Severe Cuts to Civilian Protection Efforts, Pentagon Watchdog Claims

The Pentagon’s top investigator has reported that under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, reductions in civilian harm mitigation and response initiatives have reached such critical levels that the United States is unable to effectively safeguard civilians in conflict zones.

This harsh assessment from the Department of War’s inspector general coincided with remarks from the leading U.S. commander in charge of the Iran conflict, who dismissed claims of civilian casualties and stated that there were no means to verify attacks on hospitals and schools. The inspector general highlighted that the military had ceased funding a database designed to track civilian harm, which would facilitate such verifications.

A former chief of harm assessments at the Pentagon criticized the new report as a “whitewash,” arguing it diminishes the severe cutbacks faced by the Center for Excellence and programs aimed at reducing civilian casualties.

The report evaluates the Pentagon’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) established in 2022. By the end of last year, the inspector general found significant shortcomings, revealing that the Department of War failed to fully implement any of the CHMR-AP’s objectives by the end of FY 2025.

Rep. Sara Jacobs, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, attributed this crisis to the Trump Administration’s depletion of resources related to civilian harm mitigation and called for immediate changes to prevent further risks to civilians and military personnel.

The inspector general’s report elaborates that the CHMR initiative faced ongoing sabotage through funding cuts, the halt of important meetings, and loss of dedicated personnel. A former official confirmed that the Center of Excellence now operates only as an empty shell, lacking budget, mission, and authority.

The evaluation also indicated that Hegseth’s department may not comply with its legal obligations regarding civilian casualties. The erosion of CHMR funding and personnel not only magnifies risks for civilians but may also threaten mission success and national security, as articulated by various military officials.