United States Kills 1,600 Civilians in Raqqa, Syria. Goes Unnoticed by Mainstream Media.
Its no secret that United States foreign policy is responsible for most of the destabilization and chaos we see in the world today. For the entirety of our history we have been an imperial empire. The United States has participated in some of the worlds worst human rights violations, from the genocide of the Native Americans to the funding of terrorist groups around the globe as I write this sentence. These facts are conveniently glossed over, not even mentioned in our history books, and rarely paid attention to by society. So it comes as no surprise that a United States led coalition led the way in the killing of 1,600 Civilians in Syria, without receiving any coverage by the mainstream US based media.
Thanks to publications like Aljazeera, and The Intercept, along with others, United States citizens can get an outside, unbiased view on the actions of the United States government. According to reporting by Aljazeera, a United States led assault to expel ISIL from the Syrian capital of Raqqa, "...in 2017 killed more than 1,600 civilians, a figure 10 times what the coalition has acknowledged...".
Outside government watchdog groups such as Amnesty International have reported that the position of the United States is that, "We are the good guys...We do everything humanly possible consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties al all costs", according to former Defense Secretary, General James (Mad-Dog) Mattis.
Unfortunately, United States actions in Syria don't seem to match up with the rhetoric coming out of the pentagon. Amnesty International reports that, "In just just one tragic incident, four families were killed...on 25 September 2017. The strike killed at least 32 civilians - four men, eight women and 20 children - who were just trying to stay alive".
According to Amnesty International this conduct that the United States has repeatedly participated in, "...violates the principles of the distinction and proportionality - fundamental requirements of international humanitarian law. Disproportionate or indiscriminate attacks are war crimes".
The 1,600 civilians killed were just the numbers revealed from the battle to 'liberate' the Syrian city of Raqqa. Reporting by the Intercept states that, "...more than 7,700 civilians have been killed in Iraq and Syria...". Im sure those 7,700 people and their families don't feel liberated while they mourn the loss of their loved ones amongst the rubble of their homes. According to the Intercept, as of March, "...the Pentagon estimated fewer than 1,300 deaths".
To make matters worse, the White House froze more than $200 million the Department of State had set aside for Syrian reconstruction. Why would we spend money on restoring civility and stability within foreign nations when we can spend money on creating chaos abroad that the military industrial complex can then profit off.