News item | 30-03-2023 | 11:07
The Ministry of Defense is opening its own investigation into a new suspicion of civilian casualties due to the use of Dutch weapons during the anti-ISIS coalition. Minister Kajsa Ollongren writes this to the House of Representatives today. The announcement of the investigation coincides with the release of new information about the more than 2,100 times that weapons have been deployed by Dutch F-16s during the anti-ISIS coalition. That happened over Iraq and eastern Syria between 2014-2016 and 2018.
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The new information includes the date, time, location, type of mission, the effect of weather and terrain conditions, and any details such as collateral damage. The complete list with this information can be found at defence.nl.
New suspicion of civilian casualties
On the basis of this new policy, the Ministry of Defense was able to cooperate with an investigation by NOS and NRC. These media submitted 148 suspicions of civilian casualties due to coalition efforts to the Ministry of Defence, asking whether there was any question of Dutch involvement. One match was found.
Based on the new information this has provided, the Ministry of Defense is starting an investigation into a new suspicion of civilian casualties. It concerns an airstrike of 22 March 2016 on a building in the city of Mosul in Iraq, which according to the anti-ISIS coalition was used by ISIS as its headquarters. According to NOS and NRC sources, 7 civilian victims were reported.
Transparency
Making the new information public is one of the actions in the step-by-step plan on civilian casualties. Minister Ollongren: “Disclosing information about the use of Dutch weapons in the air campaign against ISIS is an important step. Increasing transparency about deployment is part of a future-proof defense organization.”
Anti-ISIS coalition
Dutch F-16s were active almost daily over Iraq and eastern Syria between 2014-2016 and 2018. This happened together with other countries in the anti-ISIS coalition. They knocked out military targets and supported coalition forces on the ground.