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List of assassinations by the United States

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This is a list of individuals who have been the targets of assassination by the United States. American authorities usually define these killings as 'targeted killings'.

Successful assassinations

Target Position    Date     Location Country Nationality Method Notes
Isoroku Yamamoto Gensui of the Imperial Japanese Navy, mastermind of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. 1943-04-18 Bougainville Island Territory of New Guinea Australian New Guinea Empire of Japan Japan Plane shot down. Part of Operation Vengeance.[1]
Viet Cong operatives Various. 1966-1972 Various South Vietnam South Vietnam North Vietnam North Vietnam Various. Part of Phoenix Program.[1]
Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi Participant in the USS Cole bombing. 2002-11-03 Sanaa  Yemen  Yemen Drone strike.
Haitham al-Yemeni Explosive expert for Al-Qaeda. 2005-05-08 North Waziristan  Pakistan  Yemen Drone strike.
Abu Hamza Rabia Third highest Al-Qaeda leader. 2005-12-01 North Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. 2006-06-07 Baqubah Iraq Iraq  Jordan Air strike.
Abu Laith al-Libi Senior commander of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. 2008-01-29 North Waziristan  Pakistan Libya Libya Drone strike. [2]
Abu Khabab al-Masri Head of Al-Qaeda chemical weapons programme. 2008-07-28 South Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Abu Wafa al Saudi Involved in Al-Qaeda logistics. 2008-09-04 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Haris Al-Qaeda commander. 2008-09-08 Drone strike. [2]
Khalid Habib Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2008-10-16 near Taparghai  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Mohammad Hasan Khalil al-Hakim Head of Al-Qaeda propaganda. 2008-10-31 North Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Abu Zubair al-Masri Explosives expert for Al-Qaeda. 2008-11-22 North Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Rashid Rauf Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2008-11-22 North Waziristan  Pakistan  United Kingdom Drone strike. [2]
Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam One of the perpetrators of the 1998 United States embassy bombings. 2009-01-01  Pakistan  Kenya Drone strike. [2]
Baitullah Mehsud Leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban. 2009-08-05 South Waziristan  Pakistan  Pakistan Drone strike. [2]
Tohir Yoʻldosh Leader of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. 2009-08-27 Zhob  Pakistan  Uzbekistan Drone strike. [2]
Najmiddin Jalolov Leader of Islamic Jihad Union. 2009-09-14  Pakistan  Uzbekistan Drone strike. [2]
Saleh al-Somali Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2009-12-08 Federally Administered Tribal Areas  Pakistan  Somalia Drone strike. [2]
Abdullah Said al Libi Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2009-12-17 North Waziristan  Pakistan Libya Libya Drone strike. [2]
Sa'ad bin Laden One of Osama bin Laden's sons.[3] 2009  Pakistan  Saudi Arabia Drone strike.
Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali Participant in the 1998 United States embassy bombings. 2010  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike.
Abdul Haq al-Turkestani Leader of Turkistan Islamic Party. 2010-02-15  China Drone strike. [2]
Qari Mohammad Zarif Leader of Fada'iyan-e Islam. 2010-02-24 Drone strike. [2]
Saeed al-Masri Head of Al-Qaeda finances. 2010-05-21 Boya, North Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Hamza al-Jufi Leader of Jundallah. 2010-06-29 Drone strike. [2]
Sheikh al-Fatah Leader of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2010-09-25 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Ibrahim Leader of Fursan-i-Mohammed. 2010-10-06 Drone strike. [2]
Sheik Fateh al Masri Top commander of the Lashkar al Zil.[3] 2010-12 Drone strike.
Abu Zaid al-Iraqi Head of Al-Qaeda finances in Pakistan. 2011-02-20 Drone strike. [2]
Osama bin Laden Leader of Al-Qaeda, mastermind of the September 11 attacks. 2011-05-02 Bilal Town, Abbottabad Pakistan Pakistan Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia United States Navy SEALs raid.
Ilyas Kashmiri Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2011-06-03 North Waziristan Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan Drone strike. [2]
Atiyah Abd al-Rahman Osama bin Laden's Chief of Staff. 2011-08-22 North Waziristan Pakistan Pakistan Libya Libya Drone strike. [2]
Abu Hafs al-Shahri Al-Qaeda commander. 2011-09-11 Drone strike. [2]
Anwar al-Awlaki Member of Al-Qaeda. 2011-09-30 Al Jawf Yemen Yemen United States United States Drone strike. US citizen.
Abu Miqdad al Masri Member of Al-Qaeda. 2011-10-14 Drone strike. [2]
Aslam Awan Deputy leader of external operations for Al-Qaeda. 2012-01-10 Drone strike. [2]
Bader Mansoor Leader of an Al-Qaeda affiliate. 2012-02-09 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Yahya al-Libi Senior member of Al-Qaeda. 2012-06-04 Mir Ali Pakistan Pakistan Libya Libya Drone strike. [2]
Usman Adil Leader of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. 2012-04-29 Drone strike. [2]
Abdul Shakoor al-Turkistani Turkistan Islamic Party. 2012-08-24 North Waziristan  Pakistan China China Drone strike. [2]
Yaseen al Somali Deputy Commander for Al-Qaeda training. 2013-01-08 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Ubaydah Abdullah al-Adam Commander for Al-Qaeda intelligence. 2013-04-14 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Saif al Jaziri Senior commander for training of Al-Qaeda. 2013-07-03 Drone strike. [2]
Ahmed Abdi Godane Leader of Al-Shabaab.[3] 2014-09-01 Hawaay Somalia Somalia Somalia Somalia Drone strike.
Sheikh Imran Ali Siddi Leader of Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent. 2014-10-11 Drone strike. [2]
Umar Farooq Commander of Al-Qaeda. 2014-12-07 Drone strike. [2]
Adam Yahiye Gadahn Al-Qaeda spokesperson and media advisor. 2015-01-19 Waziristan  Pakistan United States United States Drone strike. [2]
Adan Garar Suspected of a role in the Westgate Mall attack.[3] 2015-03 Drone strike.
Ibrahim Sulayman Muhammad Arbaysh Senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. 2015-04-12 Hadhramaut Yemen Yemen Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Drone strike.
Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi Senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. 2015-05-07 Mukalla Yemen Yemen Yemen Yemen Drone strike.
Hamza bin Laden Son of Osama bin Laden. 2017-2019 Afghanistan Afghanistan Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Details remain scarce.[4]
Qasem Soleimani Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 2020-01-03 Baghdad Iraq Iraq Iran Iran Drone strike.
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Deputy Chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces. 2020-01-03 Baghdad Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Drone strike.
Qasim al-Raymi Leader of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. 2020-02-07 Wald Rabi' District, Al Bayda Governorate Yemen Yemen Yemen Yemen Airstrike. [5][6]

