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
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

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

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

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