Newly released Pentagon documents detail a 'pattern of failures' among top military officials that resulted in thousands of civilian deaths - including many children. The paper obtained the Pentagon documents through Freedom of Information requests beginning in March 2017 and lawsuits filed against the Defense Department and the Central Command. Taken together, the Times reports, the documents detail how military officials used 'deeply flawed intelligence,' resulting in a 'pattern of failures.' Sometimes, the Times said: 'Men on motorcycles moving "in formation," displaying the "signature" of an imminent attack, were just men on motorcycles.' Captain Urban, the Central Command spokesman, said air-war planners do their best under exceedingly difficult conditions.

Source: The Times December 20, 2021 12:46 UTC