Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

When it comes to innocent people being killed during battle, US troops are often ruthless and merciless with no bottom line especially in overseas operations. A fresh decision by the US Department of Defense reinforces such an impression.

The New York Times cited the Pentagon on Monday that none of the military personnel involved in a botched drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan in August, that killed 10 civilians, will face punishment. The report said over two decades, the US military has killed "hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians by accident in war zones like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia. And while the military from time to time accepts responsibility for an errant airstrike or a ground raid that harms civilians, rarely does it hold specific people accountable."

"The US military's tolerance toward killing innocent civilians will deal a blow to its credibility and reputation in the international community," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.

This is a form of US-style hegemony. On the international stage, when blaming other countries for practices which run counter to humanitarianism, the US will not relent. Worse still, in a bid to effectively attack its rivals, the US has even fabricated various lies on human rights or humanitarianism. But when encountering its own issues in this regard, it tries to play it down. This shows that its image of upholding global morality and justice which the US has propagated is trumped up, going against its true colors.

The US military's attempts to downplay its overseas crime by its troops also demonstrate its contempt for the lives of other countries. Civilians have been killed by US forces in almost all wars waged by the US, ranging from the Vietnam War to battles against the Islamic State in Syria. The US' tolerance in dealing with such crimes can partly explain why such practices have repeatedly happened.

Furthermore, even though the US military has been creating its image as well-trained, it has been witnessed that the US military has lax discipline and poor management. Another report by NYT cited military officials who said that a top secret American strike on a cell killed civilians in their operations against the Islamic State in Syria. The report quoted sources as saying that in 2017 the operators showed few signs that there were military. They used first names and no rank or uniforms, and many had bushy beards and went to work in shorts.

This may be an important factor contributing to US troops' arbitrarily killing overseas civilians in battles or wars abroad, which deserves the Pentagon's reflection to improve the management of the armed forces and constrain the irresponsible practices of US troops. But the Pentagon's decision not to punish the involved personnel reveals there is no introspection within the US military. Worse, it would leave an impression to related personnel that if they commit similar crimes once again, they will escape punishment as well. This will produce a very negative chain reaction.

Similar tragedies done by US troops in other countries are expected to be repeated.

Just as many netizens said, the US is the deadliest terrorist in peacetime. "The US exploits its state power and forcibly intervenes in other countries, including attempting to overturn their governments and shake their social stability, waging wars, and threatening the safety of unarmed civilians. All of these can be considered state terrorism," Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. This calls for the full attention and vigilance of the international community.