/04/-hes-in-the-backseat/304712/ 2025-01-26 2025-02-03 The Atlantic en 2151-9463 Bin Salman Mohammed 2002-11-25 Interior Minister Says That Killed Suspects Were 'Terrorists' https://yementimes.com/interior-minister-says-that-killed-suspects-were-terrorists-archives2002-48-local-news-3/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20250408173710/https://yementimes.com/interior-minister-says-that-killed-suspects-were-terrorists-archives2002-48-local-news-3/ 2025-04-08 2025-02-18 Yemen Times en-GB Chan Sue 2002-12-03 CIA's License To Kill https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cias-license-to-kill/# live https://web.archive.org/web/20250823181341/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cias-license-to-kill/#* 2025-08-23 2025-02-09 CBS News Associated Press Ensor David David Ensor (journalist) 2002-11-12 U.S. Confirms Death of Man Linked to Alleged Buffalo Terror Cell http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/11/12/yemen.blast.us/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080205170319/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/11/12/yemen.blast.us/ 2008-02-05 2025-02-10 CNN Faruqi Anwar 2002-02-03 Yemen Faces Poverty, Tribal Customs https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Yemen-Faces-Poverty-Tribal-Customs-7065675.php live https://archive.today/20250729230133/https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Yemen-Faces-Poverty-Tribal-Customs-7065675.php 2025-07-29 2025-07-29 Midland Daily News Associated Press Harman Danna 2002-02-05 Yemen Fights Own Terror War https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0205/p01s04-wome.html limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20240511224713/https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0205/p01s04-wome.html 2024-05-11 2025-07-29 The Christian Science Monitor 0882-7729 Hersh Seymour M. Seymour M. Hersh 2002-12-15 Manhunt https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/12/23/manhunt subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250423081344/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/12/23/manhunt 2025-04-23 2025-02-03 The New Yorker en-US 0028-792X Hess Pamela 2002-11-08 Experts: Yemen Strike Not Assassination https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2002/11/08/Experts-Yemen-strike-not-assassination/65861036802143/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20231224171428/https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2002/11/08/Experts-Yemen-strike-not-assassination/65861036802143/ 2023-12-24 2025-02-09 UPI en Hosenball Mark Mark Hosenball 2002-11-17 The Opening Shot https://www.newsweek.com/opening-shot-142611 live https://web.archive.org/web/20220529192051/https://www.newsweek.com/opening-shot-142611 2022-05-29 2025-02-12 Newsweek en Johnston David David Cay Johnston Sanger David E. David E. Sanger 2002-11-06 Fatal Strike in Yemen Was Based on Rules Set Out by Bush https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/world/threats-responses-hunt-for-suspects-fatal-strike-yemen-was-based-rules-set-bush.html limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20230929001105/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/world/threats-responses-hunt-for-suspects-fatal-strike-yemen-was-based-rules-set-bush.html 2023-09-29 2025-02-11 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 MacFarquhar Neil Neil MacFarquhar 2002-10-23 Unmanned U.S. Planes Comb Arabian Desert for Suspects https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/23/world/threats-responses-search-for-fugitives-unmanned-us-planes-comb-arabian-desert.html limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20210909015243/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/23/world/threats-responses-search-for-fugitives-unmanned-us-planes-comb-arabian-desert.html 2021-09-09 2025-02-10 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 McManus Doyle Doyle McManus 2003-01-11 A U.S. License to Kill https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-11-fg-predator11-story.html subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20240104225603/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-11-fg-predator11-story.html 2024-01-04 2025-02-11 Los Angeles Times en-US 0458-3035 Miller Greg 2002-11-06 Despite Apparent Success in Yemen, Risks Remain https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-06-fg-yemen6-story.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240731163639/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-06-fg-yemen6-story.html 2024-07-31 2025-02-09 Los Angeles Times en-US Miller Greg Meyer Josh Josh Meyer 2002-11-09 CIA Strike May Link 6 in U.S. to Al Qaeda https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-09-fg-yemen9-story.html subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250214132017/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-09-fg-yemen9-story.html 2025-02-14 2025-08-02 Los Angeles Times en-US 0458-3035 Pincus Walter Walter Pincus 2002-11-05 Missile Strike Carried Out With Yemeni Cooperation https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/06/missile-strike-carried-out-with-yemeni-cooperation/db580142-c920-4fec-95cf-24c90b29b8de/ limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20250210022205/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/06/missile-strike-carried-out-with-yemeni-cooperation/db580142-c920-4fec-95cf-24c90b29b8de/ 2025-02-10 2025-02-10 The Washington Post 0190-8286 Powell Michael Priest Dana Dana Priest 2002-11-08 U.S. Citizen Killed by