PODCAST:The Documentary Podcast
TITLE:Assignment: American mercenaries - killing in Yemen
DATE:2024-01-25 00:00:00
URL:
MODEL:gpt-4-gizmo
The BBC World Service's documentary podcast titled "Assignment: American Mercenaries – Killing in Yemen," dated January 25, 2024, delves into the secretive world of American mercenaries operating in Yemen. The podcast explores the journey of Isaac Gilmour and Dale Comstock, former US Navy SEALs, who were involved in the operations of a private US military firm called Spare Operations Group in Yemen.
In 2015, Gilmour and Comstock, along with other mercenaries, were recruited by Abraham Golan, the founder of Spare Operations Group, to conduct operations in Yemen. Their mission, as described by Gilmour, was to target ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Yemen and prevent these areas from becoming hubs of terrorist activity. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hired Spare to eliminate individuals deemed a threat, offering a requirement of 1.5 million dollars per month for their services.
One of their first targets was Anshaf Mayou, a member of the Yemeni Parliament and leader of the Al-Islah party in Aden. Al-Islah is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that has varying classifications as a terrorist group depending on the country. The United States does not classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, although it has been banned in several countries, including the UAE.
The operation to eliminate Mayou involved planting explosives and opening fire in a busy street in Aden. However, Mayou escaped unharmed. The mercenaries' actions were part of a larger pattern of assassinations in Southern Yemen between 2015 and 2018, which counted 102 victims, including politicians, cultural figures, and activists.
The mercenaries' list of targets was allegedly provided by the UAE government. Gilmour and Comstock both emphasized that they conducted due diligence on their targets and only acted on those they believed to be legitimate threats.
The documentary also sheds light on the involvement of Al-Qaeda members in carrying out assassinations, revealing a complex web of alliances and counterterrorism efforts. Bara Sheban, a Yemeni investigator with the Human Rights Group Reprieve, highlighted the lack of a unified definition of terrorism, leading to chaotic situations where individuals or groups could be targeted based on varying criteria.
The UAE's role in these operations was also scrutinized, with allegations of the country sponsoring assassinations of political enemies in Yemen. However, the UAE denied these allegations, stating they supported counterterrorism operations at the invitation of the Yemeni government and its international allies.
The podcast raises critical questions about the legality and ethics of using mercenaries in conflict zones, the definition of terrorism, and the accountability of those involved in such clandestine operations.
