US has secret drone base in Saudi Arabia

Source : Al Akhbar English

The Comments high-profile US drone strike that killed American-born radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen was partly conducted from a secret air base in Saudi Arabia, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The base was established two years ago as part of US efforts to intensify the pursuit of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a grouping of the Yemeni and Saudi offshoots of the global terror network, the newspaper said.

The September 2011 killing of Awlaki stoked concern because he and Samir Khan, a Pakistani-American who also died in the strike, were US citizens who had never been charged with a crime.

The White House on Tuesday defended drone strikes against Al- Qaeda suspects as legal, ethical and wise and insisted that they complied with US law and the constitution, even if they targeted Americans.

The continued focus on drones comes as White House counter- terrorism chief John Brennan goes before the Senate on Thursday for hearings on his nomination to be head of the CIA.

Brennan has been a central player in the US drone campaign, which has expanded sharply under President Barack Obama despite qualms about its legality and public outrage in Pakistan over civilian deaths.

Brennan, who once served as the CIA's station chief in Saudi Arabia, played a key role in negotiations that led to the drone base being established in the kingdom, according to the Post report.

The newspaper said it decided to reveal the location of the drone base after learning on Tuesday that another US media outlet was about to do so, ending an informal arrangement with news organizations not to publish such details.

A Justice Department memo published by NBC News on Tuesday argued that Americans high up in Al-Qaeda could be lawfully killed, even without evidence they are actively plotting an attack.

"We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and, again, save American lives," White House spokesman Jay Carney said of the memo.

(AFP)

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BBC News - Pakistan's Imran Khan says US questioned him on drones

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan says he has been stopped by US immigration officials and questioned about his views on US drone strikes in his country.

He says he was taken off his flight from Toronto to New York on Friday.

As leader of the Pakistan Movement for Justice party (PTI), he has campaigned for an end to drone strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan.

He says the strikes kill many civilians and foster support for militants.

"I was taken off from plane and interrogated by US Immigration in Canada on my views on drones. My stance is known. Drone attacks must stop," he wrote on Twitter.

He was said to have been questioned for about one hour, and said the delay meant he missed his flight and a party fundraising event in New York, but said "nothing will change my stance".

The US immigration authorities say they cannot divulge any information on particular cases due to privacy laws, according to the Toronto Sun.

"Our dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people, and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals, and contraband," one official said.

Earlier this month, Mr Khan led thousands of supporters on a march to the edge of the restive tribal areas where drone strikes target militants.