United States Airstrikes Killed Hundreds of Civilians, According to United Nations

On Wednesday, June 15, a United Nations panel said that U.S.-led airstrikes on Islamic State targets have killed hundreds of civilians throughout the area of Raqqa, leaving 160,000 people displaced.  Raqqa, a city in Syria, operates as the Islamic State’s last Syrian stronghold.  Such findings by the United Nations have strengthened fears by humanitarian groups over the losses of civilian life, resulting from American-led airstrikes.

As an American-backed militia, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, recently advanced to take Raqqa, airstrikes have thus escalated.  Brazilian diplomat Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of the United Nations leads the panel, saying, “We note in particular that the intensification of airstrikes, which have paved the ground for an S.D.F. advance in Raqqa, has resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to 160,000 civilians fleeing their homes.”

As the first time that Pinheiro’s panel had focused on the conduct of the United States’ military, it could already be seen that certain actions led to heavy civilian casualties.  Investigators found that 300 civilians had been killed in airstrikes since March 21, including the deaths of 200 civilians in a single instance when an airstrike struck a school in Mansoura, Egypt.

            It is reported that, “The attack on Mansoura, shortly after midnight on March 21, hit a school building housing families that had fled the fighting around Palmyra and other towns, investigators said.  Initial reports said up to 40 people had died in the bombing, but rescue workers and other witnesses interviewed by the panel said that as operations to clear the rubble progressed the death toll had climbed to around 200.  The United States military has said it is aware of the reports of high casualty figures in Mansoura and is investigating.”

Capturing Raqqa would be a considerable step in the effort of combating the Islamic State’s hold on Syrian territory—doing so would also put into perspective the battle between the resistance and President Bashar al-Assad’s government.  The recapture of Raqqa could lead to respecting nations such as Russia, Iran, the United States and Arab regional powers deciding the future of Syria.

The New York Times also adds that, “Success in purging Raqqa of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, would free thousands of civilians from the group’s rule, Mr. Pinheiro said, including women from Iraq’s Yazidi minority who have been held as sex slaves for almost three years.  But ‘the imperative to fight terrorism must not, however, be undertaken at the expense of civilians who unwillingly find themselves living in areas where ISIL is present,’ Mr. Pinheiro said.”

While purging the Islamic State from existence would instill justice for many, is it a justified measure to sacrifice countless civilian lives in the effort?

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