In late August, the Biden administration and Pentagon said that a drone strike taken in retaliation for the attack in Kabul that killed 13 U.S. service members had taken out ISIS-K operatives. As it turns out, that was far from the truth. A week ago the New York Times had a report that the strike had actually killed a U.S. aid worker and his family. A couple days after that, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said he still couldn’t confirm who was killed in the strike.
This afternoon there were reports that the Pentagon would announce what actually happened:
BREAKING: Gen. McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, to announce no ISIS-K fighters killed in U.S. drone strike in Kabul Aug 29. 10 civilians killed, including 7 children in Toyota. No disciplinary action expected, officials say. US military stands by intel leading to strike.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) September 17, 2021
NEW by @CBSDavidMartin: A drone strike against a suspected car bomb in Kabul turns out to have been a tragic blunder. Defense official says investigation by @CENTCOM determined the 8/29 strike killed an innocent aid worker along with 9 members of his family, including 7 children.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) September 17, 2021
The Pentagon is holding a press conference and confirming those reports and providing additional details:
CENTCOM Commander GEN. Keith McKenzie says the U.S. drone strike in Kabul during the evacuation targeted the wrong vehicle.
10 civilians, including 7 children, "were tragically killed in that strike," McKenzie says.
"It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology."
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 17, 2021
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BREAKING: 10 civilians, incl up to 7 children, were killed by US in errant airstrike Aug 29 in Afghanistan, announces CENTCOM's Gen. McKenzie in press briefing at Pentagon. "As combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike."
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) September 17, 2021
CENTCOM Commander Gen. McKenzie says he is "fully responsible" for the deadly over the horizon strike https://t.co/cCvHj4ZjBF
— Christian Datoc (@TocRadio) September 17, 2021
BREAKING: Pentagon acknowledges a Kabul airstrike on August 29 killed as many as 10 civilians — including up to 7 children — and it's "unlikely" they were associated with ISIS-K or a threat to U.S. forces.
"It was a mistake, and I offer my sincere apologies," Gen. McKenzie says pic.twitter.com/W31OnUOUBO
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 17, 2021
President Biden has left the White House to go to Delaware for the weekend, and Jen Psaki had no briefing scheduled today.
Picturing the media landscape including twitter if Donald Trump done strikes 7 kids in response to a terror attack that killed 13 Americans as a result of bottle necking a chaotic withdrawal at Kabul airport where people were also falling from wheel wells of airplanes.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 17, 2021
Can you only imagine?
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