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U.S. military concludes airstrike in Syria last May killed a civilian, not a terrorist
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a summary Thursday of its investigation into the May 3, 2023 strike saying the investigation found the strike killed civilian Lutfi Hasan Masto, the same person that social media reports at the time identified as the victim.
Though the investigation found several areas the command could improve on, according to the summary, it did not direct any accountability actions for killing a civilian. The investigation concluded the strike complied with the law of armed conflict.
On the day of the strike, CENTCOM in a statement to the media said, “On the morning of May 3, 2023, at 11:42 a.m. Syrian local time, U.S. Central Command forces conducted a unilateral strike in northwest Syria, targeting a senior al Qaeda leader. We will provide more information as operational details become available.”
It included a quote from the head of CENTCOM, Gen. Michael Kurilla: “This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS and al Qaeda.”
Then, reports quickly surfaced that the strike had killed a civilian, not a terrorist. In a tweet on May 3, the same day as the strike, a group known as “The White Helmets” who work as first responders in Syria identified Masto as the civilian killed. The White Helmets said Masto was grazing sheep when the strike killed him and several of the sheep.
In the days after the reports surfaced, CENTCOM conducted an initial review that found enough evidence to launch a formal investigation, known as an Army Regulation 15-6, more than a month later. CENTCOM appointed a general officer to conduct the investigation on June 23, 2023.
Investigating officer Brig. Gen. John P. Cogbill finished the investigation on Nov. 15, 2023, according to the summary.
In conducting the probe, Cogbill led a team of 10 senior service members and civilian employees who were not directly involved with the strike and had backgrounds in intelligence, law of armed conflict, operations, and targeting matters. The team went through training to eliminate biases, conducted site visits to the United States, Jordan, and Iraq, and interviewed over 40 witnesses.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan to limit civilian casualties in U.S. military operations after a series of media reports revealed operations in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan had killed more civilians than initially reported.
The guidance also came after a botched strike during the withdrawal from Afghanistan killed 10 civilians, including seven children, instead of an ISIS-K terrorist planning an attack, as the Pentagon had claimed at first.
CENTCOM in its summary of the investigation said it’s committed to the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan and would incorporate the lessons learned from this investigation.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
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