CIA Linked to N.Y. Terror Case https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/09/us-citizen-killed-by-cia-linked-to-ny-terror-case/697a3a3e-72cf-4485-bdbf-1a00b9c3c95c/ limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20250409094629/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/09/us-citizen-killed-by-cia-linked-to-ny-terror-case/697a3a3e-72cf-4485-bdbf-1a00b9c3c95c/ 2025-04-09 2025-02-15 The Washington Post 0190-8286 Priest Dana Dana Priest 2002-11-07 CIA Killed U.S. Citizen In Yemen Missile Strike https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/08/cia-killed-us-citizen-in-yemen-missile-strike/f802eff3-a58b-4e74-a34f-94715f628680/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240818162324/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/11/08/cia-killed-us-citizen-in-yemen-missile-strike/f802eff3-a58b-4e74-a34f-94715f628680/ 2024-08-18 2025-08-02 The Washington Post en-US 0190-8286 Purdy Matthew Bergman Lowell Lowell Bergman 2003-10-12 Between Evidence and Suspicion; Unclear Danger: Inside the Lackawanna Terror Case https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/nyregion/where-trail-led-between-evidence-suspicion-unclear-danger-inside-lackawanna.html limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20240114105754/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/nyregion/where-trail-led-between-evidence-suspicion-unclear-danger-inside-lackawanna.html 2024-01-14 2025-07-30 The New York Times en 0362-4331 Risen James James Risen Santora Marc 2002-11-10 Man Believed Slain in Yemen Tied by U.S. To Buffalo Cell https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/world/threats-responses-terror-network-man-believed-slain-yemen-tied-us-buffalo-cell.html limited live https://web.archive.org/web/20231223181000/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/world/threats-responses-terror-network-man-believed-slain-yemen-tied-us-buffalo-cell.html 2023-12-23 2025-08-06 The New York Times en 0362-4331 Rufford Nicholas Allen-Mills Tony Ben Hirsi Bader 2002-11-10 Al Qaeda Stalked by the Predator https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/al-qaeda-stalked-by-the-predator-cj3xd7k7pg3 subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250212013258/https://www.thetimes.com/article/al-qaeda-stalked-by-the-predator-cj3xd7k7pg3 2025-02-12 2025-07-30 The Times en 0140-0460 Sandler James James Sandler 2003-10-16 Kamal Derwish: The Life and Death of An American Terrorist https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sleeper/inside/derwish.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20250913080302/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sleeper/inside/derwish.html 13 September 2025 2025-08-05 Frontline PBS Schrader Esther Weinstein Henry 2002-11-05 U.S. Enters a Legal Gray Zone https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-05-fg-legal5-story.html subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250209062838/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-05-fg-legal5-story.html 2025-02-09 2025-02-09 Los Angeles Times en-US 0458-3035 Smucker Philip Harnden Toby Toby Harnden 2002-11-06 CIA Missile Team Stalked Bin Laden's Top Man for Months https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1412391/CIA-missile-team-stalked-bin-Ladens-top-man-for-months.html subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20250111020315/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1412391/CIA-missile-team-stalked-bin-Ladens-top-man-for-months.html 2025-01-11 2025-02-18 The Telegraph en 0307-1235 Whitaker Brian Brian Whitaker Campbell Duncan Duncan Campbell (journalist, born 1944) 2002-11-05 CIA Missile Kills al-Qaida Suspects https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/05/alqaida.terrorism live https://web.archive.org/web/20240326081610/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/05/alqaida.terrorism 2024-03-26 2025-08-06 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077 Woods Chris 2012-11-03 'OK, Fine. Shoot him.' Four Words That Heralded a Decade of Secret US Drone Killings https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2012-11-03/ok-fine-shoot-him-four-words-that-heralded-a-decade-of-secret-us-drone-killings live https://web.archive.org/web/20250428015633/https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2012-11-03/ok-fine-shoot-him-four-words-that-heralded-a-decade-of-secret-us-drone-killings 2025-04-28 2025-02-11 The Bureau of Investigative Journalism Zenko Micah Micah Zenko 2013-01-29 Investigate This https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/01/29/investigate-this/ subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20150604065422/https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/01/29/investigate-this/ 2015-06-04 2025-08-02 Foreign Policy en-US 2003-09-23 Yemen: The Rule of Law Sidelined in the Name of Security https://www.amnesty.org/ar/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/mde310062003en.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20251126143943/https://www.amnesty.org/ar/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/mde310062003en.pdf 26 November 2025 2025-08-02 Amnesty International Amnesty International 2003 Yemen United States 2000s Category:2002 airstrikes Category:2002 controversies Category:2002 in Yemen Category:November 2002 in Asia Category:Airstrikes in Asia Category:Airstrikes conducted by the United States Category:Drone strikes in Yemen Category:Marib Governorate Category:Islamic terrorism in Yemen Category:Lackawanna Six