Attack that killed kids likely missed target

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"We are saddened by the innocent lives that were lost as a result of militants' cowardice," Belcher said Monday. But Belcher also contended coalition troops had "surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building."

He accused the militants of not letting the children leave the compound.

"If we knew that there were children inside the building, there was no way that that airstrike would have occurred," said Sgt. 1st Class Dean Welch, another coalition spokesman.

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But Tuesday, other U.S. officials confirmed that U.S. forces were indeed aware of the children's presence. Military officials told NBC News the al-Qaida leader was considered such a high-value target it was worth the risk that some children might become casualties of the attack.

Past attacks scrubbed because of civilian presence
The U.S. has in the past called off attacks on al-Qaida hideouts because of the presence of civilians, including family members of high-value targets.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it has sent a team with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission to investigate the incident.

Col. Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor winner and NBC News analyst, said that decisions to go ahead with an attack when civilians are believed present are among the most agonizing military commanders have to make.

"As a military officer, it is difficult to talk about the calculation involved, weighing the independent variables, whether it’s saving your country or achieving your objectives, while acknowledging that it requires the taking of innocent lives.

“It’s what still haunts the military from World War II, when 70,000 or 100,000 civilians were killed because people thought it would end the war sooner.”