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Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said on Sunday that there was “absolutely” to be held accountable for the failed drone strike in Kabul that killed several civilians.
Mullen spoke to ABC’s “This Week” days after U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. announced that ISIS-K members are unlikely to have been killed in a Acceptance drone strike on August 29, where he was asked if there should be liability.
“Absolutely. I think he should. It was obviously an incredibly complex and fast-paced situation. We lost these 13 servicemen a few days ago,” Mullen said. “There was clear information that additional strikes were underway, so this is the environment in which this strike actually took place.”
KABUL BOTCHE’S LAST DRONE STRIKE INVOLVING MILEY, WHO CALLED OPERATION “JUST”
Mullen, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the last two years of the Bush administration and the first two years of the Obama administration, said the botched drone strike was a “tragic mistake and tragic “and said he believed McKenzie did the right thing by apologizing. He also mentioned that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has committed to a review which he hopes will result in “accountability.”
ABC’s Martha Raddatz went on to mention how the Pentagon took several days to admit it made a mistake after a New York Times report detailed information on the ground about innocent children being killed.
“I think you’re going to want to try to get it right,” Mullen said. “Clearly they were convinced at the time that it was a good strike, and it takes a while to do it, and it’s the same command that is evacuating Afghanistan and all that entails. I’m not too concerned about how long it took. . “
At the end of the interview, Raddatz asked Mullen if there should be any responsibility for the withdrawal of the Biden administration from Afghanistan which resulted in the deaths of 13 US servicemen in the airport suicide bombing. from Kabul.
“I also think there should be accountability there as well,” Mullen said. “I hope there are.”
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Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley earlier this month claimed the drone strike that killed an aid worker and up to nine members of his family, including seven children, was a ” hits the nail on the head, ”but returned to that comment on Friday saying it was a“ horrible tragedy ”.
“In a dynamic, high threat environment, field commanders had the appropriate authority and had reasonable certainty that the target was valid, but upon further analysis after the strike, our conclusion is that innocent civilians were killed. “, did he declare. “It is a horrible tragedy of war and it is heartbreaking and we are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”
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