Former Minister Misled Dutch Parliament on 2015 Airstrike

Former Dutch Defense Minister Hennis provided the House of Representatives with late and incorrect information about the 2015 Dutch F-16 airstrike on Hawija, Iraq. This conclusion comes from the Sorgdrager commission’s four-year investigation, as reported by RTL Nieuws.

The report is set to be presented to Defense Minister Brekelmans. In 2019, NOS and NRC revealed that the airstrike, targeting an ISIS bomb factory, resulted in at least 70 civilian deaths.

Although the Netherlands aimed to conduct airstrikes without civilian casualties, relying on U.S. intelligence, a miscalculation led to unforeseen destruction. The government remained silent for years.

The commission concluded that Hennis initially withheld the occurrence of civilian casualties from parliament, wanting to confirm the details first. Once informed, she provided incorrect information on various issues, including the F-16 mission types and civilian casualties.

The U.S. assessment, six months post-strike, was also not shared with parliament. Hennis falsely claimed that the pilot could abort the mission and that legal advisors were consulted, along with computer simulations and analyses, none of which occurred.

The civilian casualties in Hawija sparked political backlash, resulting in a €4 million compensation in 2021 and a lawsuit by Iraqi relatives. SP leader Dijk expressed outrage and requested an urgent debate with Minister Brekelmans.

The Defense Ministry has yet to respond in detail but acknowledged the seriousness of the Hawija case.

Source: NOS

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