THE WAR WAS A TRAGIC MISTAKE
US admits Kabul strike killed multiple civilians in ‘tragic mistake’Issued on: 17/09/2021 -
File photo of US Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie arriving at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on August 17, 2021. © William Urban, US Navy, AFP
Text by: NEWS WIRES
The Pentagon retreated from its defense of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month, announcing Friday that a review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed.
“The strike was a tragic mistake," Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told a Pentagon news conference.
For days after the Aug. 29 strike, Pentagon officials asserted that it had been conducted correctly, despite 10 civilians being killed, including seven children. News organizations later raised doubts about that version of events, reporting that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at an American humanitarian organization and citing an absence of evidence to support the Pentagon's assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.
McKenzie said the vehicle was struck “in the earnest belief” that it posed an imminent threat.
“I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike," McKenzie said. “Moreover, we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K, or a direct threat to U.S. forces," he added, referring to the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate.
McKenzie apologized for the mistake and said the United States is considering making reparation payments to the family of the victims.
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters two days after the attack that it appeared to have been a “righteous” strike and that at least one of the people killed was a “facilitator” for the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, which had killed 169 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members in a suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at the Kabul airport.
After McKenzie's remarks, Milley expressed regret.
“This is a horrible tragedy of war and it’s heart wrenching," Milley told reporters traveling with him in Europe. “We are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”
“In a dynamic high-threat environment, the commanders on the ground had appropriate authority and had reasonable certainty that the target was valid, but after deeper post-strike analysis our conclusion is that innocent civilians were killed," Milley added.
Accounts from the family, documents from colleagues seen by The Associated Press, and the scene at the family home — where Zemerai Ahmadi’s car was struck by a Hellfire missile just as he pulled into the driveway — all painted a picture of a family that had worked for Americans and were trying to gain visas to the United States, fearing for their lives under the Taliban.
The family said that when the 37-year-old Zemerai, alone in his car, pulled up to the house, he honked his horn. His 11-year-old son ran out and Zemerai let the boy get in and drive the car into the driveway. The other kids ran out to watch, and the Hellfire missile incinerated the car, killing seven children and an adult son and nephew of Zemerai.
The airstrike was the last of a U.S. war that ended as it had begun in 2001 — with the Taliban in power in Kabul. The speed with which the Taliban overran the country took the U.S. government by surprise and forced it to send several thousand troops to the Kabul airport for a hurried evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others. The evacuation, which began Aug. 14, unfolded under a near-constant threat of attack by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate.
(AP)
The Pentagon retreated from its defense of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month, announcing Friday that a review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed.
“The strike was a tragic mistake," Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, told a Pentagon news conference.
For days after the Aug. 29 strike, Pentagon officials asserted that it had been conducted correctly, despite 10 civilians being killed, including seven children. News organizations later raised doubts about that version of events, reporting that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at an American humanitarian organization and citing an absence of evidence to support the Pentagon's assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.
McKenzie said the vehicle was struck “in the earnest belief” that it posed an imminent threat.
“I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike," McKenzie said. “Moreover, we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K, or a direct threat to U.S. forces," he added, referring to the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate.
McKenzie apologized for the mistake and said the United States is considering making reparation payments to the family of the victims.
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters two days after the attack that it appeared to have been a “righteous” strike and that at least one of the people killed was a “facilitator” for the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, which had killed 169 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members in a suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at the Kabul airport.
After McKenzie's remarks, Milley expressed regret.
“This is a horrible tragedy of war and it’s heart wrenching," Milley told reporters traveling with him in Europe. “We are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”
“In a dynamic high-threat environment, the commanders on the ground had appropriate authority and had reasonable certainty that the target was valid, but after deeper post-strike analysis our conclusion is that innocent civilians were killed," Milley added.
Accounts from the family, documents from colleagues seen by The Associated Press, and the scene at the family home — where Zemerai Ahmadi’s car was struck by a Hellfire missile just as he pulled into the driveway — all painted a picture of a family that had worked for Americans and were trying to gain visas to the United States, fearing for their lives under the Taliban.
The family said that when the 37-year-old Zemerai, alone in his car, pulled up to the house, he honked his horn. His 11-year-old son ran out and Zemerai let the boy get in and drive the car into the driveway. The other kids ran out to watch, and the Hellfire missile incinerated the car, killing seven children and an adult son and nephew of Zemerai.
The airstrike was the last of a U.S. war that ended as it had begun in 2001 — with the Taliban in power in Kabul. The speed with which the Taliban overran the country took the U.S. government by surprise and forced it to send several thousand troops to the Kabul airport for a hurried evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others. The evacuation, which began Aug. 14, unfolded under a near-constant threat of attack by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate.
(AP)
US admits Kabul drone strike mistakenly killed civilians
A US general said the drone strike "tragically killed" as many as 10 civilians, including seven children. At the time, the Pentagon said they hit "IS" terrorists heading to Kabul airport in an explosive-laden vehicle.
The US originally claimed the strike foiled an attack on Kabul airport
The Pentagon said Friday that a drone strike in the Afghan capital of Kabul last month mistakenly killed civilians rather than terrorists belonging to the "Islamic State" (IS) group.
