Netherlands apologizes for 2015 Hawija, Iraq bombing that killed at least 70 civilians
Nearly a decade after an airstrike from a Dutch F-16 hit a bomb factory in Hawija, Iraq, causing a massive explosion that killed at least 70 civilians, the Netherlands has decided to issue a formal apology. An investigation released earlier this year found that the military relied on flawed intelligence and took unnecessary risks during the operation against ISIS.
The apology, delivered by Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans after Friday’s regular weekly Cabinet meeting, marks a continued shift in the Dutch government’s stance on the incident. For years, the precise number of civilian casualties remained disputed, with the Ministry of Defense initially downplaying the scale of the tragedy. However, mounting evidence culminating in a 2019 investigative report produced by NOS and NRC led to public pressure, with the Cabinet at the time approving the establishment of an independent inquiry, headed by former Justice Minister Winnie Sorgdrager.
Crucially, the commission found that the Dutch military was aware of the potential for significant civilian casualties due to the large quantity of explosives stored at the targeted site, but proceeded with the strike nonetheless. A significant portion of the residential area near the bomb-making facility was leveled. Families lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods.
The Sorgdrager Commission’s report, released earlier this year, was scathing in its assessment of the military’s actions. It concluded that the Dutch forces relied heavily on intelligence from the United States, which proved to be incomplete and inaccurate. “We were there,” Sorgdrager said in January. “We saw - not in detail, but just in a bird’s-eye view - what the damage was. It was enormous.”
The investigation also highlighted a lack of adequate oversight and risk assessment during the planning and execution of the airstrike. The Dutch team at the Qatar operations center was understaffed, and those working at the facility lacked crucial expertise in intelligence analysis and access to legal counsel. This shortage prevented them from independently evaluating the reliability of American intelligence and assessing the potential impact on civilians.
The years that followed the bombing were marked by a prolonged period of denial and obfuscation by successive Cabinets led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The government provided incomplete and inaccurate information to Parliament on different occasions, failing to acknowledge the true extent of the civilian casualties.
The Dutch government allocated 4.5 million euros for reconstruction and compensation efforts in Hawija. However, critics argue that this amount is insufficient to address the scale of the damage and suffering, pointing out that the city’s infrastructure was destroyed along with a great deal of its agricultural sector, the city’s primary source of income.
“Everything was destroyed. And yes, then you can’t really do much with 4.5 million,” Sorgdrager said.
Is Europe ready to trash the legacy of Princess Diana already, and for the sake of military madness?
Poland, Baltic states plan to leave treaty banning anti-personnel mines
March 18 (UPI) -- Poland and three Baltic states Tuesday announced their intention to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines to give their forces a critical defensive edge amid a "fundamental" deterioration of the security of NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus.
In a joint statement, the defense ministers of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said that with a significant increase in military threats and the unstable security situation marked by Russia's aggression and the ongoing threat it posed to the Euro-Atlantic community, the decision was aimed at sending an unequivocal message they were ready and able to take "every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom."
"We believe that in the current security environment, it is paramount to provide our defense forces flexibility and freedom of choice to potentially use new weapons systems and solutions to bolster the defense of the Alliance's vulnerable Eastern Flank," they said. "In light of these considerations, we unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention."
The ministers vowed the move would not weaken their respective countries' commitment to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during armed conflict, saying they would continue to uphold IHL principles "while addressing our security needs."
They insisted the move was warranted by the "dire security challenges" confronting them, asking Allies and partners who recognized that reality to "respect our decision in this matter."
Are Russia and Belarus building up attack forces on their borders? What is so dire other than the absurd panic that NATO has put Europe in?
The announcement came two weeks after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country, which saw parts of its territory annexed by Russia after World War II and the rest of the country forcibly subsumed into the Soviet-controlled communist-Eastern Bloc, would begin the process of quitting the landmines convention.
The war in Ukraine has seen Russia turn its neighbor into virtually the most mined country on Earth, according to the United Nations.
Ukraine, a signatory to the convention that has been provided with anti-personnel mines by the United States, has previously warned it cannot guarantee full compliance amid a battle for its very survival.
Enough with the hyperbole, already. Good grief! Every stupid, panicky move you make is a NATO threat to Russia and increases the threat to Europe, which, Russia has never attacked in its thousand-year history.
However, with no pressing military imperative to bring the banned mini-weapons, which are specifically designed to maim and kill troops as opposed to mines targeting tanks or ships, the ministers of the four countries said they would consult with allies and neighbors.
"Decisions regarding the Ottawa Convention should be made in solidarity and coordination within the region. At the same time, we currently have no plans to develop, stockpile, or use previously banned anti-personnel landmines," said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
Latvian defense staff chief Major General Kaspars Pudans told Politico recently that currently anti-tank mines and artillery were a higher priority for Latvia's defense.
Notably, Finland, which has a remote 830-mile-long eastern border with Russia, did not sign onto Tuesday's declaration but Defense Minister Antii Hakkanen said it was also thinking about quitting.
The United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan and South Korea are among more than 30 countries that have never signed the treaty.
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