The Strange Death of Britain’s Most Wanted Terrorist
The killing of Rashid Rauf raises questions about information sharing between the U.S. and Great Britain.
Rashid Rauf, the suspected ringleader for the 2006 plot to blow up transatlantic airliners, has been killed by a U.S. drone in Waziristan, Pakistan.
The news comes as a surprise. What is not surprising is that the 27-year-old British terrorist of Pakistani descent was hiding in the tribal areas of northwestern Pakistan. Or that he was killed by a Predator drone carrying hellfire missiles launched from a U.S. base in Afghanistan and guided by technicians in Nevada. (There have been 24 such drone attacks aimed at terrorists in the region since August 31.)
What’s surprising is that it was the Americans who got him.
Before his death last week, Rashid Rauf was considered one of England’s most wanted terrorists. The plot he helped mastermind — under the direction of al-Qaeda — aimed to blow up multiple U.S.-bound aircraft with liquid explosives after the planes left London.
Since then, Rauf has been aggressively sought by Scotland Yard, first through extradition proceedings and later through British intelligence after he “escaped” from Pakistani custody last December. But U.S. intelligence remained relatively quiet about him. Rashid Rauf never appeared on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists.
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Annie Jacobsen writes about aviation and intelligence. She blogs at TheAviationNation.com and is working on a new book for Little Brown and Company.
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45 Comments
1. Tom:Apparently the rest of the world has caught on to the idea that the jihadis are nothing but trouble. I don’t think many of these folks will be missed.
Nov 25, 2008 - 9:52 am 2. Dr. Lumplevin:Why wasn’t this man arrested and given a fair trial before a jury of his peers? I just don’t understand how we trash the Constitution, which, as Pres. Obama says, has serious flaws, but still is the law of the land.
Nov 25, 2008 - 9:57 am 3. Войска ПВО:Dr. Lumplevin writes:
“Why wasn’t this man arrested and given a fair trial before a jury of his peers?”
Hello? Pakistan and Afghanistan and England?
Last time I checked, the U.S. Constitution only applies to U.S. Citizens in the U.S. — or something like that..
..or, if I missed the sarcasm, please accept my apologies.
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:16 am 4. ic:Dr. Lumplevin:
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:30 am 5. station292:You are funny. Get off your high horse. Who is to arrest the man? Under what laws and power can we arrest him? Where to try him? Who is his peers, other jihadists? Which Constitution was trashed? “the law of the Land” which land? The tribal land where he was located? Rauf was not an American inside the US. Our Constitution does not apply outside the US, our law does not stretch into Pakistan. For goodness sake, neither does the Pakistani Law stretch into the area where Rauf met his Hellfire.
Hey Doc…..arrested? trial? That’s funny!!!!
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:31 am 6. Douglas Bogle:Never fear Obama is here.
In the near future Rauf would have been arrested, brought back to the states and stood trial. With that being said, his attorneys and his terrorist buddies would have access to all intel and techniques to gather said intel in full disclosure. This will be far worse than the NYT exposing classified techniques in our war on terror.
Thus making the US weaker.
Thank you Mr. O. and the Judges yet to be appointed.
never fear obama is here.
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:38 am 7. Craig:I’m sure uber liberal Gordon Brown has telephoned George Dubya to thank the United States.
Yah right.
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:53 am 8. Will Sharpe:Good story; I would like to see more substantial reporting like this on the website rather than fluff pieces meant to incite partisan animus.
Nov 25, 2008 - 11:35 am 9. ic:I’m sure uber liberal Gordon Brown has telephoned George Dubya to complain that the United States has killed a British subject unlawfully, against international law (whatever that is).
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:13 pm 10. Tony R:Hmmmmm…….the title of this article is “The Strange Death of Britains Most Wanted Terrorist”.
Interestingly, if you remove the word “Strange” from that title then, rather than this being an issue between the UK and the US, it actually becomes a cause for celebration!!
Well done to the US military - keep killing the bad guys first and then we can all argue over the “whys” and “wherefores” afterwards.
Thats real justice - not the twisted legal hocus-pocus we have to tolerate these days where lawyers work really hard to keep baddies out of jail for a sack of cash.
