Limited Accountability: A transparency audit of the anti-ISIL Coalition

Airwars

12 December 2016

This Airwars study for the Remote Control Project explores transparency and accountability issues within the US-led Coalition. It is based partly on in-depth briefings from senior officials from four sample belligerents (the US, Canada, the UK and Denmark) – and in part on two years of extensive Airwars modelling of the war
against ISIL.

The report aims not only to provide a detailed understanding of how such ad hoc coalitions work – but also to identify transparency and accountability good practice for belligerents, and to offer policy recommendations for future airpower-based conflicts.

Image credit: Wikimedia.

About the Authors

Airwars is a collaborative, not-for-profit transparency project monitoring and assessing civilian casualties from international airstrikes in Iraq, Syria and Libya. It seeks transparency and accountability from belligerents, while advocating on behalf of affected civilians. Airwars also archives all open-source reports of civilian casualties, and military claims by nations. With thirteen Coalition allies active in Iraq or Syria – along with the Iraq government, Russia, Iran and the Assad regime – there is a pressing public interest need for independent, trustworthy public analysis.

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