Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent to Southern Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle between the towns of Jwayya and Mahrouna.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One martyred in the Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Kawnin
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone targets a car in the town of Kawnin
Naeini: If our national interests are attacked again, our response this time will be stronger and more destructive
Naeini: The war has proven that the settlers are defenseless against Iranian missile and drone forces
Naeini: Trump lacks an understanding of the true strength of the Iranian people and is so deluded as to believe he can change the reality of Iran's victory
Naeini: The defeat led to Trump's confusion and loss of balance, which was reflected in his ill-considered statements
IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Naeini: Trump's statements are a result of his defeat against Iran, and we advise him to abandon absurd policies
Gaza Government Media Office: The number of children martyred due to malnutrition has risen to 66
Saree: Loyal Yemen will not abandon its religious, moral, and humanitarian duties toward the Palestinian people

Trump seeks to shut down Pentagon office focused on civilian safety

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Washington Post
  • 24 Jan 2025 19:42
4 Min Read

The center, staffed by 30 experts with a $7 million annual budget, plays a vital role in advising battlefield commanders on minimizing civilian harm.

Listen
  • x
  • In this Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 file photo, Afghans inspect damage of Ahmadi family house after US drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP)
    In this Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 file photo, Afghans inspect damage of Ahmadi family house after US drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan (AP)

The Trump administration is moving to close the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, signaling a potential shift in how the US approaches civilian safety during military operations, The Washington Post reports.

Established in 2023 in response to high civilian death tolls, particularly during the "fight" against ISIS, the office was tasked with reducing harm to noncombatants. Reforms initiated by Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. led to its creation, and under President Biden, its efforts expanded to include embedding civilian protection specialists in operations centers, improving training programs, and refining data collection on civilian casualties.

According to WashPo, the center, staffed by 30 experts with a $7 million annual budget, "plays a role in advising battlefield commanders on minimizing civilian harm." Despite its importance, the Army is drafting a proposal to defund and potentially dissolve the office, with a decision deadline of February 21. While closing the office, which was mandated by law, would require congressional approval, military leaders could effectively sideline it by reallocating funding or personnel.

Casualty Debate

This potential closure coincides with significant ongoing debates about civilian casualties caused by US military operations. According to a study by Brown University's Costs of War project, post-9/11 US-led wars in the Middle East and North Africa have directly and indirectly caused at least 4.5 million deaths, with nearly 1 million direct deaths from wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia.

Related News

Assange declared a free man, boards plane headed to Australia

Biden says 'considering' Australia request to end Assange prosecution

Indirect deaths—estimated at 3.6–3.7 million—result from factors like economic collapse, destroyed healthcare infrastructure, malnutrition, and disease. Women and children disproportionately suffer these long-term impacts, the study highlights, with many deaths preventable if not for the wars' destructive ripple effects.

Read more: US post 9/11 wars caused 4.5 million deaths: Study

According to WashPo, Pete Hegseth, Trump's nominee for defense secretary, has been a vocal critic of what he describes as overly restrictive rules of engagement. Advocating for fewer legal constraints on US troops, he has supported leniency for soldiers accused of war crimes and backed Trump's first-term pardons for such cases.

Hegseth has also argued for a more "lethal" military strategy, stating that service members "fight lawyers as much as we fight bad guys."

Critics of the administration's move to dismantle the office warn of its broader implications. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), an Army veteran, called the office's mission "both a moral and national security imperative."

"Protecting civilians in conflict not only upholds our values but enhances our strategic objectives," Crow added. The Pentagon office had been well-received by military commands and senior leadership, and its closure would be seen as a regression in efforts to mitigate harm in combat zones, he said.

Costs of War project

The Costs of War project exmines the devastating human toll of US military operations, particularly in areas already suffering from poverty and instability. Researchers noted that indirect deaths are difficult to track but are no less significant, as they stem from the long-term destruction of economies, environments, and essential infrastructure.

The study concluded that reparations are "imperative" for alleviating the ongoing suffering caused by these wars. Stephanie Savell, co-director of the Costs of War project, emphasized that these wars' human costs, especially the indirect ones, remain largely unacknowledged in US discourse.

  • US war crimes
  • Pentagon
  • US wars
  • Pete Hegseth
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iranian worshippers carry their country's flags in a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, after the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran warns of NPT withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz closure after US attack

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli occupation soldiers search for settlers amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central occupied Palestine, on Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran missile strike flattens Bat Yam, displaces 2,000 settlers

Palestinian fighters from the Islamic Jihad militant group riding on a truck with weaponry on display take part in an anti-Israel parade marking the 36th anniversary of the movement's founding, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023 (AP)
Politics

Palestinian Resistance attacks Israeli forces in Khan Younis, Jabalia

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stands waiting to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran suspends IAEA cooperation, Araghchi blames Grossi for attacks

The commander of the Quds Force's Palestine Unit, Brigadier General Mohammad Said Izadi (Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail for Al Mayadeen English)
Politics

Who was Mohammad Said Izadi, head of the Quds Force's Palestine Unit?

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS