Rand Paul Catches Blinken: They Have No Idea Who They Drone-Bombed After Claiming To Kill Terrorists

Paul Presses Blinken On Whether Afghanistan Drone Strike Targeted Aid Worker Instead of ISIS Bomber

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack at Kabul airport that killed 13 American soldiers and scores of Afghans, the Biden administration claimed they got revenge by bombing an “ISIS-K” operative.

Journalists dutifully reported the Pentagon’s claims as fact.

Increasingly, it looks like that claim is entirely false.

On Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken if the retaliatory U.S. drone strike actually killed terrorists – or if it killed an aid worker and his family.

Blinken replied that he simply didn’t know.

The exchange took place during a Senate committee hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

RELATED: Trump Blasts George W. Bush For 9/11 Comments About Domestic Terrorists

Paul To Blinken: ‘You’d Think You’d Kind Of Know Before You Off Somebody With A Predator Drone’

Paul asked Blinken, “The guy the Biden administration droned — was he an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?” 

Blinken replied, “The administration is, of course, reviewing that strike, and I’m sure that a, you know, full assessment will be forthcoming,” 

Paul followed up, “So you don’t know if it was an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?… You don’t know or you won’t tell us?”

“I don’t know because we’re reviewing it,” Blinken answered the senator.

Paul then told Blinken what was wrong with his non-answer.

“See, you’d think you’d kind of know before you off somebody with a predator drone whether he’s an aid worker or an ISIS-K” operative, Paul said.

“This isn’t just you… The Obama administration droned hundreds and hundreds of people, and the thing is, there is blowback to that,” Paul said.

Watch:

Business Insider reported last week, “The US targeted an aid worker with a drone strike in Kabul, mistakenly believe he was an ISIS-K militant preparing for a terror attack, according to a New York Times report. In the process, the August 29 strike killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.”

RELATED: DeSantis: If Biden Spent Less Time Worrying About Florida, American Troops Might Not Have Died in Afghanistan

Attack Killed Aid Worker

“The aid worker, Zemari Ahmadi, was also killed by the 20-pound Hellfire missile fired at his car, per the report,” BI noted.

The outlet added, “The US military framed the threat posed by the car as imminent, and defended the drone attack as a ‘righteous strike.’ Officials said the military believed the car was being packed with explosives for an attack.”

“But footage obtained by The New York Times suggests Ahmadi was actually loading the car with water containers for his home,” Business Insider observed.

 

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is a professional writer and editor with over 15 years of experience in conservative media and Republican politics. He... More about John Hanson

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