U.S. military concludes airstrike in Syria last May killed a civilian, not a terrorist
CBSApr 28
Syria: US Military Admits Drone Strike Killed a Civilian
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The Facts
The US military has acknowledged that it mistakenly killed a civilian in an airstrike in Syria in 2023 after he was misidentified as a senior al-Qaeda leader.
According to the Pentagon, the May 3, 2023 airstrike, which US Central Command previously said had targeted a terrorist, actually killed a 56-year-old farmer named Lutfi Hasan Masto.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Although it's unfortunate that an innocent civilian was killed, the airstrike followed the rules of armed conflict and the policies of the US military. It resulted from numerous errors, and Central Command is committed to using the mistake to develop vital "lessons learned" and prevent civilian casualties in the future.
Establishment-critical narrative
Civilians are the ones who bear the brunt of US military drone warfare in the Middle East. The US military faces minimal consequences for the "accidental" murders of these innocent people, and the families of these victims often never get restitution or justice for these deaths.
