Pentagon Watchdog Reportedly Finds No Misconduct in US Strike That Killed 10 Civilians in Kabul

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, admitted in September that the US had made a "tragic mistake" in firing a Hellfire missile at a white sedan driven by Zemari Ahmadi in Kabul, Afghanistan. A total of 10 members of the Ahmadi family were killed in the August 29 strike, which the US initially claimed was carried out correctly.

An independent review conducted by the US Department of Defense has concluded that misconduct and/or negligence were not factors in the US drone strike that killed civilians, including children, on August 29, according to a new Associated Press report citing an unnamed senior US defense official.

However, the Pentagon report did find that US forces had issues during the process of identifying and confirming the strike's target. The report also found general breakdowns in communication among those involved.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Sami Said, an inspector general of the service, led the review after he was found to be an independent party regarding Afghan operations.

Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said is the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.

© US Air Force

Said's review reportedly takes into consideration that, at the time, US forces were operating under a number of stressors amid the rushed US withdrawal from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

It was also noted that US forces received intelligence on the car's perceived threat shortly after a Daesh-K* suicide bomber killed 13 US troops and 169 Afghans near an airport gate.

Based on the factors raised, it was concluded that the US forces believe they were engaging a genuine threat when they fired on a white Toyota Corolla sedan operated by Ahmadi, an employee of a US humanitarian organization. The strike killed Ahmadi and nine of his family members.

While no charges have been announced in connection with the review, a number of recommendations were included and passed on to leadership in both the US Central Command and US Special Operations Command.

One recommendation calls for the US military to have so-called "red team" personnel accompanying strike teams to question the outcome of situations. The practice would theoretically reduce "confirmation bias" among troops and lessen civilian casualties, according to the review.

News of the internal review comes shortly after the US announced a commitment to offering cash condolence payments to relatives of the Ahmadi family. However, an amount was not provided, as those plans have been finalized.

The US Departments of State and Defense are also assisting in efforts to relocate surviving members of the Ahmadi family to the US, according to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries