A U.S. soldier provides security near a blockade on a road toward Manbij, Syria, June 20, 2018. (Timothy R. Koster/U.S. Army)
The Defense Department inspector general will examine whether elite U.S. commando forces are doing enough to comply with the laws of armed conflict and hold violators accountable.
For decades the Defense Department has relied on covert and classified special operations troops to kick in doors and raid high-value targets around the world. The department’s Inspector General’s Office now may be taking its first broad look at whether those shadowy strike forces committed war crimes along the way.
The office sent a memo on Monday to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to Special Operations Command, advising them it was beginning an inquiry into whether the forces overseen by the command, which include the Navy SEAL teams, the Army’s Delta Force, Marine Raiders and other elite commandos, have programs in place to ensure they are following the law during combat, and whether they are reporting troops when those laws are broken.
The four-paragraph memo, which was first reported by Task & Purpose, could have seismic repercussions in the special operations community, current and former commandos and military legal experts say.
The Pentagon has come to rely heavily on special operations troops, who often conduct missions with little oversight, backed by a military and nation that often idolize the elite fighters. Accountability has at times been scant.
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Update #1: Pentagon to probe possible war crimes committed by troops downrange (Task and Purpose) Update #2: DoD to Investigate Special Operations' Compliance with War Crimes Laws (Military.com)
WNU Editor: This is part of President Biden's review .... Pentagon To Probe Middle East, Special Forces Law of War Violations Amid Biden Review (Newsweek).
The Inspector General's memo is here .... Evaluation of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command: Implementation of the DoD’s Law of War Program (US Department of Defense).
