Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds
Summary
The Pentagon has stopped running a program required by law to reduce and address civilian deaths caused by U.S. military actions. A recent internal report found the military no longer has the staff or tools to properly follow laws meant to protect civilians during operations.Key Facts
- The Pentagon’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) program, set up in January 2022, is meant to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in war zones.
- The program is legally required but has lost funding, personnel, and stopped key meetings, effectively shutting it down.
- This decline happened under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced criticism for deadly attacks in places like Iran.
- The program was created under President Biden’s administration following years of U.S. airstrikes causing civilian deaths in countries like Yemen and Syria.
- The Pentagon inspector general reported the department may now be violating federal law due to these changes.
- Some officials proposed eliminating the program and acted as if cuts were approved without waiting for final decisions.
- A former chief of civilian harm assessments said staff were forced out and locked away from operations.
- The Pentagon did not comment on the report when asked.
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