List of assassinations by the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, 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]
Rafael Trujillo President of the Dominican Republic 1961-05-30 Ciudad Trujillo Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Dominican Republic ambushed by machine gun fire from rogue members of the Dominican Army
Ngo Dinh Diem President of the Republic of Vietnam 1963-11-02 Saigon South Vietnam South Vietnam South Vietnam South Vietnam arrested and executed by ARVN officers part of the 1963 South Vietnamese coup
Viet Cong operatives Various. 1966-1972 Various South Vietnam South Vietnam North Vietnam North Vietnam Various. Part of Phoenix Program.[1]
Che Guevara Marxist revolutionary, military leader of the 1959 Cuban Revolution 1967-10-09 La Higuera Bolivia Bolivia Argentina Argentina Executed by a Bolivian Army firing squad Klaus Barbie suspected of involvement
René Schneider commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army, constitutionalist 1970-10-25 Santiago Chile Chile Chile Chile assassinated by rogue Chilean Army officers weapons and money were provided by the C.I.A.
Thomas Sankara President of Burkina Faso, Pan-Africanist army officer 1987-10-15 Ouagadougou Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Burkina Faso shot dead during a coup d'état by the military
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]
Imad Mughniya deputy commander of Hezbollah and assassin 2008-02-12 Damascus  Syria  Lebanon car bombing joint C.I.A.-Mossad operation
Abu Khabab al-Masri Head of Al-Qaeda chemical weapons programme. 2008-07-28 South Waziristan  Pakistan  Egypt Drone strike. [2]
Involved in Al-Qaeda logistics. 2008-09-04 Drone strike. [2]
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.
Leader of Turkistan Islamic Party. 2010-02-15  China Drone strike. [2]
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]
Leader of Jundallah. 2010-06-29 Drone strike. [2]
Leader of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2010-09-25 Drone strike. [2]
Abu Ibrahim Leader of . 2010-10-06 Drone strike. [2]
Top commander of the Lashkar al Zil.[3] 2010-12 Drone strike.
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]
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.
Member of Al-Qaeda. 2011-10-14 Drone strike. [2]
Deputy leader of external operations for Al-Qaeda. 2012-01-10 Drone strike. [2]
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]
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]
Deputy Commander for Al-Qaeda training. 2013-01-08 Drone strike. [2]
Commander for Al-Qaeda intelligence. 2013-04-14 Drone strike. [2]
Senior commander for training of Al-Qaeda. 2013-07-03 Drone strike. [2]
Ahmed Abdi Godane Leader of Al-Shabaab.[3] 2014-09-01 Somalia Somalia Somalia Somalia Drone strike.
Leader of Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent. 2014-10-11 Drone strike. [2]
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]
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, emerging leader of al-Qaeda 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 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 Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution 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 President 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 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 , President of Cuba, and First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party.  Cuba Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Patrice Lumumba Prime Minister of Congo-Leopoldville  Congo-Léopoldville Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Rafael Trujillo President of the Dominican Republic  Dominican Republic Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
Ngo Dinh Diem President of South Vietnam  South Vietnam Reported by the Church Committee.[1]
René Schneider Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army  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 (14 September 2019). "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. ^ "Exclusive: Local sources confirm the killing of Qassim Al-Raimi by US strike in Al-Baydha".
  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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