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Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

The Guardian · · 930 words · By Joseph Gedeon; Cate Brown
Military accountability Civilian casualties US-Iran conflict
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/15/pentagon-civilian-death-program

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Pity 60% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.
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False Cause 70% confidence
Assuming causation from correlation or temporal sequence.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 5
check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“The Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the Pentagon dismantled a legally required program to prevent and respond to civilian deaths, citing internal watchdog/defense officials.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) is a federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Defense charged with protecting and safeguarding the occupants, visitors, and inf…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Force_Protection_Agen…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Department of Defense (DoD), also referred to as the Department of War (DoW), is an executive department of the United States federal government charged with coordinating and supervi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_De…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“A report released by the department’s inspector general concluded the US military no longer has the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy, and operate a Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE).”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general theme of dismantling the program is corroborated in claim 0, the specific details regarding the 'lack of people, tools or infrastructure' and the specific mention of the 'Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE)' are not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, though they align with the general reporting.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Department of the Army Civilian Police (DACP), also known as the Department of the Army Police (DA Police), is the uniformed, civilian-staffed security police program of the United States Army. It…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_the_Army_Civilia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Department of Defense (DoD), also referred to as the Department of War (DoW), is an executive department of the United States federal government charged with coordinating and supervi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_De…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States secretary of defense (SecDef), secondarily titled the secretary of war (SecWar), is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the executive department of the U.S. Ar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Def…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“funding had ended for a data management platform; committee meetings had halted; and many dedicated personnelhad been lost or reassigned.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general dictionary definitions and funding descriptions, with no specific information regarding the CHMR data management platform or personnel reassignments.
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web search NEUTRAL — Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or compan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funding
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web search NEUTRAL — Funding As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH supports a variety of programs from grants and contracts to loan repayment. Learn about assistance programs, how to identi…
https://grants.nih.gov/funding
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web search NEUTRAL — Free funding information available in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit centers nationwide. Grants Resources by State (Grantsmanship Center) Click on state map to find links to inf…
https://www.senate.gov/CRS/grants.htm
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“The program was created by Lloyd Austin, then defense secretary, in January 2022, under Joe Biden”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed the CHMR program/instruction in January 2022.
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web search NEUTRAL — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III directed the writing of an instruction on CHMR in a January 2022 memo.The instruction also states the Defense Department must develop professional tracks relat…
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/pentagon-releases-instr…
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web search NEUTRAL — On August 25, 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III approved and released the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP)—an action plan that creates new institutions and proc…
https://lieber.westpoint.edu/new-us-department-defense-instr…
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web search NEUTRAL — In January 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin .At the same time, Secretary Austin directed the establishment of a civilian protection center of excellence, tasked with providing analysis, learnin…
https://www.interaction.org/blog/defense-department-releases…
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“Airwars, a civilian harm monitor, estimated that US drone and airstrikes killed at least 22,000 civilians – and perhaps as many as 48,000 – in the 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm the Airwars estimate of 22,000 to 48,000 civilian deaths since 9/11.
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web search NEUTRAL — US drone and airstrikes have killed at least 22,000 civilians – and perhaps as many as 48,000 – since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, according to new analysis published by the civilian harm monit…
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/07/u…
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web search NEUTRAL — US drone and air strikes have killed over 22,000 civilians – possibly as many as 48,000 – across the Middle East and North Africa since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, according to UK watchdog Airwars.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/12761535
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web search NEUTRAL — At least 22,000 civilians, and as many as 48,000, have been killed by U.S. drone and airstrikes since the so-called “War on Terror” began in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearl…
https://southfront.press/up-to-48000-civilians-killed-by-us-…
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“Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, has recently come under fire over deadly attacks on Iran, including a US strike in Minab that killed at least 175 people, a majority of them children, at an all-girls school.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm a US strike in Minab, Iran, that killed at least 175 people, primarily children at an elementary school.
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web search NEUTRAL — More than 175 people, mostly children, were reportedly killed when an elementary school in Minab was hit by an apparent airstrike on Feb. 28 during a wave of attacks across Iran by the U.S. and Israel…
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/01/world/middleeast/girls-sc…
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web search NEUTRAL — The missile strike killed at least 175 people, mostly schoolchildren. President Trump initially denied any U.S. involvement in the incident and pointed the finger at Tehran.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/11/john-kenned…
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web search NEUTRAL — A U.S. military investigation determined in its preliminary findings that the United States conducted an attack on an Iranian elementary school that killed at least 175 people, most of them children, …
https://theintercept.com/2026/03/11/iran-school-missile-inve…
info
“Department of War, rebranded on his watch from Department of Defense last September.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists of dictionary definitions for 'department' and a link to the Oregon Employment Department. There is no evidence provided that the DoD was rebranded as the Department of War in September.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 7, 2026 · The meaning of DEPARTMENT is a functional or territorial division. How to use department in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/department
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web search NEUTRAL — DEPARTMENT definition: a distinct part of anything arranged in divisions; a division of a complex whole or organized system. See examples of department used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/department
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web search NEUTRAL — Support economic stability for Oregonians and communities during times of unemployment through the payment of unemployment benefits. Serve businesses by recruiting and referring the best qualified app…
https://www.oregon.gov/employ/Pages/default.aspx
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“there are only seven people left reporting to the program”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'only' and a clothing store, which are irrelevant to the claim about personnel numbers in the CP CoE program.
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web search NEUTRAL — Discover womenswear that emphasizes feminine strength, self-confidence, and style. Shop at ONLY's official store today!
https://www.only.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · The meaning of ONLY is unquestionably the best : peerless. How to use only in a sentence. Placement of Only in a Sentence: Usage Guide
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only
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web search NEUTRAL — Discover everything about the word "ONLY" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/english-language-learni…
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“Bryant was forced out of his job last spring, as the Trump administration removed safeguards that once restrained US forces from authorizing the use of lethal force, according to a ProPublica report.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
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“The inspector general’s report, published on 13 May, points to an inflection point in February, when two senior officials – the acting under secretary of war for policy, Elbridge Colby, and the secretary of the army, Dan Driscoll – separately proposed to Hegseth the program be cut or eliminated.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
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“The CHMR steering committee – a senior body chaired by Colby, and Christopher Mahoney, vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, tooversee the entire program – held its last meeting in December, according to the report.”
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“One combatant command official told the inspector general that their command had “largely divested their CHMR personnel, functions, and responsibilities as of March 2025””
PENDING
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“The report found that the steering committee did not assign clear offices of primary responsibility to each of the programs 133 actions until that December”
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“The most deadly US strike on Iran since the US and Israel launched the war, on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary school in Minab, occurred on 28 February”
PENDING
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“The inspector general gave the Pentagon until 12 June to provide the office with a plan.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.