WASHINGTON (AP), — The U.S. Defense Department Monday said that no troops from the United States were involved in the August drone attack that killed innocent Kabul children and civilians.
According to the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary of the United States, has approved suggestions for improvement in strike operations by the Generals of U.S. Central Command & Special Operations Command. These recommendations were based on an independent Pentagon review that was released last month. John Kirby, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, stated that there were no recommendations for discipline from the generals.
Austin endorsed the review by Air Force Lt. General Sami Said in November. It found that there were communication breakdowns and difficulties in identifying and verifying the target of the bombing. This resulted in 10 civilian deaths, seven of them children. He concluded that the strike was a tragic error, and not due to misconduct or negligence.
Austin asked Gen. Frank McKenzie (head of Central Command) and Gen. Richard Clarke (head of Special Operations Command), to review Said’s findings and make recommendations. Both commanders agreed to Said’s conclusions and did not recommend discipline. Kirby stated Monday that Austin had endorsed their decisions, which included the absence of disciplinary action. Kirby stated that none of their recommendations addressed accountability issues. “So I don’t anticipate there being any issues of personal accountability with respect to August 29th airstrike.”
Zemerai Ahmedi, nine of her family members, and seven children were killed in a drone strike that occurred on an unmarked Toyota Corolla sedan. Ahmadi, 37 years old, was an American humanitarian organisation employee for many years.
Kirby stated that “we know there will be people who don’t like the decision. But it wasn’t something that we came up with without careful thought and consideration.” Kirby stated that Austin would support such efforts if he believed that accountability was necessary and warranted.
Steven Kwon was the founder of Nutrition and Education International, an aid organization Zemari was affiliated with. He called Monday’s disciplinary decision shocking.
He said, “How can our military wrongly kill ten Afghan civilians and not hold anyone accountable?” “When the Pentagon denies responsibility, it sends a dangerous message that its actions were justified,” he said.
Just days after an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a Kabul airport gate, 13 U.S. soldiers and 169 Afghans were killed by the bomber, intelligence on the car and its possible threat emerged. In the aftermath of the collapse in Afghanistan’s government, the U.S. was working with other allies to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghans.
Said concluded that U.S. forces believed the car they were following was a threat and they had to strike it before it reached the airport. Said concluded that although there was more doubt about the bombing than previously thought, better communication between strike decision makers and support personnel may have helped to prevent it.
He offered a variety of suggestions, including the suggestion that more be done to stop what military officials refer to as “confirmation bias”. This is the belief that troops who made the strike decision were too quick in concluding that the intelligence was correct and that they should have bombed the wrong car.
He also suggested that the military should have personnel present with a strike force, and their job be to question any conclusions. He recommended that the military enhance its procedures to ensure children and innocent civilians are not present prior to launching a time sensitive strike.
Officials stated that Clarke and McKenzie generally agreed with Said’s recommendations.
The U.S. is trying to pay financial damages to the relatives and surviving family and possibly get them out of Afghanistan. However, nothing has been completed. Kirby answered a question about why it took so long. He said that the U.S. wanted to ensure that the family was able to leave Afghanistan as safely as possible and that high-level discussions are ongoing.
