The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has said that it would not seek Taliban approval for anti-terrorist airstrikes in Afghanistan.
Department of Defense Pledged To Continue Airstrikes
In a recently published article in Newsweek, even though U.S. military troops left the nation at the end of August, Department of Defense officials have promised to continue airstrikes in the area to target ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda militants.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that they maintain the necessary powers to conduct over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations and are confident in their ability to do so in the future. Without elaborating on the precise rules of engagement governing airstrikes, the Taliban presently does not need to clear airspace. They do not anticipate that any future counterterrorism operations would be contingent on such clearance.
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Permission To Conduct Airstrikes
Generally, the U.S. obtains permission from a country's authorities before conducting anti-terrorism operations inside its boundaries. However, since August, when Taliban troops overthrew Afghanistan's elected government, the Pentagon has seen the nation as "basically a free area."
Kirby did not specify if the U.S. has obtained authorization from the Taliban to undertake attacks in Afghanistan. He did, however, state that U.S. planes would use enhanced defensive tactics to prevent being shot down by Taliban military forces, according to a published article in The New York Times.
Furthermore, the Department of Defense has expressed concern that terrorists would rush to Afghanistan now that U.S. military troops no longer occupy the nation. However, anti-terrorist airstrikes in Afghanistan have resulted in many civilian deaths, weakening the Department of Defense's legitimacy.
DOD Admitted that the Previous Drone Airstrike Was a Mistake
In a published article in CNBC, on September 17, the Department of Defense acknowledged that a fatal drone attack against suspected ISIS-K members was indeed a "mistake" that resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians, including seven children. The White House made no mention of holding military personnel responsible for the fatal mistake.
Officials with the Department of Defense initially said that the strike killed several suicide bombers who intended to assault Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The DOD also confirmed that three people were killed in the drone attack.
Moreover, Zemari Ahmadi, 43, was killed in the drone strike. He worked for Nutrition and Education International, a California-based organization that works in Afghanistan. Additionally, it claimed the lives of ten members of his family, including seven children.
The U.S. military was closely monitoring terrorist threats at the time of the strike in response to ISIS-K operatives assaulting the airport. The airport grew overcrowded as the U.S. pressed its attempts to evacuate civilians, military personnel, and Afghan allies before the agreed-upon August 30 deadline.
Trump Criticized Biden Administration
The fatal tragedy prompted Republican former President Donald Trump to attack Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. However, the number of Afghan civilians killed in airstrikes increased by 330 percent under Trump's presidency compared to the previous Democratic government of Barack Obama.
Over 700 people were killed in airstrikes in Afghanistan alone in 2019. According to the study, this was higher than any previous year since the conflict began in 2001 and 2002.
