The US military has been receiving criticism for weeks for the chaos following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It has now been acknowledged that a drone attack hit innocent people. Apparently there was a warning beforehand.
Update from Sunday, September 19, 2021, 6.30 a.m.: The US military was apparently warned by the CIA shortly before the air strike in Kabul was carried out. This is reported by the TV broadcaster CNN – and points out that the US secret service noted this a few seconds before the attack on a car. As it became known, the car had nothing to do with IS attacks in Afghanistan. The warning said that there are probably civilians in the car.
Ten people died in the air strike. The USA called this a “tragic mistake” (see first report). Why the US military carried out the attack is unclear. The CNN report has not yet been officially commented on.
First report from Saturday, September 18, 2021, 8:00 a.m .: Washington DC – The US military admitted another mistake to the much-criticized withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan * during the takeover of power by the radical Islamic Taliban *. In a drone attack in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, according to the military leadership in the USA *, instead of endangering the Isis-K group, “up to ten innocents” were killed, including seven children. This was admitted by General Kenneth McKenzie, who heads the US Central Command Centcom, on Friday (September 17, 2021).
The general described the drone attack on a vehicle that had been mistakenly identified as a threat from the IS offshoot as a tragic mistake. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and said: “We apologize and will endeavor to learn from this terrible mistake.”
Afghanistan: US troops drone attack in Kabul – There was no imminent threat
The drone attack was in response to a terrorist attack by the IS terrorist group that killed over 180 people at Kabul Airport. In a retaliatory strike, the US troops claimed to have killed two high-ranking representatives of Isis-K in a drone attack in the Afghan province of Nangarhar. Then, on August 29, the drone attack not far from the airport in Kabul, which was initially reported to have contained “a large amount of explosives” in the destroyed vehicle.
Shortly after this air attack, the media reported that several civilians had died in the drone attack. The US did not directly reject this, but announced an examination. McKenzie specifically said, “I’m here today to straighten this out and admit our mistake.” He emphasized, “This blow was carried out in the grave belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our armed forces from the evacuees at the airport, but this was a mistake. ”The US military deeply regrets this.
Afghanistan: No hasty attack – USA is considering compensation after drone attack
During his appearance, McKenzie set out the processes in the hours before the air strike and presented a map on which the movements of the car hit were traced. It was not a “hasty attack”, he emphasized. The vehicle had previously been observed for eight hours and was very worried that it was moving towards the airport. The Americans expected further attacks there in the last few days before the US military withdrew.
McKenzie apologized for the dramatic miscalculation, but defended the drone attack with the suspected threat and emphasized that it was a self-defense attack. When asked, the general said that compensation was being considered. It was not more specific. But he emphasized: “As the commander, I am fully responsible for the tragic outcome of the attack.” The last US troops left Kabul at the end of August, shortly after the drone attack. This ended the international military operation in Afghanistan after almost 20 years. The government of President Joe Biden * has already faced massive international criticism because of the troop withdrawal and the chaotic circumstances. (ska / tu) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Rubriklistenbild: © Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi
