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

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6 Feb, 2020
Policy
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria

Dutch F-16 pilots break their silence on airstrikes and civilian harm

  “After a few months, it turned out that it had indeed been a wrong target. An error had been made in the intelligence process. Instead of being an ISIS target, it turned out to just be a house. A mix-up in targets. You think: shit, it’s not possible, is it? I felt sick when […]
29 Nov, 2019
Policy
Iraq

Dutch Ministry of Defence promises significant transparency changes

The Dutch government is promising to introduce transparency improvements for conflict-related civilian harm resulting from its military actions. The announcement came on November 25th, in the wake of an ongoing national scandal, following the withholding for more than four years of details of Dutch involvement in an airstrike on Hawijah, Iraq, on the night of […]
22 Oct, 2019
Update
Iraq

Investigation accuses Dutch military of involvement in 2015 Iraq airstrike which led to deaths of 70 civilians

On Friday October 18th, Dutch news organisations NRC and NOS published a story in which they accused the Dutch military of being responsible for a 2015 airstrike on an ISIS weapon storage facility in the city of Hawijah, Iraq, that led to the deaths of at least 70 civilians. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has […]
7 Aug, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

Five years of war and ISIS is defeated as a territorial entity – but civilian deaths remain largely uncounted

The fifth anniversary of the international war against so-called Islamic State has seen the total defeat of the terrorist group as a territorial entity in both Iraq and Syria. Now degraded to insurgency, the US and its allies try to contain the jihadist organisation. However, after five years of fighting the cost to civilians on […]
16 Jul, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

New Airwars study finds major challenges in US media coverage of civilian harm

Despite a significant majority of almost 100 surveyed journalists believing that the reporting of civilian casualties remains critical to broader war coverage, major US news organisations have too often failed properly to report on the issue during the five year conflict against so-called Islamic State. That’s the key finding of a major new Airwars study […]
1 May, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

France’s war without accountability

On May 16th 2017, Sajid Ahmed Sajid and his brother Amer Ahmad Sajid, two men in their fifties and each with a salt and pepper beard, were killed by a bomb that struck their house in the well-to-do neighbourhood of Al-Najjar in West Mosul, according to locals and local media. The Coalition’s public account of […]
25 Apr, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

At least 1,600 civilians died in US-led Coalition actions at Raqqa, major new study finds

A major new study by Amnesty International and Airwars has concluded that at least 1,600 civilians died in Coalition strikes on the city of Raqqa in 2017 during the battle to evict so-called Islamic State – ten times the number of fatalities so far conceded by the US-led alliance, which had admitted 159 deaths to […]
5 Feb, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

New Airwars project to examine US media coverage of civilian harm in war against ISIS

Hundreds of journalists will be canvassed for their views on recent conflict casualty reporting by the US media as part of a major new project by Airwars. The six month study—funded by the Reva and David Logan Foundation in the US, and the J Leon Philanthropy Council in the UK—aims to help assess and improve […]
10 Jan, 2019
Update
Iraq, Syria

Time for proper accountability now that Dutch aircraft and military personnel are home

On December 31st 2018, the participation of Netherlands F-16s in the international fight against so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria came to an agreed end, after almost four years of airstrikes. Despite conducting precision airstrikes, the Coalition has not always been successful in preventing civilian casualties – with the alliance overall admitting at […]
24 Sep, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Report: Airwars urges UK to improve accountability for civilian harm in Battles of Mosul and Raqqa

Despite being the most transparent among anti-ISIS Coalition members, non-admission of urban civilian casualties by UK is deemed unrealistic in new parliamentary report.
20 Sep, 2018
Policy, Report
Iraq, Syria

Credibility Gap – UK civilian harm assessments for the battles of Mosul and Raqqa

As part of its Inquiry into British military actions at Mosul and Raqqa, the UK Parliament’s Defence Select Committee issued a request for submissions from interested parties. Along with several other NGOs, Airwars submitted a detailed report looking into UK actions in the war against so-called Islamic State, and the broader issue of civilian harm. […]
8 Aug, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Four years of war and ISIS is almost defeated – but at what cost?

