Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confessed the American drone strike killed ten non-combatants, including seven innocent children, in his recent statement.
Secretary of Defense publicly apologized for the killings of 10 civilians in the failed U.S. drone strike
In a statement on Friday, the Defense Secretary stated the investigation into the drone strike made by the U.S. on August 29 had been conducted.
Also, according to recent reports, the attack might have resulted to the deaths of as many as ten civilians, including seven children.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III apologizes for the drone strike that killed 10 Afghan civilians in Kabul on August 29
(File photo)pic.twitter.com/KJdAWCRHvZ
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Austin then apologized for the botched airstrike, saying that on behalf of the Department of Defense, he is offering his deepest condolences to the family members of the civilians who were killed by the attack.
This includes Mr. Ahmadi (who was employed by Nutrition and Education International) to his employer and the other staff of the nonprofit organization.
The Secretary of Defense then added they know now the activities of Mr. Ahmadi on the day of the strike were absolutely harmless.
The US government also acknowledged the civilian had no connection to ISIS-K. Austin added they believe the activities Ahmadi participated in on that day were not related to what the government thought was an imminent threat.
Mr. Ahmadi was an innocent victim, together with all the others who were tragically killed in the U.S. drone strike, Austin said.
The Secretary of Defense then added that they apologize for the “horrible mistake” and strive to learn from it.
A Pentagon spokesman has apologised for the U.S. drone strike in Kabul which killed 10 civilians, including seven children, calling it a "horrible mistake." John Kirby said a thorough review will set out to decide what accountability measures should be taken. pic.twitter.com/RQ4iUHvf8n
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Austin added that he already conducted a careful review of the research about the drone strike made by Centcom.
This happened to guarantee that accountability actions were properly taken and the procedures, processes, and authorities which need to be changed in the future are changed accordingly.
The failed attack is another failure for the Biden administration
The botched drone strike is yet another failure for the Biden administration, which just recently conducted a disastrous and hasty evacuation mission that was watched by the whole world.
Video footage of thousands of people storming the airport in Kabul were displayed as they desperately tried to flee the country. This happened after the swift taking over of the Taliban forces, following the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Yet, even after reports surfaced that the U.S. drone strike killed civilians, Central Commander of the U.S., Gen. Frank McKenzie, noted that he believed the attack was “righteous.”
McKenzie added that on August 29, he was confident the U.S. troops who were at the airport were exposed to an impending threat.
Yet, after the conclusion of the investigation, McKenzie is now admitting the drone strike was a “tragic mistake.”
The Central Commander added that he now believes it was highly unlikely for ISIS-K to have been killed in the attack.