- 29 Mar 2017 01:37
#14791193
US-led coalition admits killing civilians in Syria and Iraq
The official number of civilians killed in the US-led coalition’s air strikes in Syria and Iraq has risen to 220 amid fears for up to 750,000 people trapped in Mosul. Humanitarian organizations have warned that the real total may be far higher, with monitoring group Airwars counting at least 2,400 innocent men, women and children killed in the anti-Isis bombing campaign. US Central Command, which leaders Operation Inherent Resolve, confirmed 21 civilian deaths in nine new incidents in its latest round of investigations. An estimated 750,000 civilians remain trapped in the western part of the city, under a blistering ground and air assault driving dire humanitarian conditions. Centcom found another 10 reports to be “non-credible”, either through contradictory evidence or insufficient information, while 19 more are still under investigation. With the vast majority of strikes hitting territory under ISIS control, the true number of casualties and the victims’ identities are difficult to verify and the US-led coalition is currently auditing its tracking of civilian deaths. Centcom admitted it was unable to “fully investigate all reports of possible civilian casualties using traditional investigative methods, such as interviewing witnesses and examining the site”, saying it instead interviews pilots, reviews strike footage and analyses information from partner forces, governments, humanitarian groups, traditional and social media. All confirmed incidents so far were authorised under Barack Obama’s administration, while a similar strategy is expected to continue under Donald Trump.
The official number of civilians killed in the US-led coalition’s air strikes in Syria and Iraq has risen to 220 amid fears for up to 750,000 people trapped in Mosul. Humanitarian organizations have warned that the real total may be far higher, with monitoring group Airwars counting at least 2,400 innocent men, women and children killed in the anti-Isis bombing campaign. US Central Command, which leaders Operation Inherent Resolve, confirmed 21 civilian deaths in nine new incidents in its latest round of investigations. An estimated 750,000 civilians remain trapped in the western part of the city, under a blistering ground and air assault driving dire humanitarian conditions. Centcom found another 10 reports to be “non-credible”, either through contradictory evidence or insufficient information, while 19 more are still under investigation. With the vast majority of strikes hitting territory under ISIS control, the true number of casualties and the victims’ identities are difficult to verify and the US-led coalition is currently auditing its tracking of civilian deaths. Centcom admitted it was unable to “fully investigate all reports of possible civilian casualties using traditional investigative methods, such as interviewing witnesses and examining the site”, saying it instead interviews pilots, reviews strike footage and analyses information from partner forces, governments, humanitarian groups, traditional and social media. All confirmed incidents so far were authorised under Barack Obama’s administration, while a similar strategy is expected to continue under Donald Trump.
- By Skynet
- By Tainari88
- By litwin