China says US military will face ‘justice’ over civilian deaths

China has delivered an ominous warning to the US military, saying “justice” is coming and that America’s era is “over”.

China has declared that the era of the United States acting “arbitrarily in the world” is over, while warning its military will face “justice” for killing innocent civilians.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments in a press briefing on Tuesday, responding to reports that no US troops would be punished for a botched drone strike in Afghanistan earlier this year that killed 10 civilians, including seven children.

“The US troops’ atrocity of killing civilians in Afghanistan is unacceptable,” he said.

“It is all the more outrageous that the US exonerates the perpetrators with impunity on various grounds.

Justice may be delayed, but it will not be denied. pic.twitter.com/53pPJrCZnw

— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) December 14, 2021

“While the US talked about ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ at the ‘Summit for Democracy’, the innocent Afghan people who were gunned down by the US military were brushed aside and their families had no place to complain about their grievances. This is the harsh reality brought to the world by the so-called ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’ advocated by the US.

“We condemn the brutal military intervention by the US in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in the name of ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’. We call on the international community to look into the US military’s war crimes of killing innocent civilians around the world and hold it accountable.

“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. The day of reckoning will eventually come for the US military who committed the crimes of killing innocent civilians in many countries.”

A poster depicting the victims of the August 29 drone strike in Kabul. Picture: Wakil Kohsar/AFP

The Pentagon said on Monday that none of the military personnel involved in the August 29 Kabul airstrike would face any administrative action such as reprimands or demotions.

The US initially claimed the strike, which came in the last days of the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, had thwarted an imminent Islamic State attack on the ongoing evacuation at Kabul Airport.

It was later forced to admit that the strike had killed civilians, with Mr Austin apologising for the “horrible mistake”.

An investigation by the US Air Force inspector general last month found no violations of the law but had left the final decision on any internal action up to two senior commanders, who recommended to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin not to punish anyone.

The Pentagon this week confirmed Mr Austin had approved their recommendation.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his visit to Afghanistan on March 21, 2021

“What we saw here was a breakdown in process, and execution in procedural events, not the result of negligence, not the result of misconduct, not the result of poor leadership,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

“There was not a strong enough case to be made for personal accountability.”

He added that if Mr Austin had “believed that accountability was warranted, he would certainly support those kinds of efforts”.

The strike killed Zemari Ahmadi, an employee of US-based Nutrition and Education International, and nine members of his family.

The Pentagon promised to pay compensation and also to help relocate abroad family members and Afghans working for NEI, but that remains stuck on determining just who is qualified, according to officials.

“We are working very hard with him and his organisation to effect the relocation of the family members,” Mr Kirby said.

Mr Kirby, meanwhile, refused to comment on a New York Times story Monday that detailed a secret US military unit that launched drone strikes on Islamic state targets in Syria and had a callous attitude toward civilian deaths.

“When we say we take it seriously, we mean it,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. It doesn’t mean we always get it right.”

— with AFP