24 DAILY NEWS – The Pentagon’s top watchdog has reported that cuts to civilian harm mitigation and response efforts under War Secretary Pete Hegseth have become so severe that the United States can no longer adequately protect civilians in conflict zones.
### Inspector General’s Analysis
A scathing analysis published Thursday by the Department of War’s inspector general coincided with remarks from the U.S. commander overseeing operations in Iran, who downplayed reports of civilian casualties and claimed the U.S. lacked the means to verify strikes on hospitals and schools. The inspector general highlighted that funding for a database designed to track civilian harm—which could provide verification—has been halted.
Despite the serious implications of this report, a former chief of harm assessments at the Pentagon’s Civilian Protection Center of Excellence labeled it a “whitewash,” arguing it fails to capture the extent of the dismantling of the Center and the overall mission to reduce civilian casualties.
### CHMR-AP Deficiencies
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The report primarily assesses the implementation of the Pentagon’s
