Pentagon: Air Force General to Review U.S. Drone Strike that Killed 10 Afghan Civilians
Kristina Wong 20 Sep 2021
The Pentagon on Monday said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has asked the Air Force secretary to appoint a three-star Air Force general or above to examine the U.S. drone strike on August 29 that killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that review would need to be completed within 45 days of the investigating officer’s appointment.
The review would examine a recent investigation by Central Command over what happened, and recommend accountability measures.
That investigation found that the drone strike killed an Afghan aid worker, and as many as nine members of his family, including seven children.
The U.S. military conducted the strike three days after an ISIS-Khorasan suicide bomber killed 13 American service members, and wounded over a dozen more.
In the immediate aftermath of the drone strike — meant to take out another ISIS threat, Centcom touted it as a success, despite the possibility of civilian casualties.
Centcom spokesman Navy Capt. Bill Urban released a statement on the morning of August 29, just a few hours after the strike:
U.S. military forces conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport. We are confident we successfully hit the target. Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material. We are assessing the possibilities of civilian casualties, though we have no indications at this time. We remain vigilant for potential future threats.
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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/09/20/pentagon-air-force-general-to-review-u-s-drone-strike-that-killed-10-afghan-civilians/
