North Waziristan drone strike of late January 2008

In late January 2008 the CIA launched missiles from unmanned aerial vehicles at a house in North Waziristan where they believed a militant summit was taking place.^[1]

The The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that this was the first drone strike for which the CIA did not seek approval from Pakistan before the strike.^[2] Targeted killing, another site that focused on tracking the outcomes of drone strikes, reported that there was a lot of confusion as to who was killed, who owned the house that was destroyed, and the exact date of the strike.^[3]

Initially security officials, claimed the most senior target had been Abu Yahya al Libi, until al Qaeda announced it had been Abu Laith al Libi. On February 5, 2008, Adnkronos named other militants were killed: Kuwaitis, Abu Obeida Tawari al-Obeidi, Abu Adel al-Kuwaiti and another man Abdel Ghaffar al-Darnawi.^[4] The Daily Times reported that the dead included five men who spoke the language of Mohammed" (i.e. Arabic).

The Washington Post reported that the guesthouse that was targeted belonged to Abdul Sattar, a taxi driver.^[5] They quoted neighbors who pointed out that knowing members of the Taliban was not a crime, in Pakistan. Other sources described Sattar as an elder, who was also a member of a gang that engaged in kidnappings for ransom and car thefts.

The The World Almanac of Islamism: 2014 cited al-Obeidi as an example of a Kuwaiti who had assumed a significant role in al Qaeda's leadership.^[6]

References

1. "12 militants killed in North Waziristan missile strike". Miran Shah: Daily Times. 2008-01-30. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2015-05-29. A militant source told Daily Times by phone that five men “speaking the language of the holy Quran” were among the dead, suggesting that Arab militants were among the victims.
2. "North Waziristan 29/01/2008". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2015-05-29. Both civilians and senior militants died in this strike, which targeted a number of them as they met. The drones came at 1.15am targeting an ‘Al Qaeda summit’ held in Madad Khan (or Abdul Sattar)’s house
3. "Date: 29th January 2008". Targeted killing. Archived from the original on 2015-05-29. According to Adnkronos, the attack that killed Abu Laith al Libi in Pakistan is reported to have also killed three other leaders from the terrorist network. The report, which cites Kuwaiti Daily, said the attack was aimed at what was believed to have been an al Qaeda summit meeting. Abu Obeida Tawari al Obeidi and Abu Adel al Kuwaiti were reportedly there with al Libi. This article also mentioned that the drone strike occurred on January 25.
4. "Terrorism: Three al-Qaeda leaders killed in US attack". Adnkronos. February 5, 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
5. Imtiaz Ali (2008-01-30). "12 Die in Missile Attack in Pakistan". Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-01. Hasan said he was a friend of the villager whose home was struck, Abdul Sattar, a cabdriver. "Having ties with the Taliban is not a sin, and if somebody is accusing Sattar of any ties with the Taliban, then we are all culprits," an emotional Hasan said from the madrassa, or religious school, where he teaches. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
6. American Foreign Policy Council (2014). The World Almanac of Islamism: 2014. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 213. ISBN 9781442231443. Operatives of Kuwaiti origin consequently have grown into significant actors within the core al-Qaeda organization in Pakistan, playing both logistical and operational roles.