A damning Department of War report finds that the Pentagon didn’t fully implement any required civilian harm mitigation measures.
Hegseth Brags of a Deadlier War Machine as U.S. Unleashes “Devastating Civilian Harm Globally”
While testifying to Congress on Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth lobbed threats and brushed off queries about civilian harm.
Senators grilled Hegseth on Iran. Here are 3 big moments from the hearing
Hegseth said at the top of the hearing that the supplemental funding was an “urgent, necessary injection of resources” for the department’s needs. He didn’t directly mention the Iran war in his opening statement.
Pentagon Erupts Over Report on Classified Warnings Against Iran War
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s top advisers have warned against extending the Iran war.
Hegseth’s War On Anthropic Encounters The First Amendment
The expression, “to make a federal case out of something” usually describes making a bigger deal out of something than it should be. But in the case of Anthropic and Hegseth, Trump, and the Departm…
Army survivors of deadly attack in Kuwait dispute Pentagon's account, say unit "was unprepared" to defend itself
Survivors of an Iranian attack that killed six U.S. service members have disputed the Pentagon's description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth is being an absolute crayon again
Hegseth may be the biggest crayon alive, and somehow America’s nuclear codes are in his hands — apparently, “bro-science” is policy now
Opportunities to Improve Military Policies and Practices to Reduce Civilian Harm From Explosive Weapons in Urban Conflict
This research paper seeks to contribute to further thinking and dialogue among States and their militaries that conduct operations in urbanized environments on what more can be done to reduce civilian harm by proposing practical measures in the form of options for consideration. UNIDIR seeks to enhance knowledge on ways to reduce risks and mitigate harm to civilians from the effects of explosive weapons in urbanized environments. This research frames the issue of explosive weapons in the broader context of protection of civilians in urban conflict and focuses on multilateral operations. The research takes a comprehensive approach to civilian protection from a ‘risk reduction’ perspective—that is, seeking to understand where the risks and uncertainties lie in the entire ‘civilian protection life cycle’, recognizing that civilian harm is the cumulative effect of numerous risks and decisions made from formulating mandates, planning, execution, assessment and response to lessons learned and institutional learning. Particular focus is placed on the targeting and weaponeering processes. Citation: Roger Lane, Larry Lewis and Himayu Shiotani (2019) "Opportunities to Improve Military Policies and Practices to Reduce Civilian Harm From Explosive Weapons in Urban Conflict", UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.37559/CAAP/19/PACAV/11 TRANSLATIONS To read the report in French, click here.
The Civilian Impact of Drones: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions | Center for Civilians in Conflict
This joint report from the Center for Civilians in Conflict and Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic is an in-depth look at the US government’s covert drone program and its impact on civilian populations. Our objective is to critically assess US government procedures and standards for ensuring civilian protection and responding to civilian harm from…
US used 'Claude' to strike over 1000 targets in first 24 hours of war
Despite a spat and Pentagon ban, Anthropic’s ‘AI is being used in the kill chain while Hegseth says ‘no stupid rules of engagement’
Anthropic sues Trump administration over Pentagon blacklist
The lawsuit says Anthropic is being harmed "irreparably" and could lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
Pentagon moves to designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk | TechCrunch
"We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again," the president wrote in the post.
‘Horrific’ civilian toll as Ethiopia turns to combat drones
Indiscriminate drone strikes have hit non-military targets and killed hundreds of civilians – but there is little chance of any accountability.
ICRC President criticises drone use in warfare over rising civilian casualties
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger warns that drones are being used to deliberately target civilians, eroding international humanitarian law.
Junta’s Massacres from Sky and Ground: Civilian Protection at Risk in Myanmar - Progressive Voice
The Myanmar military junta has systematically and deliberately carried out mass atrocities against civilians through coordinated aerial bombardments and ground assaults across the country since the attempted coup in February 2021. These acts amount to war crimes[...]
Pentagon says it is labeling AI company Anthropic a supply chain risk 'effective immediately'
The Trump administration is following through with its threat to designate artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a supply chain risk in an unprecedented move that could force other government contractors to stop using the AI chatbot Claude.