Catharine There is literally nothing good I can say about this.
According to recent news coverage, the United States military has openly admitted to errantly targeting and killing 10 civilians in an August 29th Kabul drone strike attack, 7 of them children.
According to General Frank MacKenzie, the car targeted in the attack was believed to contain explosives intended to be used by ISIS, but they were wrong.
I’ve watched footage of the family reeling from the aftermath of the attack. Samia Ahmadi lost both her fiancé and her father. Many children had run out to meet Zemari Ahmadi as he pulled into their driveway. He was well known as an aide worker with a US non profit based in Pasadena, California. He had recently helped deliver soy-based meals to the hungry, and spent the afternoon of the attack delivering tanks of water to homes, due to a water shortage. He had hoped to emigrate with his family to the US to escape the Taliban, as he worked with a US organization. Seven children, his future son-in-law, and a person visiting the family were all killed.
No words can properly describe this tragedy. It’s utterly heartbreaking.
The US authorities have at least admitted the truth about this. But that does not bring anyone back from the dead, and does nothing to alleviate the pain of the survivors. I feel sick to know that my tax dollars helped fund this attack. It’s inexcusable.
I can point a whole lot of fingers- say that the panic in the decision was caused by the situation on the ground, which was triggered by the abandonment of Afghanistan by its own government, and our own government’s decision to trust them. I can say that the true root of it all goes back to ex-president Trump dealing with the Taliban, a terrorist organization, as if they were a respectable government entitity.
It doesn’t matter.
I would like to see what steps our government will take to make sure this does not happen again. I would like to see flags lowered to half-mast. I would like to see all of the surviving family members brought wherever they want to be- whether to the US, or another country, and given sufficient funds to have their physical needs met. Samia in particular has been left behind in a country where she will likely be prohibited from financially supporting herself in typical ways, and has had both of her protectors and providers- her father and her fiancé killed by our government forces. Let’s take the best care of her that we can.
I doubt the the aggrieved family will ever see my words, but if they do, I am so sorry. No words can fix it. I know actions can’t either. I’m so sorry that my government did this to you.
