Shadow War: How American Mercenaries Were Hired to Conduct Assassinations in Yemen
This article delves into the shocking investigation by BBC News, which revealed that American mercenaries were contracted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to carry out a systematic program of political assassinations in war-torn Yemen. Based on the video “American mercenaries hired by UAE to kill in Yemen,” this piece explores the contracts, the targets, the execution, and the devastating consequences of this shadow war operation.
- The Contract and the Client: A $1.5 Million-a-Month Deal
The story begins in December 2015 when the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key ally of the US in the region, sought to outsource a highly sensitive and lethal operation. Their chosen partner was a private US military firm called Spear Operations Group.
The goal, as presented by the UAE, was ostensibly a counter-terrorism effort: to put pressure on groups like Isis and Al-Qaeda and prevent Yemen from becoming “another chaotic hub of terrorist activity.” The UAE offered a staggering sum for this service: $1.5 million per month.
The firm was commanded by former US Special Forces members, including former Navy SEAL Isaac Gilmore (second in command) and former US Special Forces veteran Dale Comstock. Both were tasked with recruiting mercenaries—men who were comfortable operating in what they described as a “gray area” of conflict.
Isaac Gilmore’s Rationale: “One of the reasons that I agreed to participate in this and be part of this documentary is to be very clear about what we’re doing and why. This isn’t… innocent till proven guilty. It’s war, and so you have intelligence and then you act on it.”
- Targeting Political Rivals, Not Just Terrorists
While the initial pitch focused on Al-Qaeda, the reality of the targets quickly blurred the lines between counter-terrorism and political score-settling.
The mercenaries admitted to receiving target intelligence directly from the UAE government. The very first individual on their kill list was a leader from Al-Islah, the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- The Conflict in Classification: The UAE has banned the Muslim Brotherhood, viewing their political activism as a threat to the Royal Family’s rule. However, the United States has never officially classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
- A Soldier’s Defense: When questioned about targeting an individual whose organization wasn’t deemed ‘terrorist’ by the US, the mercenaries defended their actions by saying their “handlers” (the UAE) provided the intelligence, and as soldiers, they were simply following orders. “Who am I to question? I’m a soldier for you. Roger that. And your handlers are the UAE. Yeah, they’re the client.”
The mercenaries claim they conducted their own “due diligence” on the targets, but the nature of the assassinations points to a systematic targeting of political and ideological opponents of the UAE.
- A Pattern of Extrajudicial Killings
The investigation by the legal action group Reprieve revealed the terrifying scale and pattern of these operations in southern Yemen.
Between 2015 and 2018, Reprieve counted 102 assassinations that followed a consistent, chilling pattern:
- Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs): Bombs were often placed on the victim’s doors or vehicles.
- Execution: A subsequent shooting would follow the explosion to ensure the individual was dead.
The surge in these killings, with 25 occurring during the months Isaac Gilmore was on the ground, coincided directly with the arrival of Spear Operations Group in Yemen. The operations were not just about eliminating threats; they were about creating chaos and eliminating political opposition. These actions constitute extrajudicial killings.
- The Lasting, Horrific Consequences
Spear Operations Group’s direct involvement may have ended, but the assassination program did not. Documents suggest the firm continued to receive payments from the UAE until 2020, and crucially, the local forces the mercenaries trained continued the operations.
The most tragic example of the program’s enduring legacy involves Huda Al-Sarari, a human rights lawyer who was investigating the UAE’s abuses in Yemen.
- The Leaked Kill List: A UAE kill list, leaked to the BBC from a horrified source working with the Emiratis, included Huda Al-Sarari’s name.
- The Ultimate Price: While Huda was not killed, her 18-year-old son was attacked and killed. Eyewitnesses identified the gunman as a member of a counter-terrorism unit funded by the UAE. Despite the evidence, nobody was charged, and Huda Al-Sarari now lives in fear and exile.
When asked if he felt responsible for the actions of the Emirati forces he trained, Isaac Gilmore provided a cold calculation: “You train people, you give people a tool, and how they choose to use it is not really not your responsibility… My personal feelings is unfortunate and war is always messy, but anytime there’s conflict, there’s going to be people that are hurt or killed that you wish weren’t.”
- Legal Limbo: The Lack of Accountability
Despite the severity of the allegations and the documented evidence of a systematic assassination program, Spear Operations Group has not been prosecuted for its role.
The mercenaries’ core defense hinges on the claim that their actions were “in line with the US’s mission in the region” because they were working with the UAE, a US ally. The ambiguity of US laws concerning the use of mercenaries in foreign conflicts has created a legal vacuum that shielded the firm from accountability.
This investigation by BBC News brings to light the dark complexities of modern warfare, where powerful nations can outsource lethal operations to private actors, blurring lines of responsibility and creating devastating impunity in a brutal shadow war.
About The Author
