For years, critics have sounded the alarm on targeted airstrike campaigns carried out by the U.S. Now, investigations published in December by The New York Times reveal how a secret U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State was riddled with imprecise targeting and flawed intelligence — further proof of a larger pattern of reckless strikes by the U.S. that have killed thousands of innocent civilians.
The mounting evidence contradicts the “promise of precision” championed by several presidential administrations that claimed airstrikes were an effective way to wage war against terrorism because they hit their targets while minimizing civilian casualties. The latest reports raise more questions as the Biden administration, while promising to impose targeting rules and civilian safeguards, has signaled a commitment to continue strikes by drones or piloted planes.
Over the past two decades, American presidents have increasingly relied on targeted strikes as a central feature of their counterterrorism strategy. President George W. Bush was the first to use armed drones in the aftermath of Sept. 11. President Barack Obama expanded the use of drone strikes and maintained a “kill list” of potential targets that he personally vetted.
