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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOne Day After Warning Russia of Civilian Casualties, the U.S. Bombs a Hospital in Afghanistan
Early this morning, in the Afghan city of Kunduz, the U.S. dropped bombs on a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)). The airstrike killed at least 9 of the hospitals medical staff, and seriously injured dozens of patients. Among the dead was the Afghan head of the hospital, Abdul Sattar, reported The New York Times.
Jason Cone, MSFs Executive Director, said the medical charity condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific bombing of its hospital in Kunduz full of staff and patients. He added that all parties [to the] conflict, including in Kabul & Washington, were clearly informed of precise GPS Coordinates of MSF facilities in Kunduz, and that the precise location of MSF Kunduz hospital [was] communicated to all parties on multiple occasions over past months, including on 9/29. Worst of all, from MSF itself:
Bombing continued for >30 minutes after American & Afghan military officials in Kabul & Washington first informed of proximity to hospital.
MSF International (@MSF) October 3, 2015
For its part, the U.S. military in Afghanistan issued a statement acknowledging that it carried out airstrikes, claimed they were conducted against individuals threatening the force, and conceded that the strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility. But the NYT reported: From early on, the Taliban had respected the hospitals request not to bring weapons inside, according to staff members, and the hospital had been a refuge in the shattered city of Kunduz. It was a place where the wounded from all sides were treated.
https://theintercept.com/2015/10/03/one-day-after-warning-russia-of-civilian-casualties-the-u-s-bombs-a-hospital-in-the-war-obama-ended/
Scuba
(53,475 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)they did their Syrian bombing already
djean111
(14,255 posts)Looking more and more like the entire country, if not the entire world, is just "collateral damage" to the hawks.
IMO we have no moral high ground to stand on here.
Truprogressive85
(900 posts)So sad
They are saying that "10-15" terrorists were hiding in the hospital ( which is bullshit)
Hospital should be off limits period
we can bombing civilians all over the freakin global from Yemen, to Syria, to Afghanistan, and Iraq
When does it stop
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)That's even worse optics.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)Bonobo
(29,257 posts)Violence is violence.
It is impossible to raise young people who find violence abhorrent or unthinkable when our government is in the very mundane and routine business of killing people.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)malthaussen
(17,216 posts)But as usual, there is some difference of perspective about who is allowed to use violence. The coercive authority? Check. You and me? No, no, that's shocking!
Bob Heinlein's character Doc de la Paz suggested that the key question of political theory is "when is it moral for a government to do what its citizens are not allowed to do?" Bombing other people back into the stone age is illustrative of this.
-- Mal
and attitudes, like shit, flow downhill.
City Lights
(25,171 posts)KG
(28,752 posts)7wo7rees
(5,128 posts)Chickens coming home to roost
Pot calling kettle black
Feel free to add more!
Oh yeah, my fave!
HYPOCRISY!!!!
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)FlatBaroque
(3,160 posts)how this is so reminiscent of an Israeli operation. Seems quite intentional, given the bombing went on for an hour after commanders were told it was a hospital.
7wo7rees
(5,128 posts)Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)FlatBaroque
(3,160 posts)Israel apologized for the attack, saying that the USS Liberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship.[6] Both the Israeli and U.S. governments conducted inquiries and issued reports that concluded the attack was a mistake due to Israeli confusion about the ship's identity,[2] though others, including survivors of the attack, have rejected these conclusions and maintain that the attack was delib
Response to Jesus Malverde (Reply #15)
EX500rider This message was self-deleted by its author.
7wo7rees
(5,128 posts)6 day war, Israel. 34-38 dead, 171 wounded, Israel nearly sunk the ship. Whoops, sorry, mistake, we missed the US flag flying on the mast of your vessel..... Our bad.....
Yeah, strangely reminiscent........
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)sad
pampango
(24,692 posts)where the pilot hails from.
The urge to bomb 'really bad' guys - ISIS, Taliban, etc. - is understandable and the US, Russia, France and the UK are doing it.
Of course, accidents (if true) are less morally offensive (and less criminal under international law) than intentional targeting of or wanton disregard for civilians but a dead doctor, child or other civilian is no less dead because it was an accident.
red dog 1
(27,849 posts)How can President Obama ask Russia not to bomb certain targets in Syria, while the US is bombing hospitals in Afghanistan?
pampango
(24,692 posts)cwydro
(51,308 posts)Sickening. Inexcusable.
A Nobel Peace prize winner....wow.
azmom
(5,208 posts)Yep. They are right about that.