In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. State Department has launched an initiative to probe allegations of civilian harm inflicted by foreign forces using American-manufactured weaponry, as reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday.
On August 23, a State Department cable was dispatched to all foreign embassies and consulates, outlining the new Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance (CHIRG). This guidance provides a blueprint for action when partner governments are suspected of utilizing American weapons to harm or kill civilians, according to the Post. This is the inaugural formal system aimed at addressing the collateral damage linked to U.S. arms exports and potentially penalizing abuses committed by allied nations.
In instances where reports are verified, the cable suggests measures such as suspending arms sales, the Post reported.
While the State Department spearheads this initiative, it also involves significant contributions from the Department of Defense (DOD), the intelligence community, and other U.S. agencies.
In August 2022, the Pentagon launched its own strategy aimed at reducing and appropriately responding to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. operations overseas. Over years of counterinsurgency operations, flawed targeting or negligent planning has led to several regrettable incidents, including the erroneous bombing of a U.S. employee in Afghanistan in 2021 and a 2017 airstrike on an Islamic State weapons cache that resulted in the deaths of over 100 Iraqi civilians, according to the Post.
However, the State Department's program is designed to enhance transparency when nations benefiting from U.S. weapons sales or leases use those weapons to harm civilians, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
In 2019, for instance, Saudi Arabia used American-made bombs on Yemeni villages, resulting in the deaths of 200 civilians. This led the Trump administration to suspend certain weapons sales to Riyadh, according to the Post.
Mira Resnick, a senior official in the State Departments Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, stated, "It is not only the right thing to do from a moral perspective. It is more effective for U.S. national security if our partners are using these items responsibly," according to the Post.
The Biden administration has informed Congress of approximately $81 billion in foreign military sales so far in 2023, as reported by the Forum on the Arms Trade.
Under the new system, the involved American agencies will gather reports from diplomatic or intelligence sources, the United Nations, media, and civil society organizations, according to the Post, citing instructions contained in the August cable. If a claim can be substantiated, officials will propose response options for department leaders, or the deputy secretary of state if the incident is significant.
Potential consequences for the offending governments could range from renewed training and education to more severe actions like banning future arms sales or initiating a diplomatic response, according to the Post.
The new guidelines establish an official process for activities that the State Department previously conducted in a more reactionary manner and "isn't dependent upon workload, bandwidth, or political will to go out and investigate incidents," Christopher Le Mon, a senior official in the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Rights and Labor office, told the Post.
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