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U.S. NEWS Thursday 2 February 2017
Trump honors fallen Navy SEAL during unannounced trip

JULIE PACE but authorized by Trump
AP White House Corre- — could signal a new es-
spondent calation against extremist
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, groups in Yemen.
Del. (AP) — Assuming the As a candidate, Trump
somber duties of com- said he would be willing to
mander in chief, Presi- “take out” the families of
dent Donald Trump made terrorists in order to root out
an unannounced trip extremism. On Tuesday,
Wednesday to honor the White House spokesman
returning remains of a U.S. Sean Spicer said no Ameri-
Navy SEAL killed in a week- cans “will ever be target-
end raid in Yemen. ed” in raids against terror
Chief Special Warfare Op- suspects.
erator William “Ryan” Ow- The president’s trip to Do-
ens, a 36-year-old from ver comes as he begins
Peoria, Illinois, was the first weighing whether to re-
known U.S. combat casu- shape U.S. military activi-
alty since Trump took of- ties around the world. As
fice less than two weeks a candidate, he vowed to
ago. More than half a doz- be tougher on the Islamic
en militant suspects were State and at one point said
also killed in the raid on an he would be willing to send
al-Qaida compound and President Donald Trump, accompanied by his daughter Ivanka, waves as they walk to board Ma- up to 30,000 U.S. troops to
three other U.S. service rine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. fight the extremist group in
members were wounded. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Iraq and Syria. q
More than a dozen civil-
ians were also killed in the families may still request
operation, including the privacy.
8-year-old daughter of Owens joined the Navy in
Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical 1998 and was the recipient
cleric and U.S. citizen who of two Bronze stars, a Joint
was targeted and killed by Service Commendation
a drone strike in 2011. and an Afghanistan Cam-
Trump’s trip to Dela- paign Medal, among other
ware’s Dover Air Base was honors. In a statement fol-
shrouded in secrecy. The lowing his death, the Navy
president and his daugh- Special Command called
ter, Ivanka, departed the Owens a “devoted father,
White House in the presi- a true professional and a
dential helicopter with their wonderful husband.”
destination unannounced. His death underscores the
A small group of journal- human costs of the military
ists traveled with Trump on campaigns Trump now
the condition that the visit oversees. Far fewer troops
was not reported until his are serving in combat now
arrival. than in the wars Trump’s
After returning to the White predecessors led in Af-
House, Trump commented ghanistan and Iraq, but
on the trip at the swearing- thousands of Americans
in of Rex Tillerson as secre- remain in hotspots around
tary of state. the world.
“I just returned from an In Afghanistan, where
amazing visit with a great, America’s longest war
great family at Dover,” continues, about 8,400 U.S.
Trump said. “It is something troops are training and ad-
very sad, very beautiful. vising local forces. More
Ryan, a great man.” than U.S. 5,100 troops in
Marine One landed at Do- Iraq and about 500 in Syria
ver shortly before a C-17 are involved in the cam-
believed to be carrying paign against the Islamic
Owens’ remains touched State group. The U.S. also
down. The president met engages in counterterror-
with Owens’ family during ism operations — mainly
a two-hour visit to the base. drone strikes — in Yemen,
The sailor’s family had re- where Al-Qaida in the Ara-
quested that Trump’s visit bian Peninsula has exploit-
and the return of Owens’ ed the chaos of the coun-
remains be private. try’s civil war.
Former President Barack Sunday’s pre-dawn raid
Obama lifted a ban on — which a defense offi-
media coverage of the cial said was planned by
casualty returns, though the Obama administration