China warns 'Day of Reckoning' for US troops absolved of war crimes 'in many countries'

A day after Pentagon announced that no US troops will be punished for the botched drone attack in Kabul that killed 10 civilians on August 29, the Chinese Foreign Ministry let loose on Washington, calling the move "unacceptable." Speaking at a regular press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Webin condemned the "brutal military intervention" by the US in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, saying that it is outrageous that "the US exonerates the perpetrators with impunity on various grounds." Webin also called on the international community to look into the US military war crimes and hold them accountable for such errant attacks, which killed civilians around the world.

"Justice may be delayed, but it will not be denied. The era in which the US acted arbitrarily in the world under the pretext of so-called 'democracy' and 'human rights' is over," Webin said at the presser on Tuesday, adding that "a day of reckoning will eventually come for the US military."

It is pertinent to mention that outrage comes after US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin on Monday said that no troops will be held accountable for the errant drone strike in Kabul. The announcement came after a thorough review conducted by the US defence department. However, US Central Command top official General Frank McKenzie had earlier acknowledged the fatal strike to be a "miscalculated move," and claimed, "full responsibility" for the attack. The public apology fuelled criticism of US President Joe Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

'Sorry isn't enough': US Republican condemns Pentagon move

Minnesota 5th District representative in the People's House, Ilhan Omar too condemned the attack that killed 10, including 7 children. Quote-tweeting General McKenzie's post from September 17, Omar wrote "sorry isn't enough 7 killed in covid unaccountable drone strikes over the past two decades. We should be demanding accountability for anyone involved in this and full enquiry into this and the entire drone program." As per Sputnik, Omar is a Somali-American who came to the US in 1995 as a refugee as her home country was engulfed in war. In a separate tweet, she also added that whistleblower Daniel Hale, former National Security Agency analyst, was also sentenced in July to 45 months prison term.

Meanwhile, Reflecting on General McKenzie's 'personal accountability' statement, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said on Tuesday that there must not be an issue regarding the same. The decision fully clarified that there will be no disciplinary action against the US soldiers and officials involved in the strike, saying that no law had been broken and that there was no evidence of misconduct or negligence, BBC reported.

The drone attack

The US-led drone strike on an aid worker's car took place during the final days of evacuation from Afghanistan's Kabul after the Taliban seized the Afghan capital on August 15. US army conducted the airstrike believing that the car was linked to an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a local alliance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

However, as reported by BBC, the explosion set off a secondary blast, which the US officials initially claimed was proof that the car was carrying explosives. Later, Pentagon acknowledged that the military had been tracking the wrong vehicle for what they thought could be the source of a dangerous activity. The strike took place three days after a suicide bomber blew up at the Kabul airport, killing up to 170 civilians and 13 US soldiers stationed in the airport periphery.

(Image: AP)