US Military Unit Failing to Properly Track Civilian Casualties in Venezuela Attack
The Pentagon is now accepting reports directly from watchdog group Airwars, following criticism that the US Southern Command unit responsible for the January 3 attack on Venezuela was unable to cope with the volume of civilian casualty reports stemming from the operation.
According to two government officials, the Southern Command has been "gutted" in terms of personnel devoted to tracking and mitigating civilian harm. The unit had previously relied on a single contractor, compared to four staff members before that.
Airwars, which documented seven incidents involving civilians killed or injured in the attack, told The Intercept that it would continue to submit reports directly to the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, rather than waiting for SOUTHCOM to establish its own mechanism.
The US military has long been accused of failing to adequately track and respond to civilian casualties in conflict zones. In 2022, the Pentagon unveiled a comprehensive plan to prevent and mitigate civilian harm during military operations, but experts say that efforts are being undermined by cuts to staff and resources.
In an interview with The Intercept, Airwars Executive Director Emily Tripp said: "The U.S. military has spent years working on how it prevents and responds to civilian harm, and now, despite the progress made, we're seeing a lack of accountability and transparency."
Critics say that the cuts to staff and resources have left US Southern Command unable to handle even small numbers of civilian casualty reports, let alone larger ones.
"This is a concerning sign," said Annie Shiel, director of advocacy at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. "Without adequate dedicated staff, it's unclear how SOUTHCOM is addressing these reports."
The Pentagon has refused to comment on the issue, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praising the precision and gallantry of the strikes, despite the lack of transparency around civilian casualties.
As the US Southern Command unit takes shape under new leadership, experts warn that a culture of accountability and transparency must be prioritized to prevent further harm to civilians.
The Pentagon is now accepting reports directly from watchdog group Airwars, following criticism that the US Southern Command unit responsible for the January 3 attack on Venezuela was unable to cope with the volume of civilian casualty reports stemming from the operation.
According to two government officials, the Southern Command has been "gutted" in terms of personnel devoted to tracking and mitigating civilian harm. The unit had previously relied on a single contractor, compared to four staff members before that.
Airwars, which documented seven incidents involving civilians killed or injured in the attack, told The Intercept that it would continue to submit reports directly to the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, rather than waiting for SOUTHCOM to establish its own mechanism.
The US military has long been accused of failing to adequately track and respond to civilian casualties in conflict zones. In 2022, the Pentagon unveiled a comprehensive plan to prevent and mitigate civilian harm during military operations, but experts say that efforts are being undermined by cuts to staff and resources.
In an interview with The Intercept, Airwars Executive Director Emily Tripp said: "The U.S. military has spent years working on how it prevents and responds to civilian harm, and now, despite the progress made, we're seeing a lack of accountability and transparency."
Critics say that the cuts to staff and resources have left US Southern Command unable to handle even small numbers of civilian casualty reports, let alone larger ones.
"This is a concerning sign," said Annie Shiel, director of advocacy at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. "Without adequate dedicated staff, it's unclear how SOUTHCOM is addressing these reports."
The Pentagon has refused to comment on the issue, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praising the precision and gallantry of the strikes, despite the lack of transparency around civilian casualties.
As the US Southern Command unit takes shape under new leadership, experts warn that a culture of accountability and transparency must be prioritized to prevent further harm to civilians.
the us military can't even track civilian casualties in venezuela lol what even is going on over there 
the fact that they gotta rely on a contractor for tracking stuff is just basic 
and now they're cutting staff and resources because of it idk how else are they supposed to prevent harm to civilians? 
this whole thing is giving me major anxiety 
this is crazy how they're failing to track civilian casualties like that in venezuela attack... gotta think what's gonna happen if there's more incidents 
They know they gotta be more transparent about it tho. I feel bad 4 all da innocent ppl who got hurt or killed during dat attack. We need 2 see some real change 'n accountability 
...like what even is going on with the US military right now? They're supposed to be protecting people not causing more harm! The fact that they can't even track civilian casualties properly in a country like Venezuela where innocent lives are literally being lost is just heartbreaking 
. And it's not like this is an isolated incident, experts say this is just another example of the US military failing to prioritize accountability and transparency...it's like they're more interested in their own PR than actual human life 
. Anyway, I'm literally so frustrated and disappointed in this news 
so i was reading about this US military unit in Venezuela and it made me think of a diagram 
. and it's not just about Venezuela, this is a bigger issue with the US military in general 
. we need more transparency & accountability 
They've been cutting staff and resources left and right, and now we're seeing the consequences. Seven people killed or injured, and who knows how many more? The Pentagon is just sitting there like a stone wall, refusing to comment on it. 
It's all so... suspicious.
. It's one thing to have a plan in place for preventing civilian harm, but if you can't even handle small numbers of reports, how do you expect to respond when things get bigger? 
. The lack of accountability and transparency is really concerning, especially when it comes to something as serious as this attack 
.
the pentalon needs 2 get its act together and prioritize civilian safety like for real its not that hard to set up proper tracking systems 
anyhoo gotta say i'm so disappointed in the lack of accountability and transparency from the pentagon it's like they're just sweeping this under the rug 
. They had like, one contractor and now they're relying on some watchdog group to submit reports? That's just not right. And what's with the cuts to staff and resources? It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug 
this is so messed up! I mean, we've seen it in movies like "Zero Dark Thirty" where they gotta deal with collateral damage, but in real life, it's just not okay. The US military has some serious growing up to do if they wanna be held accountable for their actions. It's all about prioritizing those civilian casualties & making sure they're getting the help they need 
omg this is so worrying ppl need 2 know whats goin on in these conflict zones its not just about losin lives but also abt the lack of aftercare 4 the victims & their families 
. It highlights the need for a culture of accountability and transparency, which seems to be lacking currently 
.
... it's like they're just winging it and hoping for the best 
. I mean, who needs dedicated staff and resources when you've got a comprehensive plan in place, right? 
. And now they're just going to hand it over to this watchdog group Airwars because, clearly, that's not enough 
, cant just gut the staff and expect it to magically work 
. And the fact that they didn't have enough staff to handle it is just crazy... like, how can four people deal with 7 reports? 
. It's just so frustrating when you're watching the news and you don't get any answers about something that's happening on the ground 
.