Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki: The Empire’s Forsaken Son

One year ago today was the US drone strike in Yemen which targeted Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, son of Anwar Al-Awlaki. Two weeks prior, the elder Al-Awlaki became famous as the first US citizen officially killed abroad with no due process of law or even a warrant from a robed man. Another US citizen, Samir Khan, was also killed in the predator drone strike. Their execution marked a step further into the darkness for the feeble conscience of the empire, but the targeted killing of Anwar’s sixteen year old son several days later showed that the world’s military police force knew no nadir. Abdulrahman, his seventeen year old cousin, and seven others were killed while dining at an open-air restaurant. The US government has still provided no explanation for the violent execution of Americans other than to claim that the males killed were of ‘military age’.