Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed the Biden administration over the U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed multiple civilians, including children, and no ISIS-K members.
Sanders appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday and was asked about the drone strike, to which he said he hopes the Biden administration knows what happened and said it should never happen again. U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie announced Friday that the U.S. drone strike did not kill any members of the ISIS-K terrorist group.
“I certainly hope they understand what happened and make sure that never happens again. And this is not only a human tragedy, it reflects on us before the entire world. It’s unacceptable,” Sanders said of the Biden administration. (RELATED: Pentagon Investigation Confirms US Drone Strike In Kabul Killed Innocent Family And No ISIS-K Members)
WATCH:
The Pentagon first claimed the strike killed at least one ISIS-K member and the vehicle targeted had explosives inside. The New York Times then published an investigation that included exclusive security camera footage and eyewitness accounts that corroborated reports that the drone strike launched by the U.S. military didn’t know “whom it was hitting” and that the strike killed innocent Afghans. (RELATED: ‘A Disaster’: Victor Davis Hanson Hammers Top Military Brass Over Botched Drone Strike That Killed 7 Children)
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley had previously declared it to be a “righteous strike” on Sept. 1.
“I offer my condolences to the family and friends of those killed. This strike was taken in the earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to forces at the airport. It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology. As a commander, I’m fully responsible for this strike and its tragic outcome,” McKenzie told reporters in a Friday press conference.