US Response to Slaughter of 10 In Kabul August 29: Grotesque Harm, No Foul – Unless You Tell the Truth

As expected, U.S. Defense Chief Lloyd Austin III, ruled out any punishment for personnel involved in the drone attack that killed Afghan aid worker Zemari Ahmadi, 7 kids and 2 other innocent adults in Kabul August 29. The attack came 3 days after a suicide bombing killed 183, including 13 Americans, at the Kabul Airport amidst America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan.

U.S. military officials at first called the attack "righteous," claiming Ahmadi was a likely ISIS fighter loading up his Toyota with more suicide bombs. His driving around Kabul that day looked suspicious so they simply obliterated him and 9 others from afar. Turns out Ahmadi was doing his job as an aid worker for Nutrition and International, a California based NGO fighting malnutrition, caused in part by America’s senseless 20 year war.

The U.S. cover up of the Ahmadi family slaughter only unraveled due to the intense publicity over the U.S. exit from the Afghan capital. Virtually all of the hundreds, likely thousands of U.S. drone strikes killing innocents occurred in the Afghan countryside, far away from investigative scrutiny. Once the New York Times investigated, revealing the horrendous truth, U.S. officials acknowledged Ahmadi’s innocence, calling the killing of 10 innocents "a tragic mistake."

The subsequent U.S. investigation found no violations of law and no punishment warranted to any involved. But woe onto any serviceperson who dares reveal the truth of America’s endless destruction of innocents in our senseless wars of choice. Air Force intelligence analyst Daniel Hale became distraught his work to identify actionable drone strike targets mostly resulted in 9 of 10 killed being innocent Afghans during 2012 to 2013. He leaked classified documents to the press exposing this horrific record. For his efforts, that should have been applauded and used to end drone warfare, he was sentenced to 45 months in prison.

Hale’s defense deserves scrutiny. "I stole something never mine to take…precious human life. Please your honor, forgive me for taking papers instead of human lives." But the Masters of War who plan, promote and initiate senseless war killing hundreds of thousands for no reason at all, simply walk away to plan their next venture in depravity.

All hail, Daniel Hale

Walt Zlotow became involved in antiwar activities upon entering University of Chicago in 1963. He is current president of the West Suburban Peace Coalition based in the Chicago western suburbs. He blogs daily on antiwar and other issues at www.heartlandprogressive.blogspot.com.