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Afghan Hospital Bombing: MSF Demands Investigation Under Geneva Conventions

posted by n1 on Thursday October 08 2015, @06:44PM   Printer-friendly
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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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @12:08AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @12:08AM (#247172)

    Really there is not good reason to have a "Coordinates off limits for attack" field in a military database.

    Yes there are, not limited to the following:
    - Civilians may be in the area
    - The area might cause political or cultural fallout if touched
    - Red Cross or other friendlies may be in the area

    Marking off-limit targets is standard for any operation, especially in an urban area.

    There is no excuse for CAS to just run down a target without visual coordination from a ground unit or the commanding unit.

    there still is the problem of battlefield dynamics changing a once friendly grid square into an enemy base.

    This is what the intelligence branch and recon is for.

    Just because your enemies are uncivil doesn't mean you get to be.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @01:28AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @01:28AM (#247200)

    Wow you completely ignored my first few sentences that refute everything you have to say. The mind boggles as to how you got up modded. There were eyes on the ground. They were the ones that called it in. The hospital says they were wrong. Those are the facts.

    What I want to discuss is the absurdity of having a coordinates-based zone where no attacks can be taken place. You can bet your ass every enemy will hide out in that box. Its pathetic to even think that you can win a war or even protect your own people if you have official off-limits areas.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @03:10AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @03:10AM (#247232)

      What I want to discuss is the absurdity of having a coordinates-based zone where no attacks can be taken place. You can bet your ass every enemy will hide out in that box. Its pathetic to even think that you can win a war or even protect your own people if you have official off-limits areas.

      Take your complaints to the UN [beyondintractability.org].

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday October 09 2015, @09:20AM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 09 2015, @09:20AM (#247321) Journal

      https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=9945&cid=247315 [soylentnews.org]

      The Pentagon has admitted that US Special Forces called the raid in.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @10:01AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 09 2015, @10:01AM (#247334)

        You cited yourself which cites a vice article which has a clickbait headline and inside says:

        He clarified that the strike was merely requested by Afghan forces

        Either you didn't read it or are a liar or both. What credibility do you have?

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday October 09 2015, @11:27AM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 09 2015, @11:27AM (#247352) Journal

          MSF said that even though it provided US forces with the GPS coordinates for the facility.

          The attack was requested by the Afghan forces but actually called by US SF - they are responsible for ensuring that the GC is complied with. If they do not know it is a hospital, they should not be calling in a strike. The US had been provided with the information that they needed by MSF. You cannot absolve yourself from the obligations of the GC simply by saying someone else asked you to do something.

          I did read it. I am not a liar. But, unlike yourself, I understand the GC am also very aware of the its requirements and was, for a short time in my career, actually responsible for teaching it to others. My credibility is there. Dear AC - what is yours?

          But during Tuesday's hearing, Campbell admitted that it was in fact US Special Forces — not the Afghan army — who communicated with the gunship. He clarified that the strike was merely requested by Afghan forces, but still insisted that the buck stopped with the US military. "Even though the Afghans requested that support, it still has to go through a rigorous US procedure to enable fires to go on the ground," he told the committee. "We had a special operations unit that was in close vicinity that was talking to the aircraft that delivered those fires."

          Taken from the statement of General Campbell. given under oath, from the article I had linked to.

          Now, I suggest AC that you read that article again, and this time try to understand what it says.