Pentagon Confesses Mistake in Strike That Killed 10 Civilians

By Tadi Abedje Published: September 17, 2021

Pentagon Confesses Mistake in Strike That Killed 10 Civilians

FILE - This March 27, 2008 file photo shows the Pentagon in Washington. The civilian official overseeing the Pentagon's campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in the Middle East has resigned in the latest jolt to Pentagon leadership in the waning weeks of the Trump administration.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

In Summary

“We analyzed that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K,” said U.S. Central Command head General Frank McKenzie.

The ending of the United States’ long 20-year war in Afghanistan didn’t come without tragedy. On Aug. 29, 10 civilians were killed in a drone strike in Kabul. The Pentagon conducted an investigation on what happened that day and found that up to seven kids died in the strike and it was a “tragic mistake,” according to The Hill.

U.S. Central Command head Gen. Frank McKenzie expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific incident.

“This strike was taken in the earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our forces and the evacuees at the airport, but it was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology. As the combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike and this tragic outcome,” he said on CNN.

McKenzie added that the U.S. military had received at least 60 intelligence reports almost two days before the strike about a threat to U.S. forces at the Kabul airport, according to The Hill.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley called the strike a “horrible tragedy” on the Associated Press.

“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,” said Gen. Mark Milley according to Twitter. “This is a horrible tragedy of war and its heart wrenching and we are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”