U.S. offers condolence payments to families of civilians killed in Kabul air strike

• The statement comes weeks after surviving family members first spoke about the need for compensation and accountability, with some calling on the U.S. to help them safely leave Afghanistan.

Details: The U.S. offered the payments in a virtual meeting on Thursday between Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, and Steven Kwon, the founder and president of Nutrition & Education International, a nonprofit focused on women in children in Afghanistan that had employed Ahmadi before he was killed.

• "Dr. Kahl noted that the strike was a tragic mistake and that Mr. Zemari Ahmadi and others who were killed were innocent victims who bore no blame and were not affiliated with ISIS-K or threats to U.S. forces," John Kirby, the Defense Department’s chief spokesman, said in a statement released late Friday.
• According to Kwon, Ahmadi's work with the aid group as an electrical engineer provided "care and lifesaving assistance for people facing high mortality rates in Afghanistan," Kirby said.

• The meeting concluded without determining the condolence payments' specific amount. The issue will be a part of future discussions between U.S. officials and Kwon's organization, which is acting on behalf of the daily in Afghanistan.

Worth noting: The Pentagon also said it will work with the State Department to relocate surviving family members to the United States.