Amnesty International on Monday condemned the US-led coalition's failure to acknowlege and investigate its role in civilian killings during the battle a year ago to oust ISIS from Syria's Raqqa.
In October last year, a Kurdish-Arab alliance pushed the extremist group out of the northern city, backed by air strikes of the US-led coalition.
During the campaign to expel ISIS, hundreds of civilians were killed in the battle, most of them in coalition bombardments, Amnesty says.
"The US-led coalition's ongoing failure to admit to, let alone adequately investigate, the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction it caused in Raqqa is a slap in the face for survivors," the London-based group said in a statement.
One year on, Amnesty says that the coalition had admitted to having caused just 100 civilians deaths in the Raqqa assault, but even in those cases accepted no liability.
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Read more:
Spate of mystery killings add to insecurity for Raqqa residents still living in fear
Raqqa has been liberated but ISIS fighters still lurk
US coalition airstrikes in Syria kill over 3,000 civilians: monitoring group
The ‘crazy club’: Inside the British propaganda trips that seek to legitimise Assad's barbarism
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"It is completely reprehensible that the coalition refuses to acknowledge its role in most of the civilian casualties it caused," Amnesty's new secretary-general Kumi Naidoo said.
And it is "abhorrent that even where it has admitted responsibility, it accepts no obligation towards its victims".
Denouncing a "disturbing pattern" of civilian deaths, the rights groups urged the coalition to conduct a probe, both to establish the facts behind each deadly strike, and to avoid any future mistakes.
"Surely, with hundreds of civilians dead, it begs the question what went wrong," Mr Naidoo said, urging the coalition to look into issues such as weapons used and quality of intelligence.
"These are crucial details, to establish both facts and assess lawfulness, as well as learn the lessons necessary to avoid similar mistakes," he said.
The latter was "fundamental to minimising harm to civilians - a legal obligation", he said.
ISIS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a so-called "caliphate" there, and the coalition intervened the same year to fight the extremist group.
The fighters have since seen their proto-state crumble, but cling on to a presence in the Syrian desert and in an eastern pocket near the Iraqi border where they are under attack by coalition-backed forces.
Since 2014 the US-led coalition has acknowledged direct responsibility for more than 1,100 civilian deaths in Syria and Iraq, but rights groups put the number killed much higher.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, says coalition strikes in Syria alone have killed more than 3,300 civilians.
Syria's war has killed more than 360,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
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ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
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