Defense Secretary Ash Carter(Photo: Romeo Ranoco-REUTERS POOL, AP)
WASHINGTON —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The Pentagon Friday acknowledged dozens of civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria have occurred since the U.S.-led bombing campaign has grown more aggressive since fall, the military announced Friday.
The release of the findings of nine investigations shows that the military’s prosecution of Islamic State targets by warplanes carries greater risks for civilians. From Sept. 10, 2015,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to Feb. 2, 2016, nine airstrikes resulted in 31 civilian casualties, killing 20 people and wounding 11 more, according to U.S. Central Command. That compares with 21 killed and 17 wounded from the start of the war in August<span style="color: Red;">*</span>2014 to September<span style="color: Red;">*</span>2015.
On Wednesday, USA TODAY reported that authority for bombing missions with the probability of harming civilians had been quietly delegated from higher headquarters to lower-ranking commanders in the field last fall. In effect, the decision has resulted in more airstrikes with risk of civilian casualties because the decision to bomb can be made faster. Commanders requested that authority to hit fleeting targets.
Since the change in authority, the military has conducted an increasing number of airstrikes since the decision was made. A monthly record for bombs dropped was set in November. All told, more than 40,000 bombs have been dropped in Iraq and Syria since August<span style="color: Red;">*</span>2014.
"While there is an element of risk in every strike we take, our goal is to avoid any civilian casualties,” Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman said. “We are being more aggressive in striking this brutal enemy, while constantly seeking to minimize the risk of harm to innocent civilians."
USA TODAY
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Military planners take great care to avoid killing or wounding civilians, the Pentagon says. Those methods include using the least powerful bombs needed to destroy a target, hitting banks and oil facilities, for example, when the fewest civilians are expected to be near. However, Islamic State, or ISIL, militants often use innocent civilians to shield targets from attack.
“We're going to do everything we can to mitigate that risk, and try to avoid civilian casualties,” Air Force Col. Pat Ryder, a Central Command spokesman, told reporters Friday.<span style="color: Red;">*</span> “But again, as we've said before, you know, in this type of armed conflict, particularly with an enemy who hides among the civilian population, there are going to be, unfortunately, civilian casualties at times.”
Findings of nine investigations showed that the most deadly attack occurred in Iraq Oct. 5. An airstrike destroyed an ISIL mortar position but also killed eight civilians nearby.
“Unfortunately in this case, there appeared, you know, afterwards to have been some civilians in the proximity of mortar position, and they were unfortunately and unintentionally killed,” Ryder said.
Central Command is looking into 23 additional allegations of civilian casualties, Ryder said.
The more aggressive bombing campaign has been<span style="color: Red;">*</span>coupled with more special operations raids and enhanced training of Iraqi troops and Syrian forces, <span style="color: Red;">*</span>Those changes, also made last fall,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has helped roll back gains made by the so-called Islamic State.
USA TODAY
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