Samir Khan
Encyclopedia
Samir ibn Zafar Khan was the Pakistani American
editor and publisher of Inspire
magazine, an English language online magazine reported to be published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP), in which he authored articles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom". A citizen of the United States, he was killed in a drone strike in Yemen by the CIA along with al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki
.
, Saudi Arabia
to parents of Pakistan
i descent and grew up in Queens, New York. He also spent some of his teenage years living in Westbury, New York
. He graduated from W. Tresper Clarke High School
in 2003 where he wrote for the school newspaper, participated in cheerleading
and was an active member of the glee club. According to his classmates he refused to recite Pledge of Allegiance
and blamed Americans for the September 11 attacks. Khan's father, Zafar Khan, is an information technology executive. The family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina
in 2004. There he attended Central Piedmont Community College
.
He lived in Charlotte before leaving the country for Yemen
in 2009. He reportedly cut off ties with his family when he left the U.S. After Khan's death, a family friend told CNN that Khan's father did not agree with his son's views and had tried seeking help to change his son's radical views on several occasions.
of Yemen while traveling from the Ma'rib Governorate
, in the same air-strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki
. Both were U.S. citizens. Though Kahn and al-Awlaki were not high ranking al-Qaeda operatives, their high profile and effective English communications skills were key to keeping the al-Qaeda brand relevant
.
argued that the killing was a violation of the due process
clause of the Fifth Amendment
to the United States Constitution
, which states that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
However, several international law experts said that the attack that killed Khan was legal. Duke Law School professor Scott Silliman
said that Awlaki's activity "put him in the category of a legitimate target", and University of Utah law professor Amos Guiora said "This attack appears to have met the criteria of proportionality, military necessity and the absence of alternatives to be in full accordance with a state's right to aggressive self-defense" in spite of the unintended killing of Khan who was with Awlaki at the time of the attack.
Commenting on Khan's death, counter-terrorism expert Peter Bergen
noted that "the fact that the editor of the magazine (Khan) has also been killed is a problem for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly as it relates to their Western recruitment effort, because the two people who principally spoke to the Western world are now dead."
After Khan's death his family released a statement criticizing U.S. government and asking "Was this style of execution the only solution? Why couldn't there have been a capture and trial? Where is the justice? As we mourn our son, we must ask these questions."
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
editor and publisher of Inspire
Inspire (magazine)
Inspire is an English language online magazine reported to be published by the organization al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . The use of the magazine is to increase the availability of their message without challenges to their value system. The magazine is one of the many ways AQAP uses the...
magazine, an English language online magazine reported to be published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is a militant Islamist organization, primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It was named for al-Qaeda, and says it is subordinate to that group and its now-deceased leader Osama bin Laden, a Saudi citizen whose father was born in Yemen...
(AQAP), in which he authored articles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom". A citizen of the United States, he was killed in a drone strike in Yemen by the CIA along with al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
.
Early life
Khan was born in RiyadhRiyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to parents of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i descent and grew up in Queens, New York. He also spent some of his teenage years living in Westbury, New York
Westbury, New York
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
. He graduated from W. Tresper Clarke High School
W. Tresper Clarke High School
W. Tresper Clarke High School is a high school in Westbury New York, USA. It is operated by the East Meadow Union Free School District, also known as the East Meadow School District. The school opened in 1957, and was named in honor of W. Tresper Clarke, a former president of the East Meadow...
in 2003 where he wrote for the school newspaper, participated in cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
and was an active member of the glee club. According to his classmates he refused to recite Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
and blamed Americans for the September 11 attacks. Khan's father, Zafar Khan, is an information technology executive. The family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
in 2004. There he attended Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College is a large community college in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1963; it is the result of a merger between Mecklenburg College and the Central Industrial Education Center....
.
He lived in Charlotte before leaving the country for Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
in 2009. He reportedly cut off ties with his family when he left the U.S. After Khan's death, a family friend told CNN that Khan's father did not agree with his son's views and had tried seeking help to change his son's radical views on several occasions.
Activities
In 2003 Khan started an online blog called "InshallahShaheed" or "Martyr, God willing" from his parents' basement. After moving to Yemen he became the editor of Inspire. In an article written by Khan and published in Inspire, entitled "I am proud be a traitor to America", Khan outlined his grievances against the United States. According to Ben Venzke, CEO of IntelCenter, "The primary focus of the magazine is to inspire individuals to not just fly to Yemen and join the group, but rather to provide them with the inspiration, the ideological framework, the targeting philosophy and the practical mechanics of building a bomb or conducting a shooting." Another article by Khan was titled "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom."Death
Khan was reportedly killed in the Al Jawf GovernorateAl Jawf Governorate
Al Jawf is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:*Al Ghayl District*Al Hazm District*Al Humaydat District*Al Khalq District*Al Maslub District*Al Matammah District*Al Maton District*Az Zahir District*Bart Al Anan District*Khabb wa ash Sha'af District...
of Yemen while traveling from the Ma'rib Governorate
Ma'rib Governorate
Ma'rib is a governorate of Yemen. Its centre, Ma'rib, was established after the discovery of oil deposits in 1984. Ma'rib's population in 2004 was 241,619.-Districts:*Al Abdiyah District*Al Jubah District*Bidbadah District*Harib District...
, in the same air-strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
. Both were U.S. citizens. Though Kahn and al-Awlaki were not high ranking al-Qaeda operatives, their high profile and effective English communications skills were key to keeping the al-Qaeda brand relevant
.
Reactions
Constitutional lawyer turned columnist Glenn GreenwaldGlenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author. Greenwald worked as a constitutional and civil rights litigator before becoming a contributor to Salon.com, where he focuses on political and legal topics...
argued that the killing was a violation of the due process
Due process
Due process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
clause of the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, which states that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."
However, several international law experts said that the attack that killed Khan was legal. Duke Law School professor Scott Silliman
Scott Silliman
Scott L. Silliman is a Professor of the Practice of Law at Duke Law School, and Executive Director of Duke Law School's Center on Law, Ethics and National Security...
said that Awlaki's activity "put him in the category of a legitimate target", and University of Utah law professor Amos Guiora said "This attack appears to have met the criteria of proportionality, military necessity and the absence of alternatives to be in full accordance with a state's right to aggressive self-defense" in spite of the unintended killing of Khan who was with Awlaki at the time of the attack.
Commenting on Khan's death, counter-terrorism expert Peter Bergen
Peter Bergen
Peter Bergen is a print and television journalist, author, and CNN's national security analyst. Bergen produced the first television interview with Osama Bin Laden in 1997. The interview, which aired on CNN, marked the first time that bin Laden declared war against the United States to a Western...
noted that "the fact that the editor of the magazine (Khan) has also been killed is a problem for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly as it relates to their Western recruitment effort, because the two people who principally spoke to the Western world are now dead."
After Khan's death his family released a statement criticizing U.S. government and asking "Was this style of execution the only solution? Why couldn't there have been a capture and trial? Where is the justice? As we mourn our son, we must ask these questions."
External links
- Samir Khan's blog, 2004–2005