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| Family of US drone stike victims files lawsuit demanding President Obama apologise for Yemen killings | Family of US drone stike victims files lawsuit demanding President Obama apologise for Yemen killings |
| (21 days later) | |
| A family member of two Yemenis killed in a US drone strike in Yemen has filed a lawsuit in a US court asking the judge to declare the attack unlawful. | A family member of two Yemenis killed in a US drone strike in Yemen has filed a lawsuit in a US court asking the judge to declare the attack unlawful. |
| The lawsuit makes no demand for monetary compensation for the attack. Instead it is in effect seeking public acknowledgement that the attack killed two innocent people. | The lawsuit makes no demand for monetary compensation for the attack. Instead it is in effect seeking public acknowledgement that the attack killed two innocent people. |
| The case concerns the killing of Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber, an Islamic preacher in the village of Khashamir who spoke out against al-Qaeda, and Waleed bin Ali Jaber, the villages lone traffic police officer. | The case concerns the killing of Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber, an Islamic preacher in the village of Khashamir who spoke out against al-Qaeda, and Waleed bin Ali Jaber, the villages lone traffic police officer. |
| The men, both Yemeni citizens, were killed in a Hellfire missile strike stike on 29 August 2012. | The men, both Yemeni citizens, were killed in a Hellfire missile strike stike on 29 August 2012. |
| According to the complaint Waleed "accompanied Salem as protection to an evening meeting with three youths" who are thought to have been the target of the attack. | According to the complaint Waleed "accompanied Salem as protection to an evening meeting with three youths" who are thought to have been the target of the attack. |
| The case has been brought by Faisal bin Ali Jaber, whose uncle and brother-in-law where killed in the attack. | The case has been brought by Faisal bin Ali Jaber, whose uncle and brother-in-law where killed in the attack. |
| Mr Ali Jaber, aided by Reprieve, the legal charity, filed the case with the Washington DC district court on Sunday. | Mr Ali Jaber, aided by Reprieve, the legal charity, filed the case with the Washington DC district court on Sunday. |
| The lawsuit makes reference to the US administration's public apology in April for the deaths of a US aid worker and another man held hostage by al-Qaeda in a drone strike in Pakistan earlier in the year. | The lawsuit makes reference to the US administration's public apology in April for the deaths of a US aid worker and another man held hostage by al-Qaeda in a drone strike in Pakistan earlier in the year. |
| The CIA reportedly authorised the attack, unaware that the hostages were being kept in the location. | |
| The lawsuit says that the victims' family is asking for "no more than what President Obama has provided to other families of those mistakenly killed in a drone strike". | The lawsuit says that the victims' family is asking for "no more than what President Obama has provided to other families of those mistakenly killed in a drone strike". |
| Since taking office in 2009 President Barack Obama has ramped up the US drone strike programme. | Since taking office in 2009 President Barack Obama has ramped up the US drone strike programme. |
| The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which has been monitoring drone strikes, estimates that at least 423 civilians have so far been killed as a result of the programme. | The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which has been monitoring drone strikes, estimates that at least 423 civilians have so far been killed as a result of the programme. |
| Cori Crider, a Reprieve lawyer, said Mr Ali Jaber's case demonstrated "the madness of President Obama’s drone programme". | Cori Crider, a Reprieve lawyer, said Mr Ali Jaber's case demonstrated "the madness of President Obama’s drone programme". |
| "Not only were his two relatives among the hundreds of innocent civilians who have been killed by this misguided, dirty war – they were the very people we should be supporting," he said. | "Not only were his two relatives among the hundreds of innocent civilians who have been killed by this misguided, dirty war – they were the very people we should be supporting," he said. |
| "All he [Mr Ali Jaber] wants is for the US government to own up and say sorry – it is a scandal that he has been forced to turn to the courts for this most basic expression of human decency." | "All he [Mr Ali Jaber] wants is for the US government to own up and say sorry – it is a scandal that he has been forced to turn to the courts for this most basic expression of human decency." |