KABUL – An Afghan woman whose daughter was one of ten relatives killed in a US drone strike that was misdirected expressed her displeasure on Tuesday with Washington’s announcement that no one would be held accountable for the deadly blunder.
“God will avenge us,” said Aimal Ahmadi, 32, whose three-year-old daughter Malika and nine other relatives were killed in the August 29 hit, which occurred as the US military was rushing to finish its exit from Afghanistan.
On Monday, the Pentagon stated that no US military man would face disciplinary punishment for making a “honest mistake” in misidentifying the family’s white Toyota sedan as an Islamic State target.
“There was not a strong enough case to be made for personal accountability,” said spokesperson John Kirby.
The drone strike happened three days after a suicide bomb attack by IS, commonly known as Daesh, at Kabul airport killed more than 150 people, including 13 US troops, escalating tensions within the withdrawing force.
Asked by AFP if he felt angry, Ahmadi said: “Definitely… What if the US had lost a child? What would the reaction have been?”
The Pentagon has pledged to compensate surviving family members and assist with relocation, but Ahmadi said the family has had no direct communication from the US government or military.
“We have only heard through the media… that they were sorry,” he said.
On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s Taliban government urged the US to alter its decision not to punish anyone.
“If there is any justice and regard for human rights and respect for human dignity, then it’s their responsibility to punish the culprits and compensate the victims,” said Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi.
At the time of the drone strike, Ahmadi’s brother Zemari worked for the US charity organisation Nutrition and Education International (NEI).
The Pentagon’s probe into the event, according to NEI founder and President Steve Kwon, was “very unsatisfactory and inadequate” last month.
Family members have already stated that they demand a personal apology from US officials.
