Essay Example on On March 17 2017 more than 200 Iraqi civilians died

On March 17 2017 more than 200 Iraqi civilians died at the hands of US officials An airstrike had been ordered to target Mosul by the United States Central Command The attack was intended to inflict damage on ISIL equipment and personnel Sitting alongside these ISIL members were Iraqi civilians taking cover in basements of the Mosul neighborhood As the attack was carried out the U S s mission was accomplished but unfortunately Iraqi civilian casualties came with it The United States Central Command should not have ordered the coalition airstrike on Mosul because of the presence of innocent Iraqi civilians Keywords Coalition traumatized PTSD ISIL The people affected first hand are often the most reliable and accurate sources to receive insight from In this case an Iraqi Mosul resident who was lucky enough to survive the coalition airstrike could explain his experience of the tragedy that occurred on that day Assad a 32 year old explains that he saw his father brother two sisters and two cousins die in front of him Chulov 2017 p 1 His mother was his only relative to survive but she was badly hurt from the rubble that hit her from one of the explosions One very distressed Iraqi woman explains conditions thoroughly saying she tried to go outside Everything was burning Fire was everywhere Her husband s family were all killed She was wiping her face and was covered in blood Everyone was covered in blood Hall 2017 p 1 

This goes to show how not only that the deaths were inhumane but the survivors were traumatized to an extent beyond understanding No matter if the damage was psychological or physical complications such as post traumatic stress disorder PTSD bruises broken bones cuts and death should not be tolerated Any humane person can see that arguments supporting the Mosul Airstrike are invalid and barbarous at the same time The irony that the United States has a goal to protect Iraqi civilians and destroy ISIL the ones that are a threat to them is absurd because it seems that the U S is just as threatening In addition the insight of other nations serves an important role in the determination of whether the act of going through with the airstrike was justified The United Nations explains that the Iraqi and coalition forces have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law Almukhtar 2017 p 1 They also explained that the American led coalition should rethink their strategies after the deadly attack in Mosul Also the United Nations which is comprised of 193 total nations including the United States expressed its concern saying it was stunned by this terrible loss of life Rasheed 2017 p 1 

For someone of high caliber to question the strategies put forth by the United States signifies that flaws are present in the U S s approach and with these imperfections no airstrike should have been ordered While it is true that the U S had the intention of targeting ISIL fighters and equipment the risk that is taken when targeting a civilian occupied location invalidates any reasoning to go through with the attack The loss of civilian life far outweighs the small gain from destroying a minuscule portion of ISIL personnel and equipment Obviously United States officials failed to see this and were blindsided by the goal to destroy ISIL as a whole Sadly Mosul civilians were forced to deal with the repercussions that came along with the Coalition Airstrike Is that a price that you would be willing to pay for such an insignificant advantage The United States choice to go through with the air strike is not justified and officials should not have gone through with it as the lives of many were lost and others put in jeopardy When any action has a potential to put innocent lives in danger the risk is too great to follow through with it These actions threatening the lives of innocent civilians can in no way be validated or defended This puts the United States at fault for making decision to go through it because they knew the risks involved and went through with it anyway Speak up for those who could not and bring attention to the injustices that were made against Mosul civilians