Civilian deaths undermine US military missions

Washington / AFP

The United States underestimates the long-term impact of civilian deaths on its military missions and is failing to implement lessons learned from 15 gruelling years in Afghanistan, a report found.
While the US military frequently stresses it does all it can to prevent civilian casualties, the report said poorly planned air strikes, misidentified targets, unexploded ordinance and rogue partner troops have too often led to non-combatant deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
The study by Open Society Foundations, a charity created by US magnate and philanthropist George Soros, found that in Afghanistan, such deaths seriously undermined the mission and fuelled the growth of the Taliban. A US-led coalition invaded the country at the end of 2001 and war still rages between Taliban and other insurgent groups and US-backed Afghan national forces.
Speaking at a Washington discussion with the study’s authors, Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary of defense for policy, said the United States is quick to commit to new military engagements without stopping to digest the costly knowledge it has just acquired.
“After more than 15 years of war, there is still far too little reflection on what the lessons we should be learning from these experiences are, particularly at the strategic level,” said Flournoy, who is widely tipped for consideration as the next Pentagon chief if the Democrats win the presidential election. In Afghanistan, feuding locals have frequently duped US forces into attacking rivals and those fights often ended up with civilian dead, further fueling anti-US
resentment.