Failed attempts

Target Position Date Location Country Nationality Method Notes
Muammar Gaddafi Leader of Libya. 15 April 1986 Bab al-Azizia Libya Libya Libya Libyan Air strike. Part of the 1986 United States bombing of Libya.[1]
Saddam Hussein Leader of Iraq. 2003-03-19 Dora Farm Complex, Dora, Baghdad Iraq Iraq Iraq Iraq Air strike

The George W. Bush Presidency authorized the US military to make "decapitation" attempts, prior to the invasion of Iraq.[7]

Ahmad Shah (Taliban) Leader of an anti-coalition militia (ACM) June 27, 2005 Sawtalo Sar Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan SEAL Team and US Marines Part of Operation Red Wings, Resulted in the death of 19 US soldiers including a 4 man SEAL recon team.

Planned but unexecuted assassinations

Target Position Nationality Method Notes
Fidel Castro Leader of Cuba. Cuba Cuba Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Patrice Lumumba Leader of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Rafael Trujillo Leader of the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Ngo Dinh Diem Leader of South Vietnam. South Vietnam South Vietnam Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
René Schneider Chilean general. Chile Chile Reported by the Church Committee.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Herbert, Jr, Riger G. (1992). Bullets with names: The deadly dilemma (PDF). Monterey, California: USN Naval Postgraduate School.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak "The Disposition Matrix". 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
  3. ^ a b c d "Prominent terrorist suspects killed in drone strikes". USA Today. 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2020-01-08. December 2009: Abdullah Said al Libi, top commander of the Lashkar al Zil, al-Qaeda's shadow army. Killed in Pakistan.
  4. ^ Sarah Westwood; Evan Perez; Ryan Browne. "Trump confirms Osama bin Laden's son Hamza killed in US counterterrorism operation". CNN. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  5. ^ "Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen killed by US strike". BBC News. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  6. ^ https://al-masdaronline.net/national/301
  7. ^ "operation iraqi freedom: A chronology of the six-week invasion of Iraq, drawn from the FRONTLINE documentary". PBS Frontline. Stealth bombs and cruise missiles hit the target in the grounds of the Dora Farm complex where Saddam's daughters live. But the intelligence tip is inaccurate -- Saddam is not there.
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