The US military needs to do more than apologize for its deadly 'mistake' in Kabul

On August 29, a US drone strike killed 10 members of one family in Kabul. That same day, the Pentagon announced that the operation successfully targeted a suicide bomber affiliated with ISIS-K, who had allegedly filled a car with explosives as part of a suspected plan to attack the Hamid Karzai International Airport, where US troops raced to complete their evacuation operation a day before their deadline.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, had previously called the attack a "righteous strike," days after two bombing attacks outside the airport killed 13 US service members and more than 160 Afghan civilians. ISIS-K, the ISIS branch that rivals the Taliban in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility.

But last week, Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, which oversaw the drone attack, presented the results of an investigation into the operation that revealed that it had not targeted ISIS-K operatives but instead killed Afghan civilians, including seven children. "It was a mistake and I offer my sincere apology," he stated.