Civilian Casualties (CIVCAS)
209 Articles

What I Told Congress about U.S. Lethal Strikes
Congress should take steps to end America’s war-based approach to counterterrorism policy.

Clear Error in the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual: On Presumptions of Civilian Status
This article is the first in a new project at Just Security that assesses the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual with a goal of providing constructive opportunities…

A Big Step Forward or Running in Place?: The Pentagon’s New Policy on Civilian Casualties
New Pentagon effort to respond to civilian harm is encouraging, but DOD needs to demonstrate leadership, scope the problem correctly, and address the growing credibility gap to…

The Al-Qurayshi Operation and Minimization of Civilian Casualties
US officials’ emphasis on minimization of civilian casualties in an operation against such a high value target deserves special attention.

Civilian Casualties in U.S. Air Wars: A Wake-up Call for Canada and its Future Use of Armed Drones?
Last month’s New York Times report that the American air wars in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan have been plagued by flawed intelligence, poor targeting, and thousands of civilian…

Amid Civilian Harm Revelations, Defense Bill Takes Measured Steps on Oversight and Accountability
Recent months have seen a flood of revelations concerning civilian harm resulting from U.S. military operations. The last U.S. airstrike of the war in Afghanistan, which killed…

America Needs a War on Terror Transparency Act
The Pentagon has three months to investigate the disturbing New York Times report that the military conducted and covered up airstrikes in Baghuz, Syria that killed up to 64 civilians.…

Tragic Mistakes: Breaking the Military Culture of Impunity
How framing civilian harm in U.S. military operations -- as a “tragic mistake” -- hides the systemic failure that requires institutional reform.

Centcom’s Full Statement on Baghuz Strike: Annotated
Our co-editor-in-chief identifies and annotates the 20 most significant elements of Centcom's statement.

Questions on the Baghuz Strikes
A list of specific questions for members of Congress, reporters, and investigators to ask about the strike.

Reexamining the Fundamentals of the Drone Program After the Kabul Strike
"There are certainly unique circumstances to the Kabul strike, but if we miss the bigger lessons, we only invite further tragedy. "

Hidden Negligence: Aug. 29 Drone Strike is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
A deep analysis of the broader system in which the August 29 Kabul drone strike is situated, by top expert on civilian casualties and lead author of several Department of Defense…