US Investigating Civilian Casualties in Airstrikes Against ISIS

The Pentagon gave its most upbeat assessment to date Tuesday on progress in the fight against ISIS while acknowledging for the first time that U.S. Central Command was investigating "credible" incidents of civilian casualties from airstrikes.

US Investigating Civilian Casualties in Airstrikes Against ISIS

U.S. military officials have previously disputed reports of airstrikes killing civilians from human rights and Syrian opposition groups, but Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said that CentCom was now looking into several "credible allegations of possible civilian casualties" from the airstrikes.

Taken from: military.com

At a Pentagon briefing, Kirby was not specific on where or when the incidents occurred, other than to say that CentCom was investigating allegations made in recent weeks.

"We're very mindful" of the impact that so-called collateral damage can have on efforts to defeat insurgencies following the previous U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kirby said. "It matters to us" to avoid civilian casualties, Kirby said.

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The Ultimate Cold Warrior: 5 Weapons Russia Could Use in an Arctic War

Over the past decade, nations bordering on the Arctic have found themselves with a big new security problem. The melting of the arctic ice has opened up shipping lanes and opportunities for the exploitation for undersea resources, but has also exposed vulnerabilities for countries that have long considered their northern frontier secure.

It’s not surprising that Russia has prepared its military for arctic operations better than any other country. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union prepared to fight across the Arctic, both in the air and at sea. Many of the weapons and much of the expertise from that era have remained, leaving the Kremlin with a lethal set of capabilities. Here are five systems we can expect Russia to use in order to defend its interests in the Arctic Ocean, in case the unthinkable ever occurred.