The co-chairs of the House's Protection of Civilians in Conflict Caucus have called for a full investigation into a May 3 strike the U.S. military launched in Syria amid reports the target was not an al-Qaeda operative.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East, initially said the strike killed a "senior al-Qaeda leader" though there were reports within days that a civilian had been killed in the strike. On Thursday of last week, Maj. John Moore, a CENTCOM spokesman, told the Washington Examiner that CENTCOM is "investigating to determine whether or not the action may have unintentionally resulted in harm to civilians.”
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Lotfi Hassan Misto was killed by a missile strike on that day, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, a humanitarian response group often referred to as the “White Helmets." His family members disputed any terrorist connections, according to the Washington Post.
“We’re alarmed by reports that the U.S. military is no longer confident this strike killed a senior al-Qaeda official and instead may have killed Lotfi Hassan Misto, a father of ten who was tending to his sheep in northwest Syria," Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Jason Crow (D-CO), the co-chairs of the Protection of Civilians in Conflict Caucus, said in a statement. "Since forming this caucus last year, we’ve focused on preventing, reducing, and making amends for incidents of civilian harm — and it’s clear that our work is still sorely needed.
"We echo the Misto family’s demands for answers and urge a full investigation into what happened as well as potential plans to make amends," the lawmakers added. "Harming civilians reflects poorly on our values and creates fertile ground for political violence and terrorism. It’s critical we make this right.”
Misto had a normal morning on the day he was killed. He had breakfast with his family, herded his sheep, and had tea with his brother. But shortly after parting with his brother to return to his animals, an MQ-9 Predator drone launched a Hellfire missile at him, according to the Washington Post.
“If they claim that he’s a terrorist, or that they got someone from al-Qaeda,” Misto’s brother told the outlet, “they’re all liars.”
Since the start of the Biden administration, the Pentagon has faced criticism for two drone strikes that killed civilians, though one predated President Joe Biden's time in office.
The U.S. military targeted a civilian, killing him and nine others, including members of his family, in Afghanistan in August 2021. During the military’s final days there, the U.S. launched a drone strike to prevent what they believed to be an imminent attack on U.S. troops, but they acknowledged weeks later that Zemari Ahmadi, the target, had no terror ties.
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In late August 2022, the Pentagon unveiled a memorandum from Secretary Lloyd Austin detailing new changes to the military’s drone program that are intended to prevent civilian casualties. The memo expanded upon one issued from Austin back in late January, directing the creation of the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP).
Then in May of last year, the Pentagon completed an investigation into a March 2019 drone strike in Baghuz, Syria, that killed dozens of people, including women and children. It was concealed from the public until it was reported on more than two years later. Neither strike resulted in disciplinary action for those involved.