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11 September 2026

Empty Seat: U.S. Absent as Western Powers Meet on Wartime Protections for Civilians

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Source reporting: ProPublica

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Empty Seat: U.S. Absent as Western Powers Meet on Wartime Protections for Civilians

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine testify during a Senate committee hearing. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Three years ago, the Defense Department led an ambitious international effort to better protect civilians during combat, a movement built on the bloody lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon created a network with European partners, driving the creation of shared standards. Civilian harm experts described the moment as a “unique opportunity” for American leadership by example. Today, those efforts continue — without the United States, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismantled the civilian protection mission.

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Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/feed/45910/rss.xmlOriginal source
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Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/rss/news.xmlOriginal source
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