Civilian Casualties (CIVCAS)
209 Articles
US Ramps Up War in Somalia, Killing More Civilians
While much of the world tries to fight a global pandemic that has already killed thousands, the U.S. military has been secretly stepping up its war in Somalia, killing civilians…
Preventing and Responding to Civilian Casualties: An Upcoming Discussion on Law, Policy, and Progress
Civilian casualties are inevitable in armed conflict. Nonetheless, international law requires armed forces to distinguish between civilians and lawful military objectives, and…
Reduction of Civilian Harm in Afghanistan: A Way Forward
As all sides have jockeyed for leverage in Afghanistan, civilians have paid the price with over 10,000 civilian casualties in 2019.
When Professionalism Mattered: Dissent Against U.S. Policy on Landmines
President Trump's retaliation against principled dissenters and his jettisoning of longstanding U.S. policy on landmines converge in a look back to see how another administration…
Why the US Military Needs to Rethink How It Investigates Civilian Harm
A new report analyzed a total of 228 investigations into reported civilian harm in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria between 2002 and 2015.
American Policy Paralysis in the Middle East Strikes Idlib
While observers of the Middle East focus on the spiraling escalation of US-Iran tensions, a humanitarian crisis with potentially far greater consequences is rapidly unfolding in…
US Should Think Again About Reversing Landmine Policy
The Trump administration announced Friday that the United States will re-start using and producing antipersonnel landmines. The new policy follows the U.S. retreat from multilateralism…
Human Shielding (by Omission) in Iran
Iran violated its legal obligations to take passive precautions to protect civilians under its control, with the intent that those civilians shield military targets from attack.…
Civilian Casualties: A Case for U.S. Condolence Payments in Syria
The U.S. military acknowledges it unintentionally killed 40 civilians in a 2017 air strike, but rejects appeals to help those who survived.
Congress Expands Oversight of U.S. Payments for Civilian Deaths
The payments are among the only ways the U.S. military acknowledges and responds to civilian deaths or injuries in its operations, and previous reporting exposed significant gaps…
Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill
For all the ways that the NDAA falls short on various human rights issues, there are some bright spots that should not be overlooked.
Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law
New Guidelines from the ICRC and Geneva Academy on when and how armed forces must investigate possible law of war violations.