The victims of the botched drone strike on Aug. 29 that left 10 Afghan civilians dead, including seven children, have been offered condolence payouts of an unspecified amount by the Pentagon.
The payments were offered on Thursday in a virtual meeting between Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, and Steven Kwon, founder and president of Nutrition & Education International, the organization that employed Zemari Ahmadi who was the target of the strike according to a report by Axios.
Ahmadi was initially believed to be an ISIS-K terrorist and responsible for the suicide attack that took the lives of 13 U.S. servicemembers. However, it was later discovered that Ahmadi actually worked for the U.S. based aid group.
As an electrical engineer, Ahmadi provided, “care and lifesaving assistance for people facing high mortality rates in Afghanistan,” Kirby said.
“Dr. Kahl noted that the strike was a tragic mistake and that Mr. Zemari Ahmadi and others who were killed were innocent victims who bore no blame and were not affiliated with ISIS-K or threats to U.S. forces,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the Department of Defense in a statement released Friday.
The payout amounts were not determined during the meeting but will be determined at a future date as the discussions continue.
The Pentagon plans to relocate the victim’s family members to the United States where U.S. allies have been welcomed into their new communities with open arms in many instances.
Afghan interpreter receives a hero’s welcome from North Carolina community https://t.co/bEqwUdUVpz pic.twitter.com/N1eNDndCbf
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) October 16, 2021
As many pointed out on social media, the payments could be seized by the Taliban as they have a proven track record of terrorizing their citizens and stripping them of their money and valuable goods.
Will family get the money or will the taliban sieze it?
— Azzurri (@azzurriFL) October 16, 2021
Taliban will take it
— Mz Matera (@MarianeMatera) October 17, 2021
Others reacted to the incompetence that led to the attack in the first place, questioning the payments as a coverup for the bungled attacked that led even the leftist New York Times to call out the blatantly false narrative initially surrounding the strike.
“Almost everything senior defense officials asserted in the hours, and then days, and then weeks after the Aug. 29 drone strike turned out to be false,” read the New York Times.
This is the correct thing to do, but we need to know what this administration knew, and when they knew it. It feels like a cover up and the strike was hastened to make #biden look strong when he was at his weakest
— JohnFlat (@johnflat) October 16, 2021
They lied saying they had killed the ringleader of the Kabul airport bombing
— FACTOR SUPERK (@factorsuperk) October 16, 2021
Our defence dept. Is a global embarrassment. So much so I can’t even bring myself to capitalize the title. And ya know what? The intelligence industry is the bigger joke.
— Tom Adams (@ElectricWeenie) October 17, 2021
Many took the opportunity to call for widespread resignations due to the ineptitude of the so-called “leadership” that was responsible for the attack in the first place.
Money won’t replace the death of their loved ones. However, resignations by the inept military and political leadership that caused their deaths might be right and just and reduce their collective pain a bit.
— Zorba (@Zorba85782614) October 16, 2021
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Ashley Hill is a California native that loves God, guns and liberty. She holds a B.A. in History and Spanish and a Master's in Public Administration.
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