Mapping the invisible structures of power. Tracking the pipelines of personnel, money, and influence across government, finance, and defense. Follow the transit
These were contractors rather than regular troops, but their work was directly tied to U.S. military operations and raises questions about oversight of armed personnel operating under government contracts.
Nisour Square shooting — Iraq, 2007
Blackwater security contractors killed 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians. A U.S. jury convicted four former guards in 2014, although later appellate and clemency developments complicated the cases.
His forces executed thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys and forcibly displaced women, children, and elderly people. This international case demonstrates that senior military command itself can be directly responsible for atrocities.
Srebrenica genocide — Bosnia, 1995
Bosnian Serb Army commander Ratko Mladić was convicted of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Wounded Knee massacre — South Dakota, 1890
Soldiers of the U.S. 7th Cavalry killed more than 150 Lakota people after an attempt to disarm the group escalated into violence. The victims included noncombatants.
The case demonstrates how military authority can be used to rationalize violence against civilians—and that people within the same force can make different moral choices.
Sand Creek massacre — Colorado, 1864
U.S. volunteer troops attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho village, killing roughly 150 people. Federal investigations later found that the justification for the attack had been fabricated. Some of the troops had refused to participate.
U.S. commanders had ordered troops to fire on civilians. The episode exposed the suffering caused by military decisions made in a climate of fear and confusion.
No Gun Ri killings — Korean War, 1950
U.S. forces killed South Korean refugees near No Gun Ri. A Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press investigation, drawing on survivors, veterans, and documents, helped establish the scale of the killings and reported...
16 service members were disciplined. The military characterized the strike as a tragic mistake, so this is best cited as an example of catastrophic operational and command failure, not as a proven intentional massacre.
Kunduz hospital airstrike — Afghanistan, 2015
A U.S. AC-130 aircraft attacked @MSF_USA Doctors Without Borders trauma hospital, killing 42 people, including patients and medical personnel. The U.S. investigation cited communication breakdowns, equipment problems, and human error
Abu Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal — Iraq, 2003–2004
U.S. military personnel abused and humiliated detainees, including through beatings, forced nudity, and degrading treatment. The Taguba investigation described egregious abuses and identified leadership problems.
some were convicted of offenses connected with abuse or false statements. These cases exposed serious failures in the treatment and supervision of prisoners.
Bagram detention deaths — Afghanistan, 2002
Two Afghan detainees, Dilawar and Habibullah, died while in U.S. military custody. Investigations documented detainee abuse, and several military personnel faced charges;
The case raised questions about how such conduct could continue within a unit before attracting effective scrutiny. Specific criminal outcomes differed by defendant, so the allegations should not be treated as a single collective conviction.
Afghanistan “Kill Team” case — 2010
U.S. Army personnel faced prosecutions over the killings of unarmed Afghan civilians. Investigators examined allegations that soldiers planted weapons to make victims appear to be combatants and photographed themselves with bodies.