After an apology judged “Insufficient”, the United States offered to financially compensate the relatives of Afghan civilians killed by ” fault “ during an American drone strike in late August in Kabul, the Pentagon spokesman announced on Friday (October 15).
During a virtual meeting between Steven Kwon, president of the NGO that employed one of the victims, Ezmarai Ahmadi, and Colin Kahl, undersecretary for defense policies, the latter proposed “Financial compensation” for families, John Kirby said in a statement. The amount of this compensation was not specified.
The US official also offered to help “Members of Mr. Ahmadi’s family who would like to settle in the United States”.
Colin Kahl pointed out that “The strike was a tragic mistake, and Ezmarai Ahmadi and those who were killed were innocent victims who had nothing to be ashamed of and were not affiliated with ISIS in Khorasan (IS-K) or threats to American forces ”.
“A tragic mistake”
On August 29, the United States destroyed a white Toyota Corolla vehicle, claiming it was “Loaded with explosives” and thus claiming to have foiled an ISIS attack attempt, a few days after an attack by this group which had killed thirteen American soldiers and a hundred Afghans near the Kabul airport.
According to General McKenzie, who led US forces in Afghanistan prior to their withdrawal from the country, a car of this model parked that morning near a building that was already considered a hideout for IS-K. .
The next day, the family of the driver of the vehicle, Ezmarai Ahmadi, reported that he was employed by an NGO and that ten people, including up to seven children, had been killed. A thorough investigation of New York Times, based on surveillance camera footage and interviews, also challenged the army’s version.
On September 17, the military recognized that the strike was “A tragic mistake”. Contrary to the army’s initial assertions, the “Explosives” were probably only harmless water cans and the driver of the vehicle, a peaceful father, was not a jihadist, according to an investigation.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented his “Sincere condolences” and his “Apologies” for this burr. Apologies judged “Insufficient” by relatives of Afghan civilians killed in the strike.