Pentagon: 2015 Strike On Afghan Hospital ‘Not A War Crime’

[Eugene]

14. From The Washington Post via The National Post:

Source: Washington Post

U.S. gunship made five passes over Afghan hospital, despite 9-foot flags ID’ing it as a medical facility: MSF

Tim Craig, Washington Post | October 8, 2015 3:23 PM ET

KABUL — The U.S. military aircraft that attacked an Afghan hospital over the weekend made at least five passes over it dropping explosives, even though two flags draped across the roof of the building marked it as a medical facility, hospital officials said on Thursday.

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Hospital officials had previously stated that they had given Afghan and coalition troops the GPS coordinates of the buildings. Those coordinates pinpointed the front steps to the emergency room, officials said Thursday. Two 6-by-9-foot flags with the organization’s red and white logo also were draped across the roof, they said.

U.S. officials have said that an AC-130 “gunship,” which is used to support American Special Operations troops and can fire a range of ammunition, carried out the raid. It is not immediately clear whether the crew of the fighter craft, which uses infrared technology at night, could distinguish the markings on a flag.

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Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/u-s-gunship-made-five-passes-over-afghan-hospital-despite-9-foot-flags-iding-it-as-a-medical-facility-msf