WASHINGTON (AP) – Two years ago, President Barack Obama stood before a military audience and spoke of the “heartbreaking tragedy” of accidental civilian deaths caused by the U.S. military in the fight against terrorism.
Now, with news of the death of two Western hostages in a CIA drone strike, the president has received a brutal fresh reminder of the risks to civilians in wartime.
The president says it is a “cruel and bitter truth” that deadly mistakes can occur in the fog of war.
And military experts say that while technology may grow ever more sophisticated, there still is no surefire way to ensure innocents will not be caught in harm’s way.