[pjw] NEWS: US still targets citizens overseas (The Hill 1/30) and other headlines

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi again Iraq Affinity Group supporters

At the monthly meeting this past Monday, I remarked that in some ways I 
had been tempted to divide the political update section into "Before 
January 20" and "After Trump." However, sadly, looking at some of the 
incoming news, it's clear that some things are US policy regardless of 
when the White House changes hands.

Here are several things you may have missed in the days leading up to the 
inauguration:

Mosul offensive: Up to 30 civilians 'killed in US-led coalition air strike 
(Independent 1/13)
  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mosul-offensive-latest-advance-isis-air-strikes-civilians-killed-un-humanitarian-crisis-warning-us-a7527771.html

US strikes in Libya kill more than 80 Islamic State fighters (Reuters 1/19)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-libya-strike-idUSKBN15320U
(Note: this was almost a month after the US declared its 2nd war on Libya 
to be over, the US claimed it was because the targeted suspects were 
involved in the Berlin truck attack [CNN 1/23]
  http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/us-libya-bombing-isis-berlin-attack )

White House Concedes It Won't Close Guantanamo After All (Military.com 1/18)
  http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/18/white-house-concedes-it-wont-close-guantanamo-all.html
(Note: but the good news is Obama got the number of inmates down to just 
45 before leaving office)

And here are some peace-related news articles from after Mr. Trump took up 
residence in DC:

PM Abadi says Iraq's oil is for Iraqis, in reaction to Trump (Reuters 
1/24)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-mosul-idUSKBN158223
(re: the comment we sent earlier where Trump said the US should have kept 
Iraq's oil)

The US military's stats on deadly airstrikes are wrong. Thousands have 
gone unreported (Military Times 2/5)
   http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/airstrikes-unreported-syria-iraq-afghanistan-islamic-state-al-qaeda-taliban
(Notes: First, note this article was written by the MILITARY TIMES; 
second, the gist of it is that the US military reported 17,861 airstrikes 
in Iraq and Syria but the Air Force listed 23,740.)

Renewed Fighting and Drone Strikes in Yemen Kill About 75 (NY Times 1/22)
  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/22/world/middleeast/yemen-houthi-qaeda-mokha.html
(Note: Trump's first Drone strikes)

Trump to Follow Botched Yemen Military Raid By Helping Saudis Target 
Civilians (Intercept 2/10)
  https://theintercept.com/2017/02/10/trump-intends-to-follow-up-botched-yemen-military-raid-by-helping-saudis-target-civilians/

And finally (below) the article I cited in the subject line here-- where 
at first Trump signalled they would not target US citizens but then 
changed his mind.

So, as always, there's more work to do.
dan h
peace and justice works iraq affinity group


http://thehill.com/policy/defense/317234-white-house-walks-back-assertion-military-wont-target-us-civilians-overseas 
White House walks back assertion military won't target US citizens 
overseas
    By Jordan Fabian - 01/31/17 06:31 PM EST

    The White House on Tuesday walked back its assertion that the military
    will never target U.S. citizens in overseas operations.

    White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters earlier in the
    day that Òno American citizen will ever be targetedÓ when [145]asked
    whether the Trump administration would deliberately go after U.S.-born
    people with ties to extremists.

    The statement represented a break with policy set under the Obama
    administration.

    But a White House official later clarified that ÒU.S. policy regarding
    the possible targeting of American citizens has not changed.Ó

    The official cited former Attorney General [146]Eric Holder's legal
    justification for using lethal force against suspected terrorists with
    U.S. citizenship, saying the military could target them if the
    government believes they pose an ÒimminentÓ threat to the country.

    The Obama administration used that controversial legal determination
    to kill U.S.-born alleged al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki in a 2011
    drone strike in Yemen.

    Spicer was peppered with questions about the policy in response to a
    weekend counterterrorism raid in Yemen that left al-AwlakiÕs
    eight-year-old daughter dead, according to NBC News.

    The spokesman refused to confirm the death, but said the raid resulted
    in the killings of 14 al Qaeda operatives and the capture of sensitive
    intelligence.

    One Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer William ÒRyanÓ Owens, was killed in
    the raid.

    SpicerÕs comment was surprising given TrumpÕs desire to take a more
    aggressive stance against overseas terrorist groups than former
    President Obama did.

    During the 2016 campaign, Trump floated the possibility of using
    controversial tactics to ramp up the fight against extremist groups,
    included going after the family members of suspected terrorists.

    ÒWhen you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families,Ó
    he told ÒFox and FriendsÓ in December 2015. ÒThey care about their
    lives, donÕt kid yourself.Ó

    ÒThe United States does not and will not deliberately target family
    members of terrorists,Ó the White House official said.