Commander says U.S. ‘probably had a role’ in scores of deaths
WASHINGTON — The senior United States commander in Iraq said Tuesday that an American airstrike likely triggered the collapse of a building in Mosul that killed more than 100 civilians this month, but indicated that an investigation would also examine whether the attack set off a larger blast from explosives set by militants.
It was the fullest acceptance of responsibility by an American commander since the March 17 strike, which — if confirmed — could potentially rank among one of the most devastating attacks on civilians by American forces in more than two decades.
“My initial assessment is that we probably had a role in these casualties,” said Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands the American-led task force that is fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. “If we did it … it was an unintentional accident of war.”
He asserted that “the munition that we used should not have collapsed an entire building” and that his “initial impression is the enemy had a hand in this.” IS militants are brazenly employing human shields in Mosul.
With an increase in reports of civilian casualties from the American bombing of IS targets in Iraq and Syria, some human rights groups have questioned whether the rules of engagement had been loosened since President Donald Trump took office.
Gen. Townsend said Tuesday he had won approval for “minor adjustments” to rules for the use of combat power. Among the changes were to “decentralize” decision-making, he said.
He insisted, however, that they were not a factor in the Mosul attack.
Gen. Townsend cast the changes as a return to the military’s offensive doctrine following the “very centralized” approach under former President Barack Obama.
Maj. Gen. Maan al-Saadi, an Iraqi special forces commander, told The New York Times his men had called in the American airstrikes that caused the civilian deaths in Mosul.
Gen. Townsend explained that any American airstrike requested by the Iraqis would also need to be approved by American forces.
Brig. Gen. Matthew Isler, an Air Force officer who serves as deputy to Gen. Townsend, has been put in charge of the investigation into the Mosul episode.
A formal investigation has already been opened into an airstrike that occurred on the same day near Aleppo, Syria, that allegedly killed dozens of civilians.
Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday also cited another Mosul airstrike on Saturday that it said killed up to 150 people.
In the meantime, Iraqi civil defense workers continue to sort through the rubble in western Mosul.