{"id":61417,"date":"2013-02-01T09:14:40","date_gmt":"2013-02-01T09:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/?post_type=news_and_analysis&p=61417"},"modified":"2020-02-24T15:06:13","modified_gmt":"2020-02-24T15:06:13","slug":"january-2013-update-us-covert-actions-in-pakistan-yemen-and-somalia","status":"publish","type":"news_and_analysis","link":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/news\/january-2013-update-us-covert-actions-in-pakistan-yemen-and-somalia\/","title":{"rendered":"January 2013 Update: US covert actions in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fully armed Reaper taxis before a mission (US Air Force \u2013 Sgt Brian Ferguson).<\/em><\/span>
<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0Pakistan<\/a>\u00a0a heavy CIA drone campaign\u00a0targeted both so-called \u2018good\u2019 and \u2018bad\u2019 Taliban. Three senior militants were among the dead.<\/p>\n

Yemen<\/a>\u00a0was hit by the highest number of airstrikes in one month since June 2012, though none have been formally confirmed as\u00a0US operations.<\/p>\n

No US operations were reported in Somalia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The United Nations also launched\u00a0a major investigation<\/a>\u00a0into the legality and casualties of drone strikes by the United States, Britain and Israel.<\/p>\n

Pakistan<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 2013 actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total CIA strikes in January:\u00a06<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total killed in strikes in January: 27-54<\/strong>, of whom 0-2\u00a0<\/b>were reportedly civilians<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All actions 2004 \u2013 January 31 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total Obama strikes:\u00a0310<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total US strikes since 2004:\u00a0362<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total reported killed:\u00a02,629-3,461<\/strong><\/p>\n

Civilians reported killed: 475-891<\/strong><\/p>\n

Children reported killed:\u00a0176<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total reported injured:\u00a01,267-1,431<\/strong>
For the Bureau\u2019s full Pakistan databases click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The CIA began 2013 with six drone strikes in nine days \u2013 more in any single month since August 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"CIA<\/a><\/p>\n

With double the strikes hitting Pakistan this month compared with January last year, 2013 could see renewed intensity in the CIA drone programme.<\/em><\/p>\n

The month\u2019s\u00a0first strike killed powerful Taliban commander Maulvi<\/strong> (or Mullah) Nazir<\/strong>, \u2018perhaps the most prized feather<\/a> in [the] cap\u2019 of the drone programme to date, according to one commentator.\u00a0Nazir co-ordinated attacks on Nato and Afghan forces in Afghanistan and had long been a target of the CIA.<\/p>\n

However his group refrained from terrorist attacks within Pakistan, earning the\u00a0label\u00a0\u2018good\u2019 Taliban. Brigadier Asad Munir, a retired commander of the ISI<\/a>, told the Bureau his death could cause serious problems for Islamabad. He said peace with Nazir was essential since Pakistan\u2019s army cannot simultaneously fight both Nazir\u2019s militants and the TTP \u2013 the so-called \u2018bad\u2019 Taliban behind numerous lethal attacks in Pakistani cities.<\/p>\n

Despite this, Pakistan\u2019s response to the strikes in January was muted \u2013 notably so,\u00a0according to Associated Press<\/a>,\u00a0as loud protestations had followed almost every strike in 2012.<\/p>\n

This could indicate that relations between the allies<\/a> have improved from their 2012 nadir. The CIA may also have tried to mollify Islamabad by killing senior TTP commander\u00a0Wali Muhammad Mahsud<\/strong> and announcing that Maulana Fazlullah<\/strong>, commander of the Swat Taliban<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>is now high on its kill list. The Swat Taliban shot schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai<\/a> and launches attacks on Pakistan from its bases in Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly called on Nato and Afghan forces to crack down on the group.<\/p>\n

A third high-value target death in January was of senior al Qaeda paramilitary commander<\/a>\u00a0Sheikh Yaseen al Kuwaiti<\/strong>, reportedly killed at home with his wife and daughter<\/a> by eight missiles.<\/p>\n

Yemen<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 2013 actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Confirmed US drone strikes: 0<\/strong>
Further reported\/possible US strike events: 8<\/strong>
Total reported killed in US operations: 0-38
<\/strong>Civilians reported killed in US strikes:\u00a00-7
<\/strong>Children reported killed in US strikes: 0-2<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All actions 2002 \u2013 January 31 2013*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total confirmed US operations: 54-64<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total confirmed US drone strikes:\u00a042-52<\/strong><\/p>\n

Possible additional US operations:\u00a0135-157<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of which possible additional US drone strikes:\u00a077-93<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total reported killed:\u00a0374-1,112<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total civilians killed:\u00a072-178<\/strong><\/p>\n

Children killed: \u00a027-37<\/strong>
<\/a><\/strong><\/em>Click here for the full Yemen data<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

* All but one of these actions have taken place during\u00a0Obama\u2019s presidency. Reports of incidents in Yemen often conflate individual strikes. The range in the total strikes and total drone strikes we have recorded reflects this.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eight strikes hit Yemen in January, the most in a month since June 2012 when US attacks on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) began to slow from their May peak.<\/p>\n

News reports named 12 alleged militants killed in the strikes. Up to two children also reportedly died when a wayward airstrike missed its intended target, hitting\u00a0Abdu Mohammed al-Jarrah<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s house.\u00a0This is the first credible report of child casualties since a US strike killed 12 civilians, three of them children, on September 2, 2012<\/a>.
<\/em><\/p>\n

