Local Editor
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to get more information on the raid that killed Senior Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens in Yemen.
The group wants records that show "legal basis and decision-making process used for the raid...as well as assessments of civilian deaths afterwards."
The ACLU says the Trump administration's explanation of the Yemen raid conflicts with human rights reports, news reports, and congressional assessments of the attack and therefore, lacks credibility. The documents are necessary for public accountability.
The lawsuit asks a federal court to enforce a Freedom of Information Act request the group filed in March with the departments of Defense, State and Justice as well as the Central Intelligence Agency, seeking documents and records about the raid as well as the Pentagon’s assessment of civilian casualties. The Pentagon concluded that between four and 12 civilians died in the raid, but the Britain-based human rights group Reprieve, which monitors civilian casualties of drone strikes, says it has evidence of 23 civilian deaths, including a newborn and 10 children.
The Jan. 29 raid, the first covert counterterrorism operation authorized by President Donald Trump, resulted in a firefight with suspected terrorists that killed 36-year-old Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens. As many as 30 civilians also might have been killed in the raid, according to local media and medics in the region.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
