A former US service member is accused of leading an assassination programme for the United Arab Emirates, earning millions of dollars for targeting political opponents, according to newly filed court documents and reporting by the Associated Press. The allegations centre on Abraham Golan, a onetime military veteran who allegedly oversaw a mercenary hit squad operating in Yemen at the height of the country’s civil war. 

Yemeni lawmaker Anssaf Ali Mayo, who says he was one of the intended targets, has filed a lawsuit in the United States invoking the Alien Tort Statute, which enables foreign nationals to pursue civil claims in American courts for violations of international law. Mayo maintains that he survived an attempted killing in 2015 and has lived in exile ever since.

Alleged UAE-backed assassination contract

According to Mayo, Golan was hired by Emirati officials nearly a decade ago as part of a covert effort to eliminate political figures who opposed the UAE’s influence in Yemen. Court filings state that Golan created a private military company, Spear Operations Group, in San Diego, working alongside former Navy SEAL Issac Gilmore. The firm reportedly employed several former US special forces members.

The lawsuit alleges that Spear Operations Group struck a deal with the UAE to undertake “targeted assassinations” in Yemen for $1.5 million per month, with additional bonuses promised for successful hits.

While the complaint names numerous actors, Mayo has formally accused only Golan, Gilmore and retired US Army Special Forces soldier Dale Comstock of war crimes, crimes against humanity and attempted extrajudicial killing.

Contractors admit roles in covert missions

Golan, Gilmore and Comstock have all acknowledged participating in the UAE-backed mission, including the failed operation to kill Mayo. In a 2018 interview with Buzzfeed, Golan said: "There was a targeted assassination program in Yemen," and added, "I was running it. We did it. It was sanctioned by the UAE within the coalition."

The UAE has admitted to carrying out counterterrorism activities in Yemen but denies ever targeting political figures. The country joined a US-backed regional coalition in 2015 after Houthi rebels seized Sanaa and swathes of northern Yemen.

Targeting of opposition figures

The contractors have previously spoken publicly about their involvement, telling reporters their intended target was Mayo, a senior member of Al-Islah, a political group that the UAE designates as a terrorist organisation. Many researchers, however, view Al-Islah as a legitimate political party long critical of Emirati intervention.

Mayo claims that on 29 December 2015, a Spear contractor planted explosives at his office in Aden. He says he escaped moments before the bomb detonated and subsequently fled to Saudi Arabia to avoid further attempts on his life.

"Spear tried to assassinate me ten years ago. I survived but have been forced to live in exile separated from my family," he said in a statement.

Calls for accountability

Daniel McLaughlin, legal director at the Center for Justice & Accountability, said the case highlights the need for greater oversight of former US military personnel who use their training in foreign conflicts.

"Our government has a duty to regulate how former members of our military use their training and know-how, and a responsibility to hold them accountable when they break the law," he said.

(With AP inputs)