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:25 pm 11. ST333:I see nothing there about MI6 not being aware of the strike, only that the MP’s didn’t know. So what, our Congress isn’t filled on who we are targeting either. Weather they knew or not, I’d be willing to bet the Brits would green light the op with their blessings and warmest wishes. Why waste tax payer money with a trial. Besides, he “escaped” from the Pakistani’s before and it’s not like the guy would be arrested and then extradited to the UK anyway. We need to keep taking these animals out since the PC crowd appears to have won their bid at a National suicide by closing Gitmo in the name of “Human Rights”. Forget snatch and grab missions, from here on out they should all be targeted assassinations.
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:36 pm 12. ramsis:on behalf of the U.S I would like to extend a hardy, Your Welome! to our friends on the otherside of the pond. just let us know if there is anyone else you need rubbed out and America would be happy to to take both the heat and the glory for cleaning up scum wherever it hides.
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:41 pm 13. Terry:Yeah, Dr. Lumplevin, that’s just what this war need to succeed, an army of LAWYERS!
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:44 pm 14. Elle:“Certain terrorists are wanted dead — not alive.
Who the U.S. shares its information with apparently comes second to that end.”
Exactly and let us hope that this policy-if it is a policy-continues.
Nov 25, 2008 - 12:59 pm 15. dgf:i agree with lumplevin’s concerns. i look forward to the day (maybe jan 21?) when every hellfire has three lawyers on board to ensure that everyone’s rights are fully respected until the point of impact.
Nov 25, 2008 - 1:41 pm 16. A Terrorist Dies In Great Britain:[...] November 25th, 2008 By JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief Print And it raises some interesting questions… [...]
Nov 25, 2008 - 1:46 pm 17. David H:Thank you the USA for removing this terrorist, from a grateful Brit.
Nov 25, 2008 - 1:57 pm 18. Mamba1-0:Rauf wasn’t on the FBI’s “most wanted” list because he wasn’t a law-enforcement problem. He was a military problem - which was solved in a military manner. And, am I to understand that the British government now wants the US to notify them any time someone is to be killed on a battlefield - simply because the clown is British? What a laugh! The MPs worrying about this should get a better grip on reality. Perhaps a review of what has been done to England by the islamofascists; and what they are planning to do, would be in order.
Nov 25, 2008 - 2:46 pm 19. connie:And, you’re quite welcome for us solving another one of your problems.
Thank you, David H, for having the common sense that will be needed for us to rid the world of this scourge upon the human race. Hopefully, we are in the majority.
Nov 25, 2008 - 2:49 pm 20. Druid:Good one dgf. I agree, have the lawyers read them their rights just before impact. The bad part is we would probably run out of lawyers to second guess every action the U.S. took to rid the world of these scum! Remember, this is a fight to the death, and they are willing, able and ready to meet Allah and their 72 burqa clad virgins as soon as they can. Allah Akbar!
Nov 25, 2008 - 2:50 pm 21. Ster:So, from the article, I gather that the writer (or the intelligence community in the UK) is upset that the US didn’t previously notify them that they were going to kill a sc*mbag terrorist?
Perhaps if they were more worried about killing terrorists than who or when they were told about them, they’d be more of a help.
WHO CARES?!?!? The a**hole is DEAD!
Nov 25, 2008 - 4:49 pm 22. Ster:Huh? Killing this guy was “strange” or a “problem”… How?
I am guessing that the writer would be upset that the US killed Hitler without having a meeting first to discuss how, when or why. Hmm?
Nov 25, 2008 - 4:52 pm 23. The Whale:Lets see, one bullet to kill Hitler or 20 million dead. One bullet to kill Stalin or 30 million dead. One bullet to kill Mao or 70 million dead. I could go on for about two pages. But some lefty whiner would stroke out. Good work whoever was flying that thing. Glad to see the Pakistanis have finaly woken up……….
