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All major publications from Airwars’ documentation, research, investigations and policy teams

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27 May, 2022
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Airwars joins ten civil society organisations to call for the UK to urgently address civilian harm policies

As the UN Secretary General’s annual Protection of Civilians report welcomes steps by the United States to develop new civilian harm mitigation and tracking mechanisms, a coalition of civil society organisations specialised in the subject call on the United Kingdom to follow suit. After devastating revelations published in The New York Times late last year […]
10 May, 2022
Update
Iraq, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, Palestinian territories, Syria, Türkiye, Yemen

Civilian harm fell in 2021, Airwars annual report finds

Civilian harm dropped across most of the major conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa in 2021, Airwars’ annual report has found. The number of allegations of civilians killed by nearly all belligerents monitored by Airwars fell in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, though there was an escalation in the Israel-Palestinian conflict which […]
22 Apr, 2022
Policy
Iraq

After Hawija: Dutch Ministry of Defence maps route forward

The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Defensie, has finally outlined to Parliament the steps it expects to take in both the short and long term, to address civilian casualties from Dutch actions. Since late 2020, Airwars has been part of a consortium of civil society and academic organisations working with the Defensie to help improve the […]
7 Apr, 2022
Policy
Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Palestinian territories, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen

Five takeaways from the first day of EWIPA negotiations

The shadow of the Ukraine conflict loomed large over the first day of the informal UN-backed consultations on a political declaration on restricting the use of wide area effect explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), currently underway in Geneva. Delegates from more than 65 nations have gathered to fine tune the language of the political […]
31 Mar, 2022
Investigations, Research
Iraq, Syria

The US has quietly restarted admitting to killing civilians in Iraq and Syria

The US-led International Coalition has quietly admitted to killing 18 more civilians in Iraq and Syria and injuring a further 11, its first such public concession in eight months. On March 10th, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) – the US-led coalition against the so-called Islamic State – quietly released on its website its first public civilian […]
21 Feb, 2022
Investigations
Iraq, Syria

New documents reveal fresh concerns about the Coalition’s system for investigating civilian harm

Newly released documents allow fresh evaluation of how seriously the US military took reports of civilian harm. The findings suggest not very.
8 Feb, 2022
Investigations
Iraq

Who killed Ahmed and Youssef?

When two Iraqi holidaymakers were killed in the Kurdish region of the country, the finger of blame turned to Turkish strikes. But this investigation finds a roadside bomb was the more likely cause.
22 Dec, 2021
Investigations, Research
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen

How do the ‘forever wars’ look under President Biden?

Is President Biden really going to end the America's decades-long campaign?
3 Dec, 2021
Policy
Iraq

Fresh revelations show Hawijah’s people are still far from receiving answers on deadly 2015 Dutch airstrike

More than six years after much of the Iraqi city of Hawijah was devastated following a Dutch airstrike against ISIS, fresh revelations point to major ongoing problems for those seeking answers to the disaster in which at least 70 civilians died. Speaking at the annual PAX for Peace conference on the protection of civilians in […]
4 Nov, 2021
Policy
Iraq

Survivors of Hawijah call for justice, two years after Dutch finally admitted role in 2015 catastrophe

Airwars’ Netherlands-based advocacy partner, PAX for Peace, is currently undertaking research in the Iraqi city of Hawijah, where a 2015 US-led Coalition strike against ISIS led to the deaths of at least 70 civilians and the injuring of hundreds more. On the night of June 2nd-3rd 2015, Dutch F-16s bombed an ISIS Vehicle-Borne Improvised Devices […]
14 Oct, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Airwars and CIVIC: 20 years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began, NATO foreign and defence ministers must urgently learn lessons of the past on protecting civilians

This anniversary happens after last month saw a wave of resignations by senior Ministerial staff and frank debate across Parliaments in Europe, including in relation to the sudden and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Airwars and Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) urge the new ministers to take a frank look at the mistakes of their […]
12 Oct, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

New UK Foreign Secretary must learn lessons of past and be accountable for UK military actions abroad

Last week marked 20 years since the US-led ‘War on Terror’ began. The conflict has been defined by a series of major military actions in which the UK has supported the US and allies in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The recent chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan saw the reshuffle of Dominic Raab from the Foreign, Commonwealth […]
1 Oct, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

On anniversary of Belgium’s return to war against ISIS, civil society groups call for transparency and accountability for civilian harm

October 1st marks the anniversary of Belgium relaunching its participation in Operation Inherent Resolve – the international campaign against so-called Islamic State. Throughout its engagement in this coalition, Belgium has been one of the least transparent – and least accountable – countries when it comes to acknowledging civilian harm. In fact, the Government has refused […]
6 Sep, 2021
Investigations
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen

Tens of thousands of civilians likely killed by US in ‘Forever Wars’

A minimum of 22,000 civilians have been killed directly by US airstrikes since the start of the War on Terror in 2001, analysis finds.
27 Aug, 2021
Policy
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria

As warfare changes, the UK’s protection of civilians falls further behind

Over the last decade, warfare has undergone significant changes. Countries such as the UK and US have increasingly done their best to avoid large-scale ground deployments of their own troops, focusing instead on supporting local forces, for instance by providing air power. Through the monitoring of nearly 60,000 locally alleged civilian deaths caused by belligerents […]
18 Aug, 2021
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Pentagon revelations increase pressure on European militaries to acknowledge killing civilians

