Amnesty: Pentagon Weakening Civilian Safeguards May Breach US Law

2026-05-16 07:00:48

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Amnesty International said on May 15 that a new US Department of Defense inspector general report confirms that civilian protection mechanisms inside the American military are being systematically weakened, warning this could lead to increased civilian deaths in conflict zones.

The rights group said the findings support long-standing concerns that US military safeguards designed to prevent and respond to civilian harm are being reduced, undermining both domestic legal standards and international humanitarian law obligations.

Amnesty International USA's National Director of Government Relations, Amanda Klasing, said the report confirms that under the administration of Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has systematically dismantled key safeguards intended to reduce civilian casualties.

Civilian protection frameworks in the US military were originally expanded after years of criticism over airstrikes in the Middle East and Africa, where monitoring groups documented repeated failures in distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants during counterterrorism operations.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and other watchdog groups, have increasingly warned that reduced transparency and weakened oversight in modern drone and airstrike campaigns risk eroding accountability in both legal and military decision-making processes.

Amnesty cited“Operation Rough Rider” in Yemen in spring 2025, saying it resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties and cost more than $1 billion, while also describing a strike on a migrant detention center as one of the deadliest US airstrike incidents in years.

The group also referenced an airstrike in Minab, Iran, which allegedly killed 156 people, including 120 children, calling it a grave breach of international humanitarian law due to failure to take feasible precautions.

Amnesty said senior US officials showed disregard for civilian harm, pointing to internal communications and public remarks that it described as dismissive of civilian suffering during military operations.

The organization urged the US Congress to intervene and strengthen oversight, warning that continued weakening of safeguards could result in further unlawful civilian casualties in future US military operations.

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