It was March 29th, 2018, when a U.S. drone strike in Yemen hit the car of Adel Al Manthari and his four cousins. They were driving the car. They went to serve as witnesses for a land deal. A short video recording of the aftermath shows the car they were riding in engulfed in flames. Adel Al Manthari was the only survivor. He suffered severe burns.
In a minute, we’ll speak with his supporters, who say the Pentagon should pay for the surgery he needs to keep his legs, but so far the Pentagon has refused to acknowledge Adel Al Manthari and his cousins were civilians and that the drone strike was a mistake.
Adel first came to our attention shortly after the strike back in 2018, and we’ve followed his case since then. He has, as you said and as you’ve heard, suffered very severe injuries, not just burns, but also a fracture to his hip, severe injuries to his hand and to his legs. He has been put in a situation by the DOD’s lack of response on this issue, where he is effectively fighting for his quality of life and his dignity and to survive.
We filed a complaint with the DOD in response to his worsening condition about a month ago, but it’s important to note that this isn’t the first time that the DOD has been alerted to this strike
— source democracynow.org | Jun 01, 2022