The Pentagon dismantled its civilian protection mission as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made “lethality” a top priority and the Trump administration reorganized national security around two principles: more aggression, less accountability.
Internal Pentagon Report Reveals Hegseth Is Willfully Putting Civilians in Danger
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.
Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds
Trump administration accused of cutting military’s civilian harm program in light of US strike on girls’ school in Iran
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.
Trump and Hegseth use 9/11 memorial remarks at Pentagon to defend war on Iran
President and defense secretary try to link worst terrorist attack in US history to current unpopular war
Preliminary Pentagon Findings Betray Trump's Outrageous Lies About Iranian School Massacre | Common Dreams
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth "should be potentially charged and prosecuted for war crimes," said the advocacy group Just Foreign Policy.
Peters Report Finds Trump Administration Has Dismantled Critical Counterterrorism Infrastructure and Weaponized What Remains Against Political Opponents, Leaving Americans Vulnerable to Terror Threats - Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Senator Gary Peters released a new report detailing how the Trump Administration has systematically dismantled key elements of the nation’s post-9/11 counterterrorism infrastructure, diverting personnel and resources away from preventing terrorist attacks, and increasingly weaponizing other counterterrorism authorities for political purposes.
The Longest Suicide Note in American History
The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy targets liberal democracy itself.
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’
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
Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles
Conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture-war fights.
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…
Russia’s FPV drone campaign in Ukraine institutionalizes intentional civilian harm as a tool of war
Russia's use of FPV drones to strike civilian targets in Ukraine indicates a culture seeking to weaponize civilian harm as a tool of war.
Trump has been dismantling post-9/11 counterterrorism protections, Senate report says
Democratic senators are accusing the White House of weakening U.S. defenses that were developed and refined in the 25 years since the 9/11 attacks.
The shifting battlefield: technology, tactics, and the risk of blurring lines in warfare - Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog
The accelerating integration of emerging technologies into armed conflict is transforming not only the tools of war, but its tactics, geography, participants and impact. Technological developments – from commercial drones to artificial intelligence, electronic warfare to the military use of civilian infrastructure – risk undermining boundaries between military and civilian domains. These changes challenge long-held...
