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Afghan Hospital Bombing: MSF Demands Investigation Under Geneva Conventions

posted by n1 on Thursday October 08 2015, @06:44PM   
from the known-unknowns-of-collateral-damage dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

A Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) hospital was bombed by the US. Result, 12 dead staff members and 10 dead patients. The coordinates of the hospital had been communicated to the US forces before to avoid mistakes. The US admits the attack was a decision. MSF is now seeking an independent inquiry.

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Original Submission

• US admits the attack was a decision. US admits the attack was a decision. (Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Thursday October 08 2015, @08:30PM

  by frojack (1554) on Thursday October 08 2015, @08:30PM (#247049) Journal

  Very odd wording. The clear implication in that sentence is there was a decision to knowingly bomb the hospital.
  I suspect that was the AC's intent.

  But that is NOT what the general said. Click it and listen.
  He said the decision was to provide air support to the Afghan army was a US decision.
  Afghan Army were the the ones designating the targets. The pilot could not have known what the target was.

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  No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

  Starting Score:	1		point
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• Re:US admits the attack was a decision. (Score: 4, Informative) by n1 on Thursday October 08 2015, @08:55PM

  by n1 (993) on Thursday October 08 2015, @08:55PM (#247062) Journal

  From The Guardian [theguardian.com]:

  “Even though the Afghans request that support, it still has to go through a rigorous US procedure to enable fires to go on the ground. We had a special operations unit that was in close vicinity that was talking to the aircraft that delivered those fires," Campbell told the Senate armed services committee on Tuesday morning.

  I'd be quite concerned if the US just takes out any target the Afghans or another coalition partner points them in the direction of, which is clearly not what happens if that statement is accurate.

  Parent