‘They didn’t know or care, or wouldn’t say’: how we investigated the casualties of a covert US war
A Guardian investigation highlights the civilian casualties resulting from a covert US drone campaign in Somalia, specifically focusing on a 2025 airstrike in Jamaame. The report criticizes the normalization of civilian deaths in western media and calls for greater accountability for military operations.
Why it matters
It raises significant ethical questions regarding military transparency, the humanitarian impact of drone warfare, and the role of media in reporting on covert conflicts.
The US military's special operations control centre in Mogadishu, Somalia, where they oversee operations and drone activities against al-Shabaab. Photograph: Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images
The article focuses on human rights and critiques military actions, which is a common framing in progressive journalism.
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