As a Secret Unit Pounded ISIS, Civilian Deaths Mounted – The New York Times

Civilian Deaths Mounted as Secret Unit Pounded ISIS (Published 2021)

An American strike cell alarmed its partners as it raced to defeat the enemy.

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/12/us/civilian-deaths-war-isis.html

As bad strikes mounted, the four military officials said, Talon Anvil’s partners sounded the alarm. Pilots over Syria at times refused to drop bombs because Talon Anvil wanted to hit questionable targets in densely populated areas. Senior C.I.A. officers complained to Special Operations leaders about the disturbing pattern of strikes. Air Force teams doing intelligence work argued with Talon Anvil over a secure phone known as the red line. And even within Talon Anvil, some members at times refused to participate in strikes targeting people who did not seem to be in the fight.