‘A mistake’: US admits Kabul drone strike killed 10 civilians, incl. 7 children, and NO ISIS-K terrorists, no one will be punished
September 18, 2021
After weeks of insisting the August 29 drone strike in Kabul killed an ISIS-K terrorist, US Central Command has admitted that the victims were all civilians, including children, but reportedly won’t discipline anyone involved.
Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, head of CENTCOM, on Friday announced that the Hellfire missile fired at a home in Kabul just before the US airlift ended did not in fact kill a facilitator of Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group.
The drone strike in Kabul “was a mistake,” McKenzie said, acknowledging that “ten civilians, including up to seven children were tragically killed.”
The strike was ordered in “earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our forces,” but “it was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology,” he added, offering “profound condolences” to the relatives of those killed.
GEN Frank McKenzie admits @CENTCOM made a mistake, that innocent Afghans were killed, takes responsibility & then walks through what they think went wrong. Wish there was more of that in Washington. Conflict is chaotic and often tragic as in this case. pic.twitter.com/NlRCBkgxms
"No disciplinary action expected, officials say. US military stands by intel leading to strike."
Dictionary definition of "impunity" for what is clearly a WAR CRIME. https://t.co/2P9f5BgHKj
McKenzie walked the reporters through the US decision to launch the strike, citing “over 60 pieces of intelligence” about an imminent attack by Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the August 26 suicide bombing at Kabul airport, killing 13 US troops and 170 Afghan civilians. Half a dozen US drones monitored Kabul, and multiple intelligence reports spoke of a white Toyota Corolla being used as a car bomb.
Gen. McKenzie brings up a diagram of the area in Kabul that the U.S. had believed was a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives headed towards an attack on U.S. forces at HKIA. pic.twitter.com/9q3yos6Be5
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