US Slams Drone Jockeys for Killing Afghan Civilians

The US military has released a harsh self-critique, blaming the “inaccurate and unprofessional” actions of Predator drone operators for the deaths of 23 Afghan civilians in a February strike. Six servicemembers have been disciplined, reports the New York TImes, in a report that underscores the importance being placed on avoiding civilian casualties.

The Predator crew was operating out of Creech AFB in Nevada, and, “Information that the convoy was anything other than an attacking force was ignored or downplayed by the Predator crew,” reads the report, while the "the ground force commander lacked a clear understanding of who was in the vehicles." Gen. Stanley McChrystal has apologized to Hamid Karzai, and has ordered more stringent training measures.