It remains unclear who is behind the recent strikes. September was the last time the Bureau noted a confirmed US operation in Yemen, although Yemen\u2019s state media appears to have stopped claiming that the \u2018barely functional<\/a>\u2018 Yemen Air Force is responsible for every strike. Attacks are now officially described simply as airstrikes.<\/p>\n

There were more allegations that the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is striking AQAP. A report claimed the RSAF targeted<\/a> an AQAP training camp on January 22, right on the Saudi-Yemeni border. But it was also reported that US drones launched the strike, with help from Saudi intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An anonymous\u00a0US intelligence official<\/a>\u00a0told the Times that Saudi jets have been striking other targets in Yemen in support of US operations \u2013\u00a0an allegation\u00a0promptly denied<\/a>\u00a0by the Saudis. The paper reported that Saudi jets may have carried out a botched strike<\/a> on May 15 2012 that killed 12-26 civilians. There were also questions raised regarding a September 2 strike by an unidentified aircraft that killed 12 civilians \u2013 three of them children. However, it emerged on Christmas Day<\/a> that US drones or jets had carried out that attack.<\/p>\n

In a rare display of opposition to the drone programme, Yemeni human rights minister Hooria Mashhour told Reuters<\/a> the country should change its counter-terrorism strategy. Without directly mentioning drones, she advocated moving away from air strikes to ground operations to target AQAP \u2018without harming civilians and without leading to human rights violations\u2019.<\/p>\n

On January 28 Sanaa sent up to\u00a07,000 troops<\/a> with tanks to drive AQAP-linked militants out of the central province of al Bayda and to free hostages including two Finnish and one Austrian<\/a>. AQAP countered, sending \u2018several hundred\u2019 reinforcements to the province.\u00a0At least 2,500 civilians<\/a> have reportedly been displaced.<\/p>\n

Somalia<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

January 2013 actions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total reported US operations: 0<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All actions 2007 \u2013 January 31 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total US operations: 10-23<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total US drone strikes: 3-9
<\/strong>Total reported killed: 58-170
<\/strong>Civilians reported killed: 11-57<\/strong><\/p>\n

Children reported killed: 1-3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Click here for the Bureau\u2019s full data on Somalia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

January was the fifth consecutive month without a reported US strike<\/a>.\u00a0But al Shabaab showed it remains a threat to Mogadishu, launching a suicide attack on the presidential palace. The bomber was reportedly \u2018an al Shabaab defector<\/a>\u2018 with a gate pass and a National Security Force identity card. He detonated his suicide vest, killing two soldiers, after it was uncovered in a routine search.<\/p>\n

The US provided \u2018limited technical support<\/a>\u2018\u00a0to a failed French attempt to rescue a spy held hostage by al Shabaab since 2009. Five French helicopters carried 50 commandos into Somalia. US Air Force jets entered Somali airspace in support, although they did not fire their weapons. The French operation\u00a0was reportedly timed to coincide with the French air and ground offensive in northern Mali, though Paris denied<\/a> the two operations were linked.<\/p>\n

France said militants executed the captured secret service officer<\/a>, known by his alias\u00a0Denis Allex<\/strong>, during the assault. Seventeen alleged militants, including their\u00a0commander\u00a0Sheikh Ahmed<\/strong>\u00a0were reportedly killed.<\/p>\n

But in the course of the night assault, French commandos also reportedly killed\u00a0eight civilians<\/a>,\u00a0including a child and both his parents.\u00a0One French commando was also killed and another wounded. Al Shabaab said the injured soldier subsequently died of his wounds in their custody, and posted pictures on Twitter of the dead commando as proof.<\/p>\n

After al Shabaab also tweeted an image of the dead French spy, and threatened to\u00a0kill two Kenyan hostages<\/a> its\u00a0account was suspended<\/a>.<\/p>\n

UN investigation<\/span>
<\/strong><\/p>\n

UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC announced that the UN will\u00a0investigate covert\u00a0CIA and Pentagon<\/a>\u00a0strikes in Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia. He\u00a0will also look at strikes by the UK and US in Afghanistan, and by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories.<\/p>\n

Emmerson has assembled a team of experts to scrutinise some 25 strikes, examining the legal framework for targeted killings and claims of civilian deaths. One\u00a0area they are expected to explore is the deliberate targeting of rescuers and funeral-goers by the CIA in Pakistan, a tactic revealed in an\u00a0investigation<\/a>\u00a0by the Bureau for the Sunday Times.<\/p>\n

The UN\u2019s Human Rights Council asked its special rapporteurs to investigate drone strikes after nations including Russia, China and Pakistan called for action last June. Emmerson will present his recommendations to the General Assembly in October.<\/p>\n

Follow Chris Woods<\/a><\/strong>, Alice Ross<\/a><\/strong> and Jack Serle<\/a><\/strong> on Twitter.<\/em><\/p>\n

To sign up for monthly updates from the Bureau\u2019s Covert War project click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":61416,"template":"","tags":[477,471,470,478,480],"country":[437,436,435],"belligerent":[430],"authors":[575,559,569],"class_list":["post-61417","news_and_analysis","type-news_and_analysis","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-drone-warfare","tag-stories","tag-tbij-covert-drone-wars-archive","tag-us-civilian-harm","tag-us-transparency","country-pakistan","country-somalia","country-yemen","belligerent-us-forces","authors-alice-ross","authors-chris-woods","authors-jack-serle"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_and_analysis\/61417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_and_analysis"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news_and_analysis"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61417"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=61417"},{"taxonomy":"belligerent","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/belligerent?post=61417"},{"taxonomy":"authors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/airwars.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/authors?post=61417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}