It was previously confirmed that it did not violate the laws of war
The Pentagon will not punish US soldiers for the killing of civilians in a strike on Kabul
The US Defense Secretary offered his "sincere condolences" and "apologies" for this fatal mistake.
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The US strike was launched on the eve of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which ended on August 30.
Reuters
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The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced yesterday that the American soldiers who participated in a drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in Kabul at the end of August during the chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, will not be punished.
"There was not enough strong evidence to hold personal responsibilities," said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
"What happened was a defect in the decision-making and implementation process, and was not the result of negligence, error or bad leadership," he added.
This strike was carried out on August 29, on the eve of the actual departure of the last American soldier from Kabul airport, after several days of massive confusion caused by the rapid takeover of Kabul by the Taliban.
The departure of American soldiers put an end to the longest war in US history.
The US military was informed of a possible attack by ISIS to target evacuations near Kabul Airport, so it decided to target what it believed was a car filled with explosives.
Standing near the white Toyota was Esmrai Ahmadi, an Afghan who worked with the US NGO Nutrition and Education International, as well as nine members of his family, including seven children.
American apologies
And US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took the decision not to punish the military, after receiving a report from two senior officers, Kenneth McKenzie and Richard Clarke.
The first is the commander of Central Command "Centcom", the military district that includes Afghanistan, while the second is responsible for special operations.
Kirby said neither officer had recommended individual punishments.
The Pentagon declared on November 3 that the strike on Kabul on August 29 was a tragic mistake, though asserting that it did not violate the laws of war.
"The investigation did not identify any violations of the law, including the law of war," Defense Ministry official Lieutenant-General Sami Saeed said in a report.
He added that errors related to implementation accompanied by communication interruptions "resulted in unfortunate losses among civilians."
The US Defense Secretary had offered his "sincere condolences" and "apologies" for this fatal mistake.
The strike was launched on the eve of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which ended on August 30, after 20 years of presence in the country in the United States' longest war ever.
In November, Nutrition and Education International described the Pentagon investigation as "extremely disappointing and inadequate".
The Pentagon has promised to pay compensation to Afghans who worked for this non-governmental organization and their families, and help them leave the country, but the list of recipients of this compensation is not yet final, according to Pentagon officials.
"We want to make sure that we do this in the safest and most responsible way, so we can be sure that only the right people will benefit from it," Kirby said.
• The Pentagon announced on the 3rd of November that the strike on Kabul on the 29th of August was a tragic mistake.
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