The conflict in Syria became even more confusing and chaotic when the United States recently carried out an attack aimed at Islamic State forces that left 62 dead and 100 more injured. The problem? It wasn’t ISIS soldiers who were killed. Rather, it was Syrian troops — the very same Syrian troops who are actively fighting against the Islamic State. Not only did the airstrike escalate tensions and undermine and unravel a partial ceasefire between both sides, it also paved the way for an offensive on behalf of ISIS, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The U.S. government’s response to the mix-up was tepid. In an interview with CNN, a senior official for the Obama administration said that the U.S. “regrets” the “unintentional loss of life of Syrian forces.”
Regret does not seem like a strong enough word. Regret is something students feel when they put off a midterm paper until the night before it’s due. Regret describes the feeling of school administrators when they inform an applicant that their request for admission has been denied. People regret eating junk food too late at night, or neglecting to go to the gym, instead opting to sit at home and watch TV. If regret is felt after carrying out a foreign policy blunder that leaves over 60 of the wrong people dead, then that blunder is being taken too lightly. The nonchalant and underwhelming reaction of the Obama administration highlights how, on the subject of military warfare, the United States holds itself to a different standard than any other nation or group.
This difference in standard is best explained by the concept of “American Exceptionalism.” American exceptionalism refers to the idea that, historically and ideologically, the United States is an inherently unique nation. Many Americans believe this at face value. We as a people tend to believe we are more free than other nations and have greater opportunities than anyone else. We think that anyone who wishes to prosper or reach their full potential should come to this country to do so. It goes beyond patriotism; most Americans genuinely believe the United States is an objectively superior country.
On a micro scale, American exceptionalism is relatively benign and plays out to little more than pride to be from this country. On a larger scale, however, it can be more detrimental. Believing the U.S. is unique and ultimately better than other countries is a precursor to believing this country and its leaders are infallible, and can therefore do no wrong. In short, it allows for the U.S. to go be graded on a curve.
Take, for example, the bombing of an Afghanistan hospital by U.S. military forces back in October of 2015 that left at least 42 innocent people dead and dozens more injured. The attack was condemned but brushed off as a mistake, a result of “human errors” and “equipment failures.” Consequently, the Pentagon announced that it did not consider the strike to be a war crime. Commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel, said that those responsible were “unaware” that they were attacking a hospital, as if ignorance is an excuse for carnage. It goes without saying that if this was a U.S. hospital being bombed, we would not accept “whoops” as a response. Neither the American people nor government would see “sorry” as an adequate apology or compensation for the loss of innocent lives. But because the attack was carried out by American forces, a country that is self-seen as exceedingly exceptional and as always having humanitarian interests at heart, we sweep atrocities like this under the rug and move on to the next military offensive.
Goodwill (or the perception thereof) is not a justification for recklessness. Intentions should matter, but they should not be the end of the discussion. Outcomes need to be taken into account as well. And if an outcome is deadly or disastrous, if a military operation leaves innocent civilians dead or an airstrike is accidentally carried out against the wrong forces, we should dwell heavily on it. Apologies and condolences are not enough. If America wants be known as the peacekeepers and protectors of the world, it needs to be held to a higher standard than other nations, not a lower one. There is no question that war is a complicated and ugly thing, and undoubtedly things sometimes go wrong. But until this country begins admitting its mistakes and taking its missteps more seriously, things are not going to get any prettier.
Photo by Christiaan Triebert – Flickr: Azaz, Syria, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30976487