Washington DC – Radical US legislators have introduced legislation to stop civil damage military operations of the United States and increase transparency around such incidents, emphasizing that the death of innocent people is inevitable in war.
Members of the House and Senate on Thursday introduced two bills, dubbed the Defense Department’s Civilian Harm Transparency Act and the Defense of Civilians During Military Operations Act.
The bills would require the Pentagon to improve investigations into civilian deaths, establish a database for such polls and create a center that advises the US government on “these cases.” best practices for preventing, mitigating and responding to civilian damage”.
The law also requires an unclassified report on how the Department of Defense “distinguishes between combatants and civilians in the United States.” Military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen since 2001 ″.
“We cannot continue to accept the death of innocent civilians as the inevitable price of war – the Department of Defense has a moral responsibility to prevent civilian damage from its military operations. and investigate whether civilians were harmed,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who led the legislative effort, said in a statement.
She added that the two bills would set out “important transparency and protection requirements” to prevent the suffering of civilians.
If passed into law, the bills would appoint an official at the Pentagon to coordinate investigations into civil harm.
Proposals were made eight months after US drone attack in Kabul killed 10 civilians, including 7 children.
US military leaders initially confirmed that the August 2021 air strike against ISIL (ISIS) special operations forces was planning to attack the airport in Kabul, where the US military was conducting an attack. labour. major evacuation operation.
“At this point, we think the processes were followed correctly and it was a legitimate attack,” Mark Milley, the top US general, told reporters during an interview. Briefing on September 1, 2021.
The Pentagon finally admitted that the bombing killed civilians, after US and international media outlets interviewed survivors who asserted that only innocent people died in the attack. labour.
“They are innocent, helpless children,” said Aimal Ahmadi, whose niece and nephew were killed in the attack. told Al Jazeera one day after the bombing.
However, an internal Pentagon consider conclusion Last year, although the bombing was an “unfortunate mistake”, it did not rise to the extent of criminal wrongdoing or negligence. No one was blamed for the attack.
The New York Times report earlier this year also Be recorded How the Pentagon has reduced civilian casualties in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan over the years.
“Protecting civilians in conflict is not only a cornerstone of international law, it is imperative to our national security,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, who co-sponsed the bills. on Thursday, said in the statement announcing the law.
“By improving the reporting and investigation of civilian harm to our military operations and those of our allies, these two bills increase transparency to help prevent harm. undue harm to human life”.
Senator Bernie Sanders is also backing the bill, while on the House side, co-sponsors include Ro Khanna, Jason Crow, Sara Jacobs and Tom Malinowski – all Democrats.
Human Rights Watch, Victory Without War and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are also supporting the bill, among other human rights groups.
“These bills come at a critical time when it comes to civil damage,” Annie Shiel, senior adviser at the advocacy group the Center for Civil Conflict (CIVIC), said in the statement. “Via the past twenty yearsThe United States government has repeatedly failed to meaningfully prevent, investigate, publicly acknowledge, and repair civil damages.”
