The commander of the operation combating ISIS has ruled out carpet bombing as a strategy against the terrorist group, calling it “inconsistent” with U.S. military values during a press briefing Monday.
Speaking to reporters Monday from his headquarters in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland repudiated the idea that the U.S. would engage in “indiscriminate bombing,” despite calls from some, such as presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, to do so. Macfarland’s follow a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) which claims that Russian carpet bombing has killed 500 civilians. (RELATED: Report: Russia Actively Supporting A Designated Terrorist Group In Syria)
“We are bound by the laws of armed conflict,” explained MacFarland, “it’s not just that you won, but how you won.”
“Indiscriminate bombing is inconsistent with our values,” he continued when asked directly by a reporter as to whether or not the strategy would be employed against ISIS.
When queried on Russia’s intention in the region, MacFarland said the U.S. and Russia are “fighting very different wars … we are pursuing different goals in that country.”
“The Russians are more focused on propping up the Assad regime,” he continued.
MacFarland explained that recent air strikes against ISIS forces in the Iraqi city of Mosul, a densely populated city of over half a million, occurred during times of day that would “minimize” loss of life. He claimed that the U.S. military uses sophisticated computer programs that model damage patterns in order to specifically avoid civilian casualties.
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