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In Targeting ISIS, U.S. Holds Back to Shield Civilians
(New York Times) Eric Schmitt - American intelligence analysts have identified seven buildings in downtown Raqqa in eastern Syria as the main headquarters of the Islamic State. But the buildings have gone untouched during the ten-month allied air campaign out of fear that the attacks will accidentally kill civilians. But many Iraqi commanders, and even some American officers, argue that exercising such prudence is harming the coalition's larger effort to destroy the Islamic State. Islamic State troops are taking advantage of restrictions on the coalition bombing campaign, with militants increasingly fighting from within civilian populations to deter attack. Only about one of every four air missions sent to attack the extremists have dropped bombs. The rest have returned to base after failing to find a target they were permitted to hit under strict rules of engagement designed to avoid civilian casualties. "In most cases, unless a general officer can look at a video picture from a UAV, over a satellite link, I cannot get authority to engage," the pilot of an American A-10 attack plane said. "It's not uncommon to wait several hours overhead a suspected target for someone to make a decision to engage or not."