Scrutinize US air strikes more closely

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook issued a statement on Monday saying that on the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord, the US military conducted precision air strikes against Islamic State group targets in Sirte, Libya. He said Monday's action and those taken previously will help prevent the IS group from gaining a haven in Libya from which it could attack the United States and its allies.

The words seem carefully chosen to show that the US actions were not uninvited but "at the request of the Libyan" government, and that the air strikes were precise. But actually they reveal the problems with US air strikes, manned or unmanned.

The US has launched many air strikes in other countries without their governments' requests, even against their strong opposition. For example, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said US-led air strikes in al-Ghandour near Manbij, Syria, on July 28, killed at least 28 civilians, including seven children.