Tragedy from Above: Unraveling the Mistakes of an Airstrike

This episode contains strong language.

In March 2019, workers inside an Air Force combat operations center in Qatar watched as an American F-15 attack jet dropped a large bomb into a group of women and children in Syria.

Assessing the damage, the workers found that there had been around 70 casualties, and a lawyer decided that it was a potential war crime.

We look at how the system that was designed to bring the airstrike to light, ended up keeping it hidden.

Guest: Dave Philipps, a national correspondent covering the military for The New York Times. 

Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Background reading: 

• The military never conducted an independent investigation into a 2019 bombing on the last bastion of the Islamic State, despite concerns about a secretive commando force.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.