Michigan Senator El-Sayed Faced Scrutiny Over Past Writings and Al-Awlaki Drone Strike
Resurfaced 2011 articles reveal Michigan Senator Abdul El-Sayed sharply criticized the Obama administration over the drone strike killing of US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, while also facing renewed scrutiny regarding past statements on the Muslim Brotherhood.
Recently surfaced articles written by newly elected Michigan Senator Abdul El-Sayed reveal that he sharply criticized the Obama administration over the 2011 drone strike targeting high-ranking al-Qaeda operative and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki. El-Sayed condemned the operation as an extrajudicial assassination.
In a 2011 essay, El-Sayed protested US military drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, specifically condemning the killing of al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son, who was also an American citizen. He argued that the actions bypassed constitutional due process entirely.
Additional unearthed writings highlight El-Sayed positions regarding the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement from which Hamas originated. He warned that their rise to power in Egypt in 2011 could lead to radical socialist economic policies, while simultaneously facing scrutiny over alleged ties to the group, which he strongly denies.
Criticism regarding his alleged Muslim Brotherhood connections stemmed partly from claims attributed to his half-sister and a letter he signed urging former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to purge the media and police. El-Sayed currently distances himself from the movement, dismissing the resurfaced criticisms as irrelevant.
