Amid Civilian Harm Revelations, Defense Bill Takes Measured Steps on Oversight and Accountability

By John Ramming Chappell and Ari Tolany Recent months have seen a flood of revelations concerning civilian harm resulting from U.S. military operations. The last U.S. airstrike of the war in Afghanistan, which killed ten civilians including an aid worker and seven children, was soon followed by news of U.S. operations in Syria targeting and endangering civilians. Reporting from The…

Transatlantic Dialogue Highlights Importance of Legislative Oversight over the Protection of Civilians

By Katherine Kramer and Annie Shiel Earlier today, the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Drones and Modern Conflict hosted a UK-US legislators’ dialogue on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and sharing best practices across the Atlantic. The event was hosted by Stewart McDonald MP and featured a conversation with US Congressman Jim…

US in Review – April 2

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) shares regular updates about the work of our global programs. Our US program, helmed by US Program Director, Daniel R. Mahanty, works with US institutions to protect civilians trapped in conflict around the world. This biweekly newsletter is compiled by the program’s fellows.   The US in Afghanistan The…

Toward A More Responsible US Arms Trade Policy: Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration

By Annie Shiel, Seth Binder, Jeff Abramson, William Hartung, Rachel Stohl, Diana Ohlbaum, Adam Isacson, Brittany Benowitz and Daniel R. Mahanty In recent years, U.S. arms sold and transferred abroad have been used to commit gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) and fueled widespread civilian harm, corruption, and humanitarian crises in countries…

DOD’s New Ex Gratia Policy: What’s Right, What’s Wrong, and What’s Next

By Annie Shiel On June 22, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued an interim policy regulation for providing ex gratia payments to civilians harmed as a result of U.S. military operations. The issuance of this regulation is a welcome step forward in institutionalizing the practice of making amends and recognizing the significant harm that occurs in military operations. However,…