Yemen/USA : when a drone strike turns a wedding into a tragedy
On 12 December 2013 at 4:30 pm, a wedding procession composed of 14 vehicles and 70 passengers was targeted by 4 missiles launched from a drone. The result was 12 people killed and 13 injured. Alkarama's representatives, accompanied by the head of the League of families of drone strikes victims visited location of the strike near Aqaba Za'j in the town of Wuld Rabi, a district of Radaa in al- Baydha Governorate in Yemen, on 18 and 19 December 2013 to meet with families of victims and survivors of the strike. The delegation also visited the town of Yakla, where most of the victims originated from.
One drone – four missiles
After the festivities at the bride's home in Surmia Dhi al- Kaleb in al- Quraishia town, the spouses and their wedding procession took the direction of the husband's village named Yakla which is 30km away from the strike's spot and 70 km away from the city of Radaa, taking a dirt road. About 10 km away from Yakla, a car tire burst leading the 14 cars of the convoy to stop, at which point the passengers suddenly saw a drone approaching. One of the drivers of the Landcruisers, Salem 'Abdallah al-' Amiri, who had heard the sound of a low-flying drone and attests to having seen a twinkle in the sky a few seconds before the strike, shouted at the passengers to leave his vehicle which was hit by a missile, causing the deaths of four people and injuring three other cars while he miraculously came out of the strike unharmed. Two other missiles were then shot at the same place forming two craters in the road. The four cars closest to the explosion were also damaged, as the fire provoked by the missile quickly spread.
One of the bodies was completely shredded whilst others were propelled out of the vehicles. A number of people were killed or injured by shrapnel from the missiles. Some survivors report that one of the missiles exploded in the air before reaching the car, causing many of the casualties. The drone continued to fly over the area for nearly two hours impeding those trying to come to the assistance of the injured for fear of further attacks.
The groom, Abdallah Mabkhut al-' Amiri, aged 65, and his new wife were slightly injured, but Mr al-Amiri's only son, who was financially supporting the family was killed. The tribal leader of the Yakla region, Abdullah bin Muhamed al- Tissi, was also injured while his son was killed by the strike. According to his father, Mr al-Tissi's son supported the youth revolution in 2011 that ousted President Ali Abdallah Saleh, indeed another of his son was injured by during violent crackdown against the demonstrations. "I was hoping that a real change would occur that would free us from the corruption, marginalization and under-development affecting a large part of the country. But I did not know that a president would come along who would violate our dignity with American drones which have no respect for the sacred blood of the Yemeni people. "
One of the most disadvantaged areas
Victims of the strike were financially responsible for many families who were living in one of the countries' poorest provinces, which was lacking of any basic infrastructure. In this mountainous region of more than 2000m of altitude, and 300 km away from the capital Sanaa, residents survived from the income of their sheep, Qat plantations, and the remittances from relatives working in Saudi Arabia. The lack of pasture often causes armed clashes between tribes which explains the proliferation of weapons. The central government, absent from the region, does not fulfill its role as mediator.
People do not have direct access to clean drinking water, to electricity, to medical services nor education. The only school located in the town of Yakla consists of three classes for nearly 200 students from eight villages. For two years now, since the drones have started continuously flying over the region, the school has been abandoned by the children and teachers. The only dispensary built seven years ago never worked as planned. As for the path that connects to Yakla to Radaa, it is the local population who built it.
What with the absence of state institutions and the widespread corruption, the few government projects planned are doomed to fail. Due to the constant drone flights over the region, the mobile telephone network is constantly disturbed and was totally blocked over the area of the strike spot on 12 December. The constant threat posed by the proliferation of drones flying over the region and their regular attacks has reinforced the socio- economic and political problems and led to a deterioration of the relations between the State and the inhabitants who consider the State unable to protect its population.
Alkarama representatives were rather surprised to find bags of wheat with the American flag that had been distributed through the UN Food Program not far from the location of the strike. The families of victims of the drone strikes explained that the food was delivered shortly before the strikes. One of the residents exclaimed sarcastically: "America gives us bags of wheat, and accompanies each bag with a missile. The victims of their strikes were not given the opportunity to knead the dough made from this wheat. "
Anger in the population
Drone strikes have an aggravating effect on the population, which has already suffered past attacks. For example, on 2 September 2012, a car carrying 14 people was returning from Radaa market was targeted by a strike. Twelve of them, including two children and a woman, died. This is not the only example – in fact, the Radaa region has been targeted by American strikes in the past. And it is entire regions that are under constant drone surveillance, seriously affecting the daily lives of the residents.