Nov 25, 2008 - 4:58 pm 24. hammerhead:Need to send a gift card to the people in the Nevada control room
Nov 25, 2008 - 5:57 pm 25. Mary Jackson:The MPs asking questions in the House may not have known - at least not officially. But MI6 knew, for sure. Obviously they’re not going to admit they knew, since the “execution” was irregular, but nobody’s shedding a tear on either side of the Atlantic.
Nov 25, 2008 - 6:00 pm 26. ron c:“Why wasn’t this man arrested and given a fair trial before a jury of his peers?”
He was resisting being arrested and was killed while trying to flee.
Tragic “accident”.
Nov 25, 2008 - 6:28 pm 27. David Gillies:If there’s one thing that has become apparent in the past few years of counter-Jihadi operations it is that when our forces are given their head they are capable of inflicting savage casualties on the enemy. So far the number of Mohammedan fanatics dead at the hands of our servicemen must be in the mid five figures or higher. Obviously where the intelligence services disrupt domestic terror networks, the perpetrators must be dealt with using the criminal justice system. But when it comes to known terrorist operatives hiding in a country which is an ‘ally’ in only the most etiolated sense of the word, bleating about the rule of law is vacuous. Let the Army and Marines (and Air Force) convert as many Moslem terrorists into offal as is humanly possible.
The death of a piece of nihilist scum like Rauf should be a cause for celebration, not the wringing of hands.
Nov 25, 2008 - 6:52 pm 28. Dlanor:“This Is Your Brain On Liberalism”:
Our Courts, aided by the ACLU, have made clear that they want trials for battlefield villains.
Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would have known the consequence: Kill ‘em first; then try ‘em. (Let Allah sort them out.)
But then, why expect libs to have foresight beyond girlyman emotions?
Great irony: Lib compassion equals more death and destruction. Friends: Don’t let friends get high on liberalism.
Nov 25, 2008 - 7:39 pm 29. Ramp Rat:Trial?, lawyers?, “Hellfire” if I know why! and they Drone on!
Nov 25, 2008 - 8:29 pm 30. Mike Manges:Lincoln understood the Constitution isn’t a suicide pact when he said, “We’ll stop killing them when they stop killing us.” Weidmannsheil!
Nov 25, 2008 - 8:29 pm 31. Kevin:How the hell is a drone supposed to arrest him? If our allies enemies have the bad fortune of meeting our firepower, how is this a bad thing? I would ask them to pay for the firepower that killed them, but only because I’m a smug American.
This is the kind of good news you can’t tell everyone; there would be too many people belly aching about us not having the Pakistani police apprehend him or they’d cry about us killing him in Pakistan.
Nov 25, 2008 - 10:36 pm 32. john from cinncinatti:who in the LAWLESS tribal area is crying for the law. he died well.
Nov 26, 2008 - 12:49 am 33. Frank:in my house there is no law
you can do whatever you want
just don’t cry out for the law
to save you
when i come after you.
He had previously been arrested. However, Rauf was left “unattended” while praying in a mosque, and - astonishingly - took the opportunity to escape.
Who could have forseen that!
Post Guantanamo-closure, I expect that this will be the fate of a lot of these jihadi tourists.
Nov 26, 2008 - 1:37 am 34. Jonesy55:There probably was some communication about this between US and UK intelligence services but they are hardly going to broadcast that fact to parliament or congress. Even if there wasn’t, I’m sure MI6 are quite pleased with the outcome anyway. Obviously this type of ‘justice’ isn’t ideal but he had the option to give himself up for trial in the UK and turned it down so hey ho.
Nov 26, 2008 - 1:59 am 35. Wadeusaf:Oh yeah, telling it to the AlQ in Parliament makes as much sense as telling it to Senator Joe Biden, or other known leakers of intel.
Nov 26, 2008 - 3:56 am 36. canuck:British government = leftist wimps = Whitehall
British intelligence = still the best in Europe = conservatives.
Paki intelligence = Arm of the Taliban and helped the guy escape before.
My bet is that the Brits pinpointed him and that they had to get the Americans to do the deed because if it went up their administrative ladder they would be reading about it on the front page of the Guardian.
Nov 26, 2008 - 4:30 am 37. Gilligan:The premise of this article seems to be that the US knew exactly who was in the house before it was attacked and that US intelligence deliberately decided to keep this information from the British government.
