US Southern Command's Civilian Harm Tracking Team Gutted, Leaving Pentagon to Handle Reports
The US military's civilian harm tracking team at Southern Command has been significantly downsized, leaving the Pentagon to handle reports of civilian casualties from its operations in Latin America. According to two government officials, the team was reduced from four staff members to just one contractor, making it impossible for the command to cope with the volume of reports.
As a result, the Pentagon is now accepting reports directly, bypassing the Southern Command's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. The center, established by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is intended to help limit unintended civilian deaths and provide a mechanism for tracking and responding to civilian harm incidents.
However, experts and insiders say that even one report of civilian casualties is now too much for Southern Command to handle. The command's inability to track civilian harm comes as lawmakers are set to receive a classified briefing on the US attack on Venezuela, which reportedly killed at least 100 people and injured many more.
The Pentagon has faced criticism over its handling of civilian casualties in recent years, with some experts arguing that the military has not done enough to prevent or mitigate harm to civilians. The establishment of the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence was seen as a positive step towards addressing this issue, but its effectiveness is now being undermined by the downsizing of the tracking team.
The US military's actions in Venezuela have been widely condemned by experts and lawmakers, who argue that they violate international law and pose a threat to civilian life. The Pentagon has denied any wrongdoing, with Secretary of War Hegseth praising the "precision" of the strikes and the "gallantry" of the personnel involved.
As the situation continues to unfold, concerns are growing about the ability of US military commanders to respond to reports of civilian harm incidents. Experts and lawmakers are calling for greater transparency and accountability in the Pentagon's handling of such incidents, as well as more robust mechanisms for tracking and responding to civilian harm.
The US military's civilian harm tracking team at Southern Command has been significantly downsized, leaving the Pentagon to handle reports of civilian casualties from its operations in Latin America. According to two government officials, the team was reduced from four staff members to just one contractor, making it impossible for the command to cope with the volume of reports.
As a result, the Pentagon is now accepting reports directly, bypassing the Southern Command's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. The center, established by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is intended to help limit unintended civilian deaths and provide a mechanism for tracking and responding to civilian harm incidents.
However, experts and insiders say that even one report of civilian casualties is now too much for Southern Command to handle. The command's inability to track civilian harm comes as lawmakers are set to receive a classified briefing on the US attack on Venezuela, which reportedly killed at least 100 people and injured many more.
The Pentagon has faced criticism over its handling of civilian casualties in recent years, with some experts arguing that the military has not done enough to prevent or mitigate harm to civilians. The establishment of the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence was seen as a positive step towards addressing this issue, but its effectiveness is now being undermined by the downsizing of the tracking team.
The US military's actions in Venezuela have been widely condemned by experts and lawmakers, who argue that they violate international law and pose a threat to civilian life. The Pentagon has denied any wrongdoing, with Secretary of War Hegseth praising the "precision" of the strikes and the "gallantry" of the personnel involved.
As the situation continues to unfold, concerns are growing about the ability of US military commanders to respond to reports of civilian harm incidents. Experts and lawmakers are calling for greater transparency and accountability in the Pentagon's handling of such incidents, as well as more robust mechanisms for tracking and responding to civilian harm.
This development is a major setback for the US military's efforts to prioritize civilian safety 
. The downsizing of the Civilian Harm Tracking Team at Southern Command has left a gaping hole in the system, making it increasingly difficult for the command to track and respond to reports of civilian casualties 
. The fact that the Pentagon is now handling all reports directly is a recipe for disaster, as they lack the expertise and resources to properly investigate and mitigate harm 
. It's alarming that one report of civilian casualties is now too much for Southern Command to handle, especially given the recent incident in Venezuela 
. The US military's actions in Venezuela have been widely condemned by experts and lawmakers, and this downsizing only serves to underscore their concerns about transparency and accountability 
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it's like they're leaving all the dirty work to the Pentagon 
and let's be real the Pentagon isn't exactly known for being transparent 
about their actions so now we gotta rely on lawmakers to tell us what's really going on 
and I'm all for accountability but this is just sloppy 
one contractor can't handle all these reports of civilian casualties it's a recipe for disaster 
The Pentagon is trying to handle all these civilian casualties on its own? Good luck with that! It's like asking me to cook dinner for the whole family without looking at the recipe 
. I'm surprised they didn't just call a food delivery guy instead of sending in troops... or a lawyer, tbh 
Anyway, hope they get their act together before someone gets hurt again 
I don't think we should be criticizing the military too harshly for something that could've been a mistake in the heat of the moment... accidents happen! 
The fact that they're taking responsibility and trying to improve their processes is what matters. We shouldn't be expecting perfection from our military personnel.
. I mean, we're talking about a civilian harm tracking team being gutted at Southern Command? That's just not right. It's like they're setting the Pentagon up for failure. One contractor can't possibly handle all those reports of civilian casualties in Latin America. And now they're having to rely on the Pentagon to take care of it... like that's gonna work out.
this is insane! who's gonna be responsible if these people get hurt by american strikes? it's all on the pentagon now... they need to figure out a way to track that stuff better 
... but at the same time, isn't that kinda better than having a team that's barely even there? 
Like, one contractor is literally handling ALL the reports now... it's wild 
i'm all for taking care of our national interests, but at what cost? can't we find a better way to do this without causing so much harm? 
. The fact that a single contractor is now responsible for tracking reports of civilian casualties from Southern Command is just not right. It shows that even one report of civilian harm can be overwhelming for the command, which is what's been happening in Venezuela. We need to see more action taken by the Pentagon to prevent these incidents and make sure they're being held accountable 
this is super concerning, what's happening to that team? they were trying to make a difference and now its all on one person... or even no one, like how can you track 100+ people being killed in an attack?! 
and let someone else handle the other stuff.
I'm not surprised at all that the Civilian Harm Tracking Team got axed from Southern Command 
. It's just another example of how the military is only looking out for its own interests, rather than actually taking care of the civilians they're supposed to be protecting 
. How can you expect to avoid civilian casualties if you don't even have the right tools in place to track them? 
It just feels like they're not taking this seriously enough and it's gonna lead to more problems down the line. The fact that lawmakers are getting a classified briefing on Venezuela and still we don't know all the details is insane! 
.