The Yemeni authorities did not provide assistance to the victims and their families following the 12 December strike, nor was any investigation opened. In the absence of State representatives, no official action was possible, and as no morgue was available in Radaa to ensure the conservation of the bodies, the deceased had to be buried quickly without the issuance of death certificates assessing the cause of their deaths. In reaction to the central authorities' indifference, residents organized roadblocks on the main road as well as a gathering in Radaa to present their grievances to the politicians in Sana'a .
The authorities finally responded by sending a delegation headed by a representative of the governorate of al- Baydha, as well as the head of the 7th Military Region in order to calm the protesters. Local representatives were provided with 100 rifles and 40 million Riyal (representing some 186'000 USD) for funeral expenses. After unofficial apology was made to the victims' families, a "cease-fire" between local tribes and the government was signed for a one month period, during which an agreement on compensation must now be negotiated. Inhabitants also asked that a ban on drone flights be imposed over their territory.
The authorities' actions can be interpreted as an implicit recognition of their responsibility in the tragedy, a position which is inconsistent with official statements. The purpose of the meeting organised with local tribal leaders has not been reported publicly. However, the government news agency reported on 14 December 2013 about the need to strengthen security and coordination between the different security services and the army in the region to improve the exchange of information and to prevent the entry of weapons into Radaa. A second meeting between government officials, local military and tribal leaders was held on 15 December in order to strengthen cooperation in the fight against extremism and terrorism.
Targeted strikes or mistake?
Two official sources in the United States and one in Yemen assert that the strike targeted Shawqi Ali Ahmed al- Badani, suspected of plotting attacks on U.S. embassies in the summer of 2013. Since 2008, he is said to be listed as one of Yemeni's most wanted individuals. He was reportedly wounded in the strike but managed to escape. U.S. officials deny that civilians were targeted and claim that the 12 victims killed were al-Qaida fighters. But witnesses and families are clear: the 12 killed in the convoy and the 13 wounded, all belonging to the al-Tissi and al-'Amiri families, were not members of al-Qaida.
The New York Times reported that the attack was carried out by the military from the U.S. military base in Djibouti, on orders of the Pentagon. Officially the U.S. government has provided no explanation for this strike and its purpose. In the presentation of his "global strategy against terrorism" during his famous speech of 23 May 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to apply stricter rules to avoid civilian casualties. Some observers have interpreted the speech as an expression of a desire to impose greater transparency in the secret war waged by the United States, in particular in countries against which they are not at war. However, it is clear that the drone attack of 12 December corresponds to those that preceded it: the targeted suspects were not named, no concrete charge was made against them, civilians were not spared, the U.S. government did not no responsibility for the attack, nor did it undertake any public investigation, or provide any compensation to the survivors and victims' families.
Parliament adopted a courageous resolution
On 15 December 2013, the Yemeni Parliament considered the matter and responded by expressing its categorical rejection of U.S. drone strikes under the pretext of fighting against al-Qaida. The Parliament adopted a resolution in order to "force the government to prohibit overflight by drones and protect the sovereignty of the territory." On 16 December, the resolution was debated in Parliament and the text was completed by the following new recommendation: "The armed and security forces must fulfill their duty of prosecuting terrorists by arresting them in order to present them to court."
This is the first time that the Parliament adopted a text which, even if not binding, clearly underlines the opposition of Members of the Parliament to U.S. drone attacks in the country and also highlights the responsibility of the Yemeni authorities in this regard.
It should be recalled that the National Dialogue Conference had also adopted a decision to criminalize "the use of drones and guided missiles and extrajudicial executions." If this decision is adopted in the final outcome of the Conference, the resolution will become binding on the president and the government after the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled in February 2014.
While the United States continues its drone war, the UN General Assembly finally considered the subject in October 2013. On 26 December 2013, Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions stated that "if armed drones are to be used, States must adhere to international humanitarian law, and should disclose the legal basis for their operational responsibility and criteria for targeting. Yemen cannot consent to violations of the right to life of people in its territory," he added. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Méndez also expressed concern about the legitimacy of the airstrikes, highlighting that each State was obliged to undertake due investigation into the reported incidents, including the effect on civilians. "A deadly attack on illegitimate targets amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment if, as in this case, it results in serious physical or mental pain and suffering for the innocent victims," Mr. Méndez said.
In October 2013, Alkarama published a report on U.S. drone attacks in Yemen: