https://ift.tt/wEcZxH U.S. military will not punish any of the military personnel involved in an errant drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed 10 civilians, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved recommendations from two top commanders.
“The secretary’s not approving or calling for additional accountability measures,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters Monday at the Pentagon in response to a question from VOA.
Pentagon officials had previously acknowledged that the strike on August 29 was a “tragic mistake.” An independent investigation led by the Air Force inspector general said the strike did not violate laws of war and was a result of “confirmation bias” rather than criminal negligence.
The strike killed at least 10 civilians, including seven children, and was carried out days after a suicide bomber outside Hamid Karzai International Airport killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.
The U.S. military had initially said the strike was preventing another Islamic State-Khorasan attack on troops before admitting its mistake.
Evidence later showed that what the military had believed were suspected explosives inside a vehicle turned out to be water tanks for an aid worker’s family.
U.S.-based Nutrition and Education International founder and President Steve Kwon criticized the Pentagon on Monday, calling its decision “shocking.”
The airstrike killed NEI employee Zemari Ahmadi and nine of his family members.