No misconduct in deadly US drone attack in Kabul: Pentagon review | Al Jazeera

A United States drone attack that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in the Afghan capital Kabul in August did not violate the laws of war, an internal Pentagon review has concluded.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday, US Air Force Lieutenant General Sami Said said “execution errors”, including “confirmation bias” and “communication breakdowns”, contributed to the deadly attack.

But Said, who acts as inspector general of the US Air Force, said it was not a violation of the law of war or a result of negligence.

“It was an honest mistake,” Said said. “But it’s not criminal conduct, random conduct, negligence.”

The drone strike on August 29 came amid the US’s chaotic military withdrawal from Kabul, and Said also stressed that it took place as American forces were contending with threats from the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), an affiliate of ISIS (ISIL).