February 22, 2008

Missing the Mark

A sampling of post-9/11 assassination strikes.

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DATE

LOCATION

IMPLEMENT

TARGET

RESULT

June
2007

Northern Somalia

Cruise missiles launched from a U.S. warship

Militants fighting for Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union

Killed 8 suspected fighters, according to Somali officials.

January
2007

Southern Somalia

AC-130

Sheik Ahmed Madobe, senior leader of Islamic Courts Union

Missed target. Reports of many civilian deaths.

January
2007

Southern Somalia

AC-130

Aden Hashi Ayro, senior leader of Islamic Courts, suspected in murder of aid workers

Reportedly wounded Ayro and killed dozens of civilians.

October
2006

Town of Khar, Pakistan-Afghan border

MQ-1 Predator drone/Pakistani military helicopter strike

Maulana Liaquat, seminary leader, and Maulana Faqir Muhammad, cleric, alleged Taliban recruiters

Missed Muhammad. Killed a total of 82 people, including Liaquat.

December
2005

Predator

North Waziristan, Pakistan

Abu Hamza Rabia, senior Al Qaeda leader

Killed Rabia, his Syrian bodyguards, and 2 children

May
2005

North Waziristan, Pakistan

Predator

Haitham al-Yemeni, Al Qaeda leader

Killed Yemeni

June
2004

South Waziristan, Pakistan

Predator, according to local witnesses

Nek Muhammad, former Taliban commander

Killed Muhammad and 4 other men eating dinner together

April
2003

Basra, Iraq

Predator

Ali Hassan al-Majid, a.k.a. Chemical Ali, Iraqi military commander

Fired at wrong location. Killed at least 17 civilians.

November
2002

Marib Province, Yemen

Predator

Qaed Senyan al Harthi, suspected mastermind of USS Cole bombing

Killed al Harthi, and 5 others in his car who were allegedly low-level Al Qaeda operatives

February
2002

Zhawar Kili compound, Afghanistan

Predator

Tall man “treated with deference by others,” thought to be Osama bin Laden

Killed 3 peasants picking through garbage

November
2001

Near Kabul, Afghanistan

Predator

Mohammed Atef, Al Qaeda military commander

Killed Atef, and as many as 50 others

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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