2 journalists sue President Trump over allegedly being placed erroneously on a drone-strike 'kill list'


An Al Jazeera reporter and a Syria-based freelance journalist are suing President Trump and other U.S. officials for allegedly maintaining a drone-strike "kill list" with their names erroneously included, Politico reports.
Ahmad Zaidan served as the Al Jazeera Islamabad bureau chief and conducted a series of interviews with Osama bin Laden; files leaked by Edward Snowden show U.S. officials claim Zaidan is a member of al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. Bilal Kareem is a U.S. citizen reporting from Syria, and he alleges he has "narrowly avoided being killed by five separate air strikes" in the past year.
The suit "[contends] that [Zaidan and Kareem] were erroneously placed on the 'kill list' during the Obama administration and that Trump has illegally maintained that designation," Politico writes. "The suit also alleges that Trump has loosened some of the safeguards the previous administration placed on the program."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Both men deny association with terrorist groups in their suit and claim they are not legal targets under the Authorization for Use of Military Force. "This is a very deliberate process that needs to give some access to people who deny they should be included," the journalist's lawyer, Jeffrey Robinson, told Politico.
A similar case in 2010 did not have promising results. The father of alleged al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar Al-Awlaki brought a case challenging Al-Awlaki's placement on a kill list only to have it dismissed. Al-Awlaki was killed in a CIA drone strike the next year, and his 16-year-old son was killed two weeks later in another drone strike, although the U.S. claimed the son was not the intended target. Al-Awlaki's 8-year-old daughter was later killed in a January raid in Yemen ordered by President Trump.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
‘How can I know these words originated in their heart and not some data center in northern Virginia?’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Trump deliver a farmer bailout in time?
Today's Big Question Planting decisions, food prices in the balance
-
Tips for seizing control of your digital well-being
The Week Recommends A handy mix of technology and self-motivation
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ rallies
Speed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats