A 2019 US military air strike which killed 80 people in Syria was never independently investigated, according to The New York Times. Although the air strike was supposed to target Islamic State fighters, only 16 of those killed were positively identified as IS militants.
Despite having one of the highest civilian casualty counts in the history of the war against IS, The New York Times reports the incident that killed dozens was never investigated or acknowledged by the US military.
Among those killed, four were definitively identified as civilians, although officials suspect it is “highly likely” that number is higher.
The New York Times investigated the incident over several months. They scoured confidential documents and reports on the events of the air strike, as well as interviewing various officials directly involved in the incident on the condition of maintaining their anonymity.
According to their findings, the US Air Force command in Qatar was unusually not prewarned of the strikes. Following the strikes, various officials raised concerns they may have broken laws of armed conflict, making the strikes a possible war crime.
The US Central Command acknowledged the strikes for the first time after being contacted by The New York Times in November 2021, calling them “justified”.
Before commanding an air strike, the US military has a duty to rigorously check information and targeting to safeguard against civilian casualties. Targets would be surveilled for days, weeks, or months. Military lawyers would oversee the process to ensure the military’s targeting was legal.
However, militaries can work around these compliance checks by claiming they or someone on whose behalf they act is in imminent danger. This loophole effectively allows militaries to make last-minute defensive decisions.
According to sources close to the US military in talks with The New York Times, this loophole was applied broadly in the case of the Baghuz attack.
Sources differ widely on what happened on the day of the air strikes: March 18 2019.
What is known is that the attack left 80 people dead in its wake, with many of those unidentified as either combatants or civilians.
Any “possible, suspected or alleged” violation of the law of armed conflict is required to be reported and investigated, according to Defense Department procedures and regulations.
Following the events, Air Force lawyer Lieutenant Colonel Dean Korsak ordered units to save several pieces of evidence including video footage. Korsak reported the strike to his superior officer and raised concerns of a potential cover-up. However, the issue did not proceed beyond Korsak’s reports.
Korsak continued to make attempts to report his concerns on several occasions over a two-year period but allegedly no action was taken.
Spokespersons acting on behalf of the US military have dismissed claims the incident was improperly handled, saying the strikes were “justified” and that several offices were notified of the strike.
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