Post a Comment Print Share on Facebook

The US promises to pay the families of Afghans who were killed in a drone strike

The U.S. Defense Department announced Friday that it will offer condolence payments for the families of the 10 victims killed in a U.S. drone attack in Kabul, Afghanistan in August.

- 362 reads.

The US promises to pay the families of Afghans who were killed in a drone strike

John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated in a statement that the Defense Department was also working closely with the State Department to assist surviving relatives to relocate to the United States.

Kirby stated that the matter came up during a Thursday meeting between Dr. Colin Kahl (under secretary of defense for strategy) and Dr. Steven Kwon (founder and president of Nutrition & Education international).

Dr. Kirby stated that Kahl reiterated Secretary Lloyd Austin's commitment towards the families, which included ex gratia condolences payments. He didn't say how much money would he offer.

A U.S. Hellfire missile hit a Zemerai Ahmadi's car as it pulled into the Ahmadi family compound's driveway on Aug. 29. The strike resulted in the deaths of 10 family members, seven of which were children.

Weeks later, Marine General Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command called the strike "tragic mistakes" and stated that innocent civilians were killed in the attack.

Kwon informed Kahl during the meeting that Ahmadi worked with NEI for many decades, Kirby stated. Ahmadi "providing lifesaving assistance and care for people facing high death rates in Afghanistan."

Initial defense of the strike by the U.S. military was that it targeted an Islamic State group's facilitator and prevented militants from executing attacks during chaotic withdrawal of NATO and U.S troops from Afghanistan.

There were quickly differences between military accounts of the strike and ground reports. According to the Associated Press and other news outlets, the target vehicle's driver was a former employee of a U.S. humanitarian organisation. Despite the Pentagon's claim that the vehicle was explosively laden, there were no signs of a secondary explosion.

A suicide bombing carried out by Islamic State wing members in late August claimed the lives of 169 Afghans as well as 13 U.S. military personnel at the Kabul airport gates.

McKenzie stated last month that the United States is considering paying reparations to the families of drone strike victims.

Avatar
Your Name
Post a Comment
Characters Left:
Your comment has been forwarded to the administrator for approval.×
Warning! Will constitute a criminal offense, illegal, threatening, offensive, insulting and swearing, derogatory, defamatory, vulgar, pornographic, indecent, personality rights, damaging or similar nature in the nature of all kinds of financial content, legal, criminal and administrative responsibility for the content of the sender member / members are belong.