The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
September 30, 2021

Pentagon Knew U.S. Drone Strike in Kabul Missed Target, Hit Civilians Weeks Before Public Admission
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Top military commanders were questioned by lawmakers again Wednesday on
the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. General Kenneth Mc Kenzie, head of
U.S. Central Command, said they were aware within just hours that the
August 29 drone strike in Kabul had hit civilians, and knew a few days
later that the target was a "mistake." But it took the Pentagon weeks to
admit this, after initially asserting the strike prevented an imminent
threat by ISIS-K fighters. Investigations quickly revealed the victims
were instead aid worker Zemari Ahmadi and his family members, including
seven children. Zemari Ahmadi's boss at the California-based nonprofit
Nutrition and Education International has said the U.S. is still
labeling the organization as an ISIS safe house, putting even more
civilian lives at risk.


.