Pentagon Admits Kabul Drone Strike Was "Horrible Mistake" That Killed 10 Civilians

After insisting it had been a "righteous strike," the Pentagon finally faced up to the facts and acknowledged that the last U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan before the withdrawal of American troops was a "horrible mistake" that killed 10 civilians, including as many as seven children. The admission came after news organizations, including the New York Times and Washington Post, had published reports casting doubt on the official version of events that claimed the Aug. 29 drone strike had stopped an imminent attack on the Kabul airport. Military officials now admit that pretty much everything they believed when they carried out the strike was wrong. The driver that the drone targeted and officials believed was a terrorist was actually Zamarai Ahmadi, a longtime aid worker for a U.S.-based group. Officials believed he had loaded explosives in the trunk of a white Toyota, but in fact he was likely carrying water bottles.