US captures ISIS official after helicopter raid in Syria
FOX NewsNov 27, 2022
The Facts
New questions have emerged regarding an admission made by the UK in May 2018 that its military had killed one civilian in eastern Syria two months earlier — the only civilian casualty they have acknowledged. Then defense secretary Gavin Williamson told parliament that the strike was not logged in the records of civilian casualties kept by its allies in the international coalition.
A investigation by the Guardian newspaper identified six strikes in the Iraqi city of Mosul that killed civilians and appear to have been carried out by British forces, suggesting discrepancies in the government's account and consequently raising concerns about how the UK records civilian casualties.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
British bombing in Iraq and Syria in the fight against IS resulted in more than 4K munitions in the two countries — it seems incredibly unlikely that not a single civilian was killed during said campaign. Besides the deaths that were uncovered in the Guardian's investigation, there were almost certainly more victims for whom the UK's military failed to properly account. Justice and accountability for their deaths must be pursued.
Pro-establishment narrative
This investigation reinforces that the UK's armed forces must comply with the highest possible operational standards. However, regardless of debate over the particulars, one must keep in mind that the fight against IS was absolutely necessary, and that UK forces did everything in their power to reduce civilian casualties. Going forward, the UK is always trying to improve its tactics.
