Written by Darius Shahtahmasebi; Originally appeared at TheAntiMedia
According to a U.N. Commission of Inquiry tasked with investigating violations of international war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, the intensification of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition has led to a “staggering loss of civilian life,” the Guardian reports.
The U.N. war crimes investigators found that since the acceleration of airstrikes in the Syrian city of Raqqa commenced last week, 300 civilians have already died. This statistic arguably makes Bashar al-Assad pale in comparison; Assad’s regime reportedly kills approximately 20-50 people in any given week.
“We note in particular that the intensification of air strikes, which have paved the ground for an SDF advance in Raqqa, has resulted not only in staggering loss of civilian life, but has also led to 160,000 civilians fleeing their homes and becoming internally displaced,” Paulo Pinheiro, the chairman of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry told the human rights council in Geneva.
According to Karen Abuzayd, an American commissioner on the independent panel, the figure of 300 is based only on deaths caused by airstrikes. Therefore, the figure of civilian deaths caused by troops on the ground may ultimately higher.
As the Guardian also notes, speculation that the coalition has been using white phosphorous has already drawn strong condemnation.
Not surprisingly, this operation was conducted with full knowledge that there would be mass suffering for the civilian population. At the end of May of this year, Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis announced that the U.S. would be switching to so-called “annihilation tactics” against ISIS, stating:
“Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa, we are not going to allow them to do so…We are going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.”
According to Mattis, civilian deaths “are a fact of life in this sort of situation.” However, Mattis did add that the U.S. military would “do everything humanly possible consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties at all costs.”
Mattis’ announcement that the U.S. would annihilate ISIS (and massacre civilians by the hundreds) is still somewhat dubious, considering video footage appears to have emerged of ISIS fighters fleeing the conflict in Raqqa safely despite the hundreds of bombs and white phosphorous loaded munitions U.S.-backed forces have been dropping over the city. It has been speculated that in reality, these ISIS fighters are being granted safe passage to put added pressure on the Syrian government, a longtime adversary of the United States.
Further, using a dangerous element like white phosphorous and burying over 300 civilians after approximately a week of fighting seems, on the face of it, to be nothing short of a blatant war crime. The Commission of Inquiry and the mainstream media may not use the term “war crime” outright, but that is surely an inference one can draw from their calculations.
If anything, it would appear the U.S. is annihilating civilians — and not much else.
UN! How dare you accuse your master of wrong doings!
No, this could actually be quite serious. We should demand that the UN Human Rights Council open an investigation immediately. Who is the head of that council this year? Huh – Saudi Arabia – WTF?
Oh… never mind.
UN with lip wash service just a trick to confuse the real non Nato Global community.Keep on bark UN without actions against your boss USA.
I agree with your sarcasm, but there is an important issue here. UN is de-fanged at the moment, but people in there want to fight back and have realised that US cavalier treatment of civilians is a self-perptuating cycle. First the top-brass warns the home audience that there will be civilian casualties, they then have a free hand to cause civilian casualties without regard for humanity or respect for life. Because there is no repercussions officers don’t pursue anyone under them for civilian killings. Then they become statistics that proved the initial proposal by the top-brass. Repeat next time. It is a deliberate attempt to use the killing of civilians to destabilise countries, discourage independent press presence, and satisfy the blood-lust of some people.
Let me tell you if USA freez all counter operations in Syria and Iraq then peace will prevail in this countries.UN will never ever stand up against Nato/USA accuse and attack terrorist tactic and supporting terrorism.
“””Not surprisingly, this operation was conducted with full knowledge that there would be mass suffering for the civilian population. At the end of May of this year, Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis announced that the U.S. would be switching to so-called “annihilation tactics” against ISIS, stating:
“Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa, we are not going to allow them to do so…We are going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.””””
Mad dog’s words about ” anihilation tactics against ISIS” do not reflect the reality that US Air Force allows ISIS to have an avenue of escape south of Racca. It has happened in Mosul as well.
US is not going to annihilate the instrument it created to cause havoc in ME.
When Russian Air Force was killing terrorists in Aleppo, MSM was cogitating about flagrant war crimes, and when US Air Force kills civilians indiscriminately, they are a fact of life in war.
usa Terrorist No.1 …war criminal and enemy of all Humanity.
I am not an American but the fact is that most of the American people knowing the facts are against what is going on. The problem is that like most other Western nations finances and the media narrative are owned and controlled by Zionists. The facts are just as Paul and Jesus in the comments above say. But what is missing for a part of the solution is proper and persistent exposure and free public debate regarding the invisible hands controlling US-Israel-NATO actions, their methods and their goals.
They could kill 3000 every day and as far as western media and politicians are concerned they would be completely invisible. There is no hope in thinking there will ever be any justice in these matters – it’s just not going to happen.