The announcement came after the US Defense Department conducted an internal review of the strike.
What did the Pentagon say?
As many as 10 civilians, including seven children, were "tragically killed" in the drone strike, US Central Command head Frank McKenzie said.
"It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology," McKenzie told reporters. "At the time of the strike, I was confident that the strike had averted an imminent threat to our forces at the airport."
McKenzie added that he is "fully responsible for this strike and this tragic outcome."
When asked if anybody would be held responsible for the civilian deaths, McKenzie said the military was "in the process, right now, of continuing that line of investigation, and I have nothing for you now because that involves personnel issues."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also apologized for what he described as a "horrible mistake."
What was said at the time of the strike?
The Pentagon originally claimed the August 29 bombing targeted a vehicle carrying suicide bombers which were headed towards Kabul airport. The strike was conducted just days after a bombing claimed by the "Islamic State" which killed scores of Afghani civilians and over a dozen US troops. The US and other countries were scrambling to finish their evacuations from Afghanistan ahead of the August 31 deadline.
The US military was tracking a white Toyota Corolla they believed was linked with the 'IS' militant group
The US military had said there were "no indication" of civilian casualties at the time of the strike. They also said that "[s]ignificant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material."
However, an Afghan official quickly disputed the account, telling the AP news agency that children were killed in the blast.
DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl said this showed the US "needed better intelligence."
"This might just be the beginning, as the US relies on drone strikes now that the troops have withdrawn," she said.
What about the alleged IS connection?
McKenzie said the strike was conducted based on hours of surveillance and multiple intelligence reports, which made them believe a white Toyota Corolla was carrying explosives.
However, the review showed this to be wrong, with the secondary explosion most likely coming from the vehicle's fuel tank.
"Moreover we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were affiliated with ISIS-K, or a direct threat to US forces," the general said, referring to the IS Khorasan group.
McKenzie said the US may make reparation payments to relatives of the victims of the strike.
Separately, Defense Secretary Austin confirmed "there was no connection" between the driver of the vehicle and the Islamic State group.
The driver's activities that day were "completely harmless and not at all related to the imminent threat we believed we faced," Austin said.
Humanitarian aid group Amnesty International said the US admission was a step in the right direction and that an impartial probe was now necessary.
"Anyone suspected of criminal repsonsibility should be prosecuted in a fair trial," said the organization's senior crisis adviser, Brian Castner.
dj,wd/rt (AP, Reuters)
A US general said the drone strike "tragically killed" as many as 10 civilians, including seven children. At the time, the Pentagon said they hit "IS" terrorists heading to Kabul airport in an explosive-laden vehicle.
The US originally claimed the strike foiled an attack on Kabul airport
The Pentagon said Friday that a drone strike in the Afghan capital of Kabul last month mistakenly killed civilians rather than terrorists belonging to the "Islamic State" (IS) group.
The announcement came after the US Defense Department conducted an internal review of the strike.
What did the Pentagon say?
As many as 10 civilians, including seven children, were "tragically killed" in the drone strike, US Central Command head Frank McKenzie said.
"It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology," McKenzie told reporters. "At the time of the strike, I was confident that the strike had averted an imminent threat to our forces at the airport."
McKenzie added that he is "fully responsible for this strike and this tragic outcome."
When asked if anybody would be held responsible for the civilian deaths, McKenzie said the military was "in the process, right now, of continuing that line of investigation, and I have nothing for you now because that involves personnel issues."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also apologized for what he described as a "horrible mistake."
What was said at the time of the strike?
The Pentagon originally claimed the August 29 bombing targeted a vehicle carrying suicide bombers which were headed towards Kabul airport. The strike was conducted just days after a bombing claimed by the "Islamic State" which killed scores of Afghani civilians and over a dozen US troops. The US and other countries were scrambling to finish their evacuations from Afghanistan ahead of the August 31 deadline.
The US military was tracking a white Toyota Corolla they believed was linked with the 'IS' militant group
The US military had said there were "no indication" of civilian casualties at the time of the strike. They also said that "[s]ignificant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material."
However, an Afghan official quickly disputed the account, telling the AP news agency that children were killed in the blast.
DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl said this showed the US "needed better intelligence."
"This might just be the beginning, as the US relies on drone strikes now that the troops have withdrawn," she said.
What about the alleged IS connection?
McKenzie said the strike was conducted based on hours of surveillance and multiple intelligence reports, which made them believe a white Toyota Corolla was carrying explosives.
However, the review showed this to be wrong, with the secondary explosion most likely coming from the vehicle's fuel tank.
"Moreover we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were affiliated with ISIS-K, or a direct threat to US forces," the general said, referring to the IS Khorasan group.
McKenzie said the US may make reparation payments to relatives of the victims of the strike.
Separately, Defense Secretary Austin confirmed "there was no connection" between the driver of the vehicle and the Islamic State group.
The driver's activities that day were "completely harmless and not at all related to the imminent threat we believed we faced," Austin said.
Humanitarian aid group Amnesty International said the US admission was a step in the right direction and that an impartial probe was now necessary.
"Anyone suspected of criminal repsonsibility should be prosecuted in a fair trial," said the organization's senior crisis adviser, Brian Castner.
dj,wd/rt (AP, Reuters)
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