U.S. INADVERTENTLY STRIKES ICRC WAREHOUSES
October 16, 2001

At approximately 4:57 a.m. EDT today, Tuesday, Oct. 16, GBU-16 1,000-pound bombs from a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet inadvertently struck one or more warehouses used by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in northern Kabul, Afghanistan. Reports from the ICRC indicate that wheat and other humanitarian supplies stored in the warehouses were destroyed, and an Afghan security guard was injured.

Although details are still being investigated, the ICRC warehouses were among a series of warehouses targeted by U.S. forces because the Taliban used them for storage of military equipment. Military vehicles had been seen in the vicinity of these warehouses. U.S. forces did not know that ICRC was using one or more of the warehouses.

U.S. forces intentionally strike only military and terrorist targets, and regret any innocent casualties. The U.S. is the largest donor of food and other humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, and U.S. forces are aggressive supporters of the worldwide effort to help the Afghan people.