When the Department of Defense withdrew a key part of its annual report on civilian harm earlier this month, it all but confirmed something long suspected – that France, Britain and Belgium know they likely killed civilians in Iraq and Syria in specific events, but refuse publicly to accept it. The original Pentagon report to Congress, […]
10 Aug, 2021
Investigations
Iraq, Syria

Pentagon wrongly admitted to killing 21 civilians in Iraq and Syria slain by allies

Allied nations almost certainly killed them. So why did the Defense Department tell Congress that the US was responsible?
10 Aug, 2021
Research
Iraq, Syria

International war against ISIS enters its eighth year

This article was originally published by The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft on August 8th 2021. For the little media coverage it receives these days, you might be forgiven for believing the US-led coalition’s war in Syria and Iraq to be over. Osama Al-Hamid’s family knows better. Last month, the young boy died during reported […]
2 Jun, 2021
Research
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen

Pentagon annual report declares 85 civilian deaths in recent US actions

The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on civilian deaths and injuries resulting from US military actions around the world has declared more than 100 recent casualties. Researchers and human rights groups, including Airwars, Amnesty International and UN monitors in Afghanistan, place the actual toll significantly higher. For 2020 alone, the Department of Defence said that […]
25 May, 2021
Policy
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen

90 percent of victims of explosive weapons in cities are civilians, report finds

Nine out of ten people killed and injured by explosive weapons in cities are civilians, a new report has found, in stark findings likely to increase pressure on governments to curb the use of explosive weapons in urban areas. In total the Action On Armed Violence (AOAV) report, which surveyed explosive violence across the globe […]
2 Mar, 2021
Research
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Türkiye, Yemen

Significant drop in civilian harm during 2020 indicates Covid effect: Airwars annual report

Tracking by Airwars across multiple conflicts during 2020 shows that the number of locally reported civilian deaths from the use of explosive weapons was down by two thirds compared to the previous year. Of these fatalities, around half were in the first two months of 2020. Comprehensive new data released by Airwars in its Annual […]
25 Feb, 2021
Research
Iraq, Türkiye

Renewed military campaign in northern Iraq against PKK sees deaths of 13 Turkish captives

A renewed campaign by Turkey in mid February against a Kurdish militant faction – which has seen Turkish troops pushing deeper than ever before into northern Iraq – also saw the deaths of thirteen Turkish civilian and military captives in a highly controversial attack, Airwars monitoring of the region shows. On February 10th, the Turkish […]
12 Jan, 2021
Policy, Update
Iraq, Libya, Syria

Belgian parliament to vote on resolution to protect civilians from explosive weapon use in cities

The Belgian parliament is considering adopting a resolution to help protect civilians from the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas. The resolution calls for Belgium’s active participation in ongoing diplomatic negotiations among nations on an international political declaration to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, to help reduce […]
18 Nov, 2020
Investigations, Policy
Iraq, Syria

The Credibles: How Airwars secured the most comprehensive locational data on civilian harm ever released by the US military

The release is a major breakthrough in transparency and could help Iraqis and Syrians finally secure apologies and even reparations for the death of family members
29 Oct, 2020
Policy
Iraq

“Some families were completely wiped out”: The Mayor of Hawijah speaks out

On the night of June 2nd to June 3rd 2015, Dutch F-16s bombed an ISIS Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosives Devices (VBIED) factory in the city of Hawijah, in Iraq’s Kirkuk province. Secondary explosions triggered by the airstrike killed at least 70 civilians and wounded hundreds more. Today, the city of Hawijah is still recovering – not […]
25 Oct, 2020
Policy, Research
Iraq, Syria

Seeing through the rubble: Airwars and PAX launch joint report

Airwars and PAX have published a new joint report, Seeing Through The Rubble, examining the dire and long-lasting effects of explosive weapons on civilian populations in urban areas in recent international military campaigns in Mosul, Raqqa and Hawijah. The report calls upon States to develop and support an international political declaration to better protect civilians against […]
2 Oct, 2020
Policy
Iraq, Syria

Belgian airstrikes and the myth of zero civilian casualties

On October 1st, Belgium once again sent its F-16s to participate in Operation Inherent Resolve, fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Yet the Belgian, Iraqi and Syrian publics are still kept in the dark when it comes to civilian harm during previous deployments. The Belgian military to this day refuses to take responsibility for civilians […]
30 Sep, 2020
Policy
Iraq, Syria

On eve of Belgium’s return to war on ISIS, groups call for improved civilian harm accountability

On October 1st 2020, Belgium will send four F-16s to Iraq and Northeast Syria for a period of 12 months, to once again participate in Operation Inherent Resolve – the international campaign against so-called Islamic State. Yet Belgium has been one of the least transparent countries in the Coalition, refusing publicly to concede any civilian harm […]
7 Aug, 2020
Update
Iraq

Six years after the war against ISIS began, where now for Iraqis?

On the fateful evening of August 7th 2014, then-US President Barack Obama gave a live address to the nation announcing the beginning of military actions in Iraq against so-called Islamic State (also known as ISIS and Daesh), ushering in a new era of US involvement. The following day, US Navy F-18 Hornet fighters launched the […]
9 Jul, 2020
Update
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Türkiye, Yemen

New UN report insists Soleimani assassination by US was ‘unlawful’

The US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in Baghdad in January 2020, was unlawful on several counts, according to a new report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council by its expert on extrajudicial killings. Dr Agnes Callamard, the current UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, […]