By: Mark Pomerleau
Following press reports over the weekend, the Department of Defense has confirmed to C4ISRNET that it was responsible for three drone strikes in Yemen targeting and killing members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – thought to be the terror group’s most potent affiliate by many. These mark the first lethal drone strikes of the Trump administration.
A spokesman for Central Command said on Jan. 20, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate – noting this was conducted prior to the inauguration. One strike killed three AQAP operatives in the al-Baydah Governorate and on Jan. 22, one strike killed an AQAP operative in the al-Baydah Governorate.
The Trump administration, both in the presidential campaign and in recent articulations of policy for the administration, has indicated it will be tough on terrorism. “Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority,” reads a page on WhiteHouse.gov under the heading “America First Foreign Policy,” regarding the Islamic State group, which is no longer affiliated with al-Qaeda and its global nodes.
It was unclear in the lead up to the transition of power if the Trump administration would maintain the seemingly complex authorities established by the Obama administration as it applied to use of force against terrorists in “areas outside active hostilities.” While use of force consists of any lethal action, armed drones were a primary tool in this fight. Many in the conservative camp believed the Obama administration placed too many restrictions on use of force of terrorists abroad. That these policies were only minted from the Oval Office and not in statue begged the question of whether or not they would remain under the Trump administration in some form or fashion.
DoD confirmed that the authorizations for conducting strikes against AQAP remain the same.
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