Commentary: US airstrikes are recklessly legitimizing a new kind of war

For years, critics have sounded the alarm on targeted airstrike campaigns carried out by the U.S. Now, investigations published in December by The New York Times reveal how a secret U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State was riddled with imprecise targeting and flawed intelligence — further proof of a larger pattern of reckless strikes by the U.S. that have killed thousands of innocent civilians.

The mounting evidence contradicts the “promise of precision” championed by several presidential administrations that claimed airstrikes were an effective way to wage war against terrorism because they hit