Intel: Pentagon chief orders reform to civilian harm policies
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's initiative follows pressure from lawmakers and fruitless attempts at reform under the prior administration.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday ordered Pentagon leadership to develop standardized procedures for documenting civilian harm caused by US military operations around the globe.
Austin specifically ordered the creation of a Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan within 90 days to implement recommendations by recent studies commissioned by the Pentagon, including one released by RAND Corp. today that found lack of information sharing about civilian casualties across the US military inhibited progress on harm reduction.
The initiative also aims to create a “civilian protection center” within the Pentagon to work out further methods to reduce civilian casualties.
In his memo to Defense Department officials today, Austin called the protection of civilians “a strategic and moral imperative.”
