{"id":2236429,"date":"2024-05-03T12:26:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T16:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-says-it-killed-a-civilian-in-an-air-strike-after-claiming-to-have-taken-out-senior-al-qaeda-leader\/"},"modified":"2024-05-03T12:29:18","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T16:29:18","slug":"biden-admin-says-it-killed-a-civilian-in-an-air-strike-after-claiming-to-have-taken-out-senior-al-qaeda-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-says-it-killed-a-civilian-in-an-air-strike-after-claiming-to-have-taken-out-senior-al-qaeda-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Administration Admits Civilian Casualty in Air Strike Targeting Alleged Al Qaeda Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admin-says-it-killed-a-civilian-in-an-air-strike-after-claiming-to-have-taken-out-senior-al-qaeda-leader%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2236429&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Biden administration\u2062 acknowledged mistakenly killing a civilian shepherd in a drone strike\u2064 in Syria, rather\u2063 than an Al Qaeda\u2062 leader as initially claimed.\u200d Following an extensive investigation,\u200b U.S. \u200dCentral Command revealed\u200d the error and the civilian casualty named Mr.\u2062 Lufti Hasan Masto. The investigation involved senior officials and civilians knowledgeable about intelligence and operations. The Biden administration admitted to mistakenly targeting a civilian shepherd in a drone strike in Syria instead of the reported\u200c Al Qaeda leader. U.S. Central Command&#8217;s investigation identified Mr. Lufti \u200bHasan Masto as the civilian casualty. \u2063The \u200dprobe\u200d engaged senior\u200d officials and civilians versed in\u200d intelligence and operations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/biden-administration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Biden administration<\/a> admitted on Thursday that it killed a civilian shepherd in a drone strike in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/syria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Syria<\/a> last year instead of a \u201csenior Al Qaeda official,\u201d as it had initially claimed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victory-for-social-media-users-everywhere-shapiro-daily-wire-cleared-of-frivolous-charges-over-tweet\/\" title=\"\u2018Victory For Social Media Users Everywhere\u2019: Shapiro, Daily Wire Cleared Of \u2018Frivolous\u2019 Charges Over Tweet\">months-long investigation<\/a> into a unilateral counterterrorism air strike in Northwest Syria on May 3, 2023, intended to take out a top Al Qaeda official, U.S. Central Command <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centcom.mil\/MEDIA\/PRESS-RELEASES\/Press-Release-View\/Article\/3763291\/may-3-2023-investigation-findings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> in a summary of its findings that U.S. forces had mistakenly identified and taken out a civilian instead of a terrorist. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe investigation determined U.S. forces misidentified the intended Al Qaeda target and that a civilian, Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto (Masto), was struck and killed instead,\u201d CENTCOM said. \u201cMany of the facts and other findings of the investigation involve classified information and cannot be shared publicly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla ordered an investigation into the strike on June 6, 2023, after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/biden-admin-walks-back-claim-that-it-killed-major-al-qaeda-figure-in-airstrike-killed-father-of-10-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reports<\/a> that an Al Qaeda operative had not actually been killed in the strike. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Army Brigadier General John P. Cogbill and concluded on November 15, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The investigative team included ten senior service members and civilian employees not involved with the strike, but with knowledge of intelligence, armed conflicts, and targeting operations, according to CENTCOM. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CENTCOM said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-agents-from-muellers-team-interviewed-anti-trump-dossier-author-filing\/\" title=\"FBI Agents From Mueller\u2019s Team Interviewed Anti-Trump Dossier Author: Filing\">team interviewed<\/a> over 40 witnesses and visited locations in the United States, Iraq, and Jordan. The investigation came weeks after a Washington Post <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2024\/05\/02\/syria-drone-strike-military-investigation\/#:~:text=A%20U.S.%20drone%20strike%20in,pledge%20to%20curb%20such%20incidents.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  raising questions about the strike. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the report said that the strike did kill a civilian, it said the strike was done in accordance with both international law and U.S. Military policies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWe are committed to learning from this incident and improving our targeting processes to mitigate potential civilian harm,\u201d CENTCOM said. \u201cU.S. Central Command acknowledges and regrets the civilian harm that resulted from the airstrike. We take all reports of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ilhan-omar-says-palestinian-children-deserve-safety-ignores-hamas-using-schools-as-rocket-launch-sites-with-children-as-human-shields\/\" title=\"Ilhan Omar Says Palestinian Children Deserve \u2018Safety,\u2019 Ignores Hamas Using Schools As Rocket Launch Sites With Children As Human Shields\">civilian harm caused<\/a> by U.S. military operations seriously and continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize civilian harm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1714657703188000&#038;usg=AOvVaw0-8IzS3B7axoRMsynY0m75\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The incident is similar to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/u-s-centcom-issues-new-statement-on-strike-against-isis-target-we-are-investigating-further\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">drone strike<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  the Biden administration made in August 2021 during President Joe Biden\u2019s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan where the administration claimed to have \u201cconducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamid Karzai International airport.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, the administration <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-pentagon-confirms-children-killed-in-drone-strike-in-afghanistan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">admitted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  a couple of weeks later that the drone strike was a tragic mistake that killed 10 civilians, including seven children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration confessed to mistakenly killing a civilian shepherd in a Syria drone strike instead of a &#8220;senior Al Qaeda official&#8221; as initially stated. Following an extensive probe of a unilateral counterterrorism air mission in Northwest Syria on May 3, 2023, the error was brought to light after months of investigation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":2236430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-2150614773.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2236429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/05\/GettyImages-2150614773.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2236429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/200"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2236429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2236429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2236430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2236429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2236429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2236429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}