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UGlobe’s Intimacies of Remote Warfare programme, led by dr. Lauren Gould, has since 2020 been conducting research with its societal partners and a group of students on remote warfare and civilian harm. Together they have now collected imperative evidence on the huge reverberating civilian harm effects in Hawija, Iraq. Moreover, they prove that the 4 million committed by the Dutch government to the rebuilding of Hawija after its devasting F16s attacks has not yet benefitted the victims nor have they been consulted about their humanitarian needs.

It is six years ago, on 3 June 2015, that Dutch F-16s carried out an airstrike on an IS ammunition factory in the Iraqi town of Hawija. Over 18,000 kilograms of munition detonated, resulting in over 70 civilian casualties, hundreds more injured and over 400 houses destroyed. The Dutch participation in the US-led Coalition war against Islamic State (IS) is well known in the Netherlands. Yet, the consequences thereof remained in this case a secret for over four years. It was not until 2019 that the Dutch responsibility for the airstrike on Hawija was brought to light by a joint investigation of NRC and NOS.

Studying the civilian harm effects of remote warfare

During the political debates that followed, the Ministry of Defense strategically claimed that it was impossible to know the levels of civilian harm in Hawija. For one, Iraq would not be safe enough for Defense to visit. Second, the destruction took place 4 years ago. Third, nobody will ever know if those died and injured were Islamic State affiliates or civilians.

To prove knowledge on civilian harm in remote settings can be researched,  UGlobe’s The Intimacies of Remote Warfare (IRW) programme and peace organisation PAX partnered up with the local organisation Al-Ghad League for Women and Child Care to study this case. Since they have conducted 119 interviews with civilians and key stakeholders in Hawija. In addition,  a group of interdisciplinary students in a Community Engagement Project (CEL) studied 500 social media posts that reveal the opinions on the airstrike of the population at large. With this joint research this project aimed to inform the Dutch public, parliament and Ministry of Defense of the long term civilian harm effects of the remote bombardments in Hawija.

Engaging  the government and the public

And this is exactly what these societal partners have been doing during the last month. IRW wrote a cross case analysis article for comparing the civilian harm cover up in the Hawija and Bughuz case (both mass civilian harm incidents). IRW project leader dr. Lauren Gould spoke to about their research findings and the fact that they prove that neither the mayor of Hawija nor his citizens were consulted about their humanitarian needs and have not yet seen any of the 4 million dollars the Dutch government committed to meet them. And IRW/PAX and local societal stakeholder Al-Ghad presented some of their key findings on civilian harm in Hawija at the

At the same conference the CEL group presented their on how the Hawija attack and its ensuing civilian harm was interpreted on social media to the mayor of Hawija. The IRW/PAX report that combines the data from the interviews and social media will come out early 2022.