The New York Times has obtained documents revealing a large number of incorrect bombings during the US air war in the Middle East. Thousands of civilians were killed.
The classified documents are issued by the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, and give a completely different picture of the US air war in Syria and Iraq than the official version, he writes. Newspaper.
The journalists were able to access about 1,300 reports of civilian casualties, showing that what were described as precision attacks were not as accurate as the authorities claimed. It also shows that many of the attacks were carried out on the basis of incorrect intelligence.
The attacks killed thousands of civilians, including many children.
According to the newspaper, the documents also shake the promise of full transparency about any mistakes and holding those responsible accountable.
The New York Times wrote: “There is not a single document that states that a person has committed any wrongdoing or that disciplinary action has been taken.”
The article was published on Saturday and is the first in a series of two articles.
Killing peasants – not ISIS fighters
Numerous incorrect bombings are known before, but the civilian death toll has not been blatantly reported, writes the paper, which believes the number should rise by hundreds – at least.
Among the mentioned cases was a bomb attack carried out by US special forces in northern Syria on July 19, 2016, in which the soldiers believed they were attacking Islamic State militants, and according to the first reports, 85 fighters were killed. But later it turned out that the victims were 120 Syrian farmers and other villagers.
Another example is the November 2015 attack on Ramadi in Iraq after a man was seen “draging a heavy object” against an ISIS position. It later emerged that the “thing” was a child killed in the attack.
According to the article, poor film footage often contributed to false bombings that claimed innocent lives.
Feilbombing I Kabul
In recent months, there have also been reports of untrue US bombings, such as when the US first claimed it had directed a drone attack on a potential suicide car bomber in Kabul. But the victims were ten civilians, all from one family, including a number of children.
Many civilians who survived American attacks suffered serious injuries that required expensive medical treatment, but compensation for survivors and wounded is said to have been paid less than a dozen times.
The New York Times asked a US Central Command spokesman for comment.
Even with the best technology in the world, errors occur, whether they are based on incomplete information or a misinterpretation of the available information. We are trying to learn from mistakes, Captain Bill Urban told the newspaper.
Obama: the most accurate in history
The US air war in the Middle East escalated dramatically in recent years when Barack Obama was president, at the same time that support for the US ground wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan has declined among American voters.
According to Obama, the new approach means “the most accurate air battle in history,” and minimal civilian casualties. Drones piloted by soldiers stationed in the United States were often used.
In five years, the United States carried out more than 50,000 air strikes in which accuracy was much lower than the authorities had boasted, the New York Times wrote.
The newspaper’s journalists are said to have visited more than 100 places that were bombed while working on the case. There, they met a large number of residents who survived the attacks. They also spoke to current and former US officials.
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