Here’s another scenario. Informants in Afghanistan convey the information that “some al Qaeda guy” is staying there. Surveillance indicates that he is meeting with other al Qaeda people and seems to be some sort of leader. One or more Hellfire missiles are fired into his dwelling. In the aftermath, a follow up team goes through the wreckage looking for documents, computers, cell phones and mops up some of the jihadi juice splashed all over the rubble for DNA testing.
After going through the evidence, somebody in a lab in northern Virginia says, “Guess who we just killed.”
Nov 26, 2008 - 5:16 am 38. Jonesy55:38, that is entirely plausible, this seems like a non-story really.
Nov 26, 2008 - 7:20 am 39. Lirelou:Gilligan, my thoughts exactly. Thank God for the “Army of Northern Virginia”. General Lee’s boys would be proud.
Nov 26, 2008 - 12:40 pm 40. legal eagle:Wait, it’s not over yet. The Associated Press will write a story that the hellfire missle attacked a peaceful Muslim wedding party and devote the first 20 paragraphs describing how the evil U.S. killed numerous women and children and the last paragraph will mention,as an aside, that a terrorist was also killed. I love all these “Muslim weddings”, I guess that the invitations make AK 47’s optional and that peaceful attendees were celebrating firing them into the air just as an Amerrican drone was passing overhead, purely a co-incidence I’m sure.
Nov 26, 2008 - 7:41 pm 41. Pig with lipstick:British MPs raising questions in the Houses of Parliament is pretty meaningless. First of all Parliament in the UK is emasculated by Europe, secondly no one in their right mind would worry about what MPs need to know and thirdly, any “questions” are probably done for local votes to give the illusion that they care.
But a fair number of NuLab people think – as all good lefties always imagine - that “international law” exists and that being nice to nasty people means they will stop being doing bad things. Long winded trials may appeal as an intellectual idea but the reality of war requires expediency, not lawyers arguing. The scum who died had no plans to be fair to people on airliners they planned to kill.
A bad guy is dead and has gone to collect his virgin-vouchers. I expect British intelligence knew something of it and whatever the bleatings of MPs, the world is now a slightly better place thanks to the US involvement.
Nov 27, 2008 - 2:18 am 42. WestGuard:Bravo! Yet another hyena falls prey to the LIONS of the West! Thank You to the pilot of that awesome metal eagle. Great shot! Who knows how many future lives you saved by taking out that rat and his crew. You da man!
Nov 27, 2008 - 3:42 pm 43. Nomenklatura:You have to understand British politics to know how this could happen.
Most of the ruling Labour Party’s MPs would instantly rise to the defense of a British citizen were to receive the death penalty, even if he was a terrorist and a mass murderer, and especially if the US were to be involved in executing him.
Consequently the British Government will have been very careful not to know anything about the planned strike, and the US government was I’m sure happy to oblige. The only thing left for Labour’s MPs to complain about was the US keeping the British in the dark, but that’s a total sham, as 90% of them fully understand.
Welcome to the reality of the ‘global test’, in this case as it works with our closest ally. It goes downhill from there.
Nov 29, 2008 - 1:10 pm 44. CoolCzech:The liberal ideal is that Rauf should have been arrested and read his rights in the tribal area of Pakistan. Then, he was to have been shipped to San Francisco and given OJ’s (original) legal defense team to “clear his name.” Once the SF jury found him not guilty, he would plead asylum from nasty Pakistan’s government that - understandably enough - would “persecute” him if it ever got its hands on him.
Being not guilty and given a green card, he would henceforth become a model US citizen and hit the lecture circuit.
As far as I can tell, that is how people like Doc L. think these things thru…
Dec 6, 2008 - 5:22 pm 45. Paul:“Or that he was killed by a Predator drone carrying hellfire missiles launched from a U.S. base in Afghanistan and guided by technicians in Nevada.”
Dec 9, 2008 - 9:46 am=
Do you suppose that it irritates the terrorists when an arm chair, coffee drinking fellow in Nevada can reach across the world and snuff out one or more of their miserable lives? Life is good.