An investigation into a United States’ airstrike that killed 10 Afghan civilians has found that no war crime was committed in carrying out the attack, …
An investigation into a United States’ airstrike that killed 10 Afghan civilians has found that no war crime was committed in carrying out the attack, a top military official said Nov.3. The probe into the Aug.29 airstrike near the Kabul International Airport was directed by the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austen, and carried out by the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said. “It was a mistake,” Said told reporters Nov.3 when speaking of the strike. The airstrike killed Zemerai Ahmadi and nine family members, including seven children. Ahmadi,37, was a longtime employee of an American humanitarian organization. Under international law—military necessity, distinction, and proportionality—broadly dictate what is considered legal use of force in armed conflict. “Had I found an individual that failed to perform to the level of criminal misconduct, or criminal negligence, and that was the cause of failure of this whole thing, we would’ve spun that off into an investigation into an individual,” said Said. The lieutenant general added it was execution errors and communication breakdowns that lead to the loss of civilian life, and that the conclusions of the investigation do not prevent the chain of command from performing disciplinary actions against those involved in the strike. The report of the investigation remains classified as the procedures for executing such strikes are classified.
