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CIA Assassinates Al Qaeda Suspect in Pakistan

HeadlineMay 18, 2005

More evidence has emerged that the US is waging covert operations in Pakistan. ABC News is reporting the CIA has assassinated a suspected member of Al Qaeda inside Pakistan by firing a missile at him using unmanned CIA Predator drone. According to the Washington Post, the CIA and U.S. Special Operations forces have been quietly operating inside Pakistan for more than two years with the knowledge of Pakistani authorities. The assassination marks one of the first incidences reported of the CIA using an unmanned drone to kill. In November 2002 a CIA Predator drone fired a five-foot-long Hellfire missile to kill a suspected member of Al Qaeda in Yemen. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush approved a policy to empower the CIA to carry out assassinations of suspected Al Qaeda members throughout the world — even in nations not at war with the United States.

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