The fourth anniversary of the international war against ISIS sees the terror group almost defeated - though many thousands of civilians have died in the heavy fighting.
5 Jul, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

‘That’s just how we do it.’ Minister upholds court’s decision not to identify Dutch civilian harm events

Despite cross party calls for greater disclosure, the Defence Minister confirmed that no further details of four events will be released.
29 Jun, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

After more than a year of denials, Coalition admits killing 40 civilians in controversial strike

While credible reports of large numbers of civilians killed at al Mansoura emerged within hours, it has taken the Coalition 16 months to concede any harm.
5 Jun, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Amnesty says US-led Coalition likely violated international law at Raqqa

Investigators traveled to Raqqa and spoke with more than 100 witnesses and victims, with their report highlighting the deaths of dozens of members of just four families.
30 May, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

‘A city full of flies’: The crews digging out bodies in Raqqa

The Raqqa Reconstruction Committee is still recovering the dead from this shattered city - all the time at risk from unexploded ISIS munitions.
3 May, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

UK admits an anti-ISIS civilian casualty for the first time

After nearly four years of strikes the UK has finally admitted to a single civilian casualty
13 Apr, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Netherlands admits civilian harm in Iraqi airstrikes – but won’t say where or when

Dutch military still refuses to say where or when civilians were killed or injured in Iraqi strikes - or how many casualties.
5 Apr, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Counting the dead in Mosul

Thousands of civilians were killed during the battle for Mosul, but there is no official death toll.
29 Mar, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Australia admits killing two civilians during battle for Mosul

Australia remains the only American ally to admit any civilian harm after almost four years of strikes
15 Mar, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Resumed Dutch air campaign against ISIS sees transparency improvements

The Netherlands - often criticized for being the least transparent member of the US-led Coalition - has improved its public reporting since strikes renewed in January
12 Mar, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Raqqa: a city destroyed then forgotten

Tens of thousands of US bombs and missiles helped drive Islamic State from Raqqa. But now the dead are being forgotten.
7 Mar, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

UN investigators accuse the US-led Coalition and Russia of likely violating laws of war in Syria

In 2015, the UN Commission said it wouldn't investigate foreign airstrikes in Syria. Now it is citing Security Council members for unlawful strikes.
10 Jan, 2018
Update
Iraq, Syria

Former RAF commander: British claims of zero civilian deaths ‘not credible’

'Stop treating the British people as mugs,' senior Labour politician tells MoD as it continues to insist no civilians harmed in 1,600 airstrikes
16 Dec, 2017
Update
Iraq, Syria

Measuring the cost of Iraq’s victory over ISIS

Iraqi forces supported by the international Coalition have driven so-called Islamic State from the nation's cities and towns. The cost in lives has been significant.
2 Dec, 2017
Update
Iraq, Syria

Counting the Uncounted: Azmat Khan and Anand Gopal on their groundbreaking civilian casualty study

US-led alliance has still made no public comment on 18-month investigation, which found that deaths from Coalition airstrikes were up to 31 times higher than acknowledged.
1 Dec, 2017
Update
Iraq, Syria

Airwars meets with MPs as the Netherlands prepares to resume mission against Islamic State

Parliamentary hearing is told that Dutch military transparency is the weakest among all allies in the international Coalition.
19 Oct, 2017
Update
Iraq, Syria

More than 1,800 civilians killed overall in defeat of ISIS at Raqqa, say monitors

The former ISIS 'capital' has been captured from the terror group after months of hard fighting. But the cost to civilians - and for the city itself - has been high.
20 Sep, 2017
Update
Syria

Intensity of Coalition’s Raqqa bombardment greater than for all of Afghanistan, official data shows

On average one Coalition bomb, missile or artillery shell struck Raqqa every eight minutes in August - with local monitors reporting a devastating toll on civilians
15 Sep, 2017
Update
Iraq, Syria

Former Coalition commander Lt Gen Townsend responds to Airwars article on Raqqa

Lt Gen Stephen Townsend, former commander of the US-led Coalition, takes issue with Airwars assessments of Raqqa civilian casualties