Terror attack: US bombs civilian hospital

[waltky]

US forces 'punished for hospital attack'...

Kunduz hospital bombing: 16 US forces 'disciplined'
Thu, 28 Apr 2016 - Sixteen US military personnel are disciplined over last year's bombing of an Afghan hospital in Kunduz that left 42 dead, officials say.

No criminal charges have been filed, according to an unnamed official quoted by the AP news agency. The attack on the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital took place last October during a campaign to retake the city of Kunduz from Taliban forces. A US military inquiry has already found that the attack was "human error". The Pentagon is expected to release a full report on the investigation on Friday.

The service members, including some special operations personnel and one general officer, received administrative punishments, AP said. They include letters of reprimand, which could have a career-ending effect on those involved. An AC-130 gunship aircraft mistook the clinic for a nearby government building that had been seized by Taliban fighters.

US officials initially claimed that American forces had struck the hospital because they had come under fire from the area. The military then admitted the strike was a mistake and launched an investigation. Medecins Sans Frontieres called the incident a war crime. In a report, the group said its staff contacted US-led forces several times during the attack, saying they were being bombed. The charity also said the co-ordinates of the hospital were well-known and had been communicated again to all sides three days before the bombing.

It repeatedly asked for an independent international investigation into the bombardment. Army Gen John Campbell, the top US commander in Afghanistan at the time, called the incident a "tragic but avoidable accident caused primarily by human error". US President Barack Obama apologised for the air strike, which was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the 15-year Afghan conflict.

Kunduz hospital bombing: 16 US forces 'disciplined' - BBC News

 

[longknife]

US forces 'punished for hospital attack'...

Kunduz hospital bombing: 16 US forces 'disciplined'
Thu, 28 Apr 2016 - Sixteen US military personnel are disciplined over last year's bombing of an Afghan hospital in Kunduz that left 42 dead, officials say.

No criminal charges have been filed, according to an unnamed official quoted by the AP news agency. The attack on the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital took place last October during a campaign to retake the city of Kunduz from Taliban forces. A US military inquiry has already found that the attack was "human error". The Pentagon is expected to release a full report on the investigation on Friday.

The service members, including some special operations personnel and one general officer, received administrative punishments, AP said. They include letters of reprimand, which could have a career-ending effect on those involved. An AC-130 gunship aircraft mistook the clinic for a nearby government building that had been seized by Taliban fighters.

US officials initially claimed that American forces had struck the hospital because they had come under fire from the area. The military then admitted the strike was a mistake and launched an investigation. Medecins Sans Frontieres called the incident a war crime. In a report, the group said its staff contacted US-led forces several times during the attack, saying they were being bombed. The charity also said the co-ordinates of the hospital were well-known and had been communicated again to all sides three days before the bombing.

It repeatedly asked for an independent international investigation into the bombardment. Army Gen John Campbell, the top US commander in Afghanistan at the time, called the incident a "tragic but avoidable accident caused primarily by human error". US President Barack Obama apologised for the air strike, which was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the 15-year Afghan conflict.

Kunduz hospital bombing: 16 US forces 'disciplined' - BBC News

Yet another Obozo atrocity! Less than 10 months of this crap.

 

[waltky]

Accidental Attack On Afghan Hospital Was Not A War Crime...

US General Says Accidental Attack On Afghan Hospital Was Not A War Crime
29 Apr.`16 - The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East said the accidental attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Afghanistan was not a war crime because it was unintentional.

U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel briefed reporters Friday on the 3,000 pages worth of findings resulting from the investigation on the Oct. 3 attack which killed 42. The investigation included 65 witness testimonies and was conducted by military investigators from outside Afghanistan. According to Votel, the strike was the result of both equipment and human error. The military has disciplined 16 personnel involved in the attack, including a general officer. “This I will highlight to you was an extreme situation,” said Votel in his remarks. He explained the personnel involved in the incident “were doing a variety of actions at the same time — they were trying to support their Afghan partners, they were trying to execute resupply operations and they were trying to protect themselves.” Votel noted some of the individuals involved “failed to comply” with rules of engagement, but their actions did not amount to a war crime.

The incident began after Taliban forces seized the city of Kunduz last year. In response, Afghan Armed Forces (AAF) engaged in a firefight with the Taliban in an attempt to retake the city. A team of U.S. Special Forces personnel were sent to bolster the AAF attack, which would last for over four days. On the fifth day, an AC-130 Gunship was called in by the U.S. commander in Kunduz to provide close-air support for the units. According to Votel, the commander had the authority to call in the gunship in situations of self-defense. He noted the Special Forces and AAF were under attack at the time the strike was being called in.

An AC-130 gunship. U.S. fighter jets and heavy airborne gunships joined a new assault on the besieged Iraqi city of Falluja​

Equipment problems resulted almost immediately after the strike was called in, with the gunship crew’s communications equipment going out, ceasing their ability to receive updates on the situation. Once the aircraft arrived over Kunduz, it was targeted by a surface-to-air missile, forcing it to escape to an area farther from the battlefield.

The AAF provided Special Forces counterparts with coordinates for the intended building strike, which ended up being an empty field. The flight crew then attempted to visually ascertain the target building, which was similar to the MSF hospital. Votel confirmed the U.S. forces on the ground, including the Joint Tactical Air Controller who was in charge of the aistrike. Believing they had found the target, the air crew began firing on the hospital at 2:08 a.m. Though the hospital was on what is referred to as a “no-strike list,” the air crew did not have access to it.

The U.S. was informed of the mistaken attack by MSF approximately 10 minutes after firing began, 20 minutes later the air crew was told of the mistake, immediately ceasing fire. The punishments given to the 16 personnel are considered largely administrative, and include counseling, transfers and letters of reprimand. Victims and their families have been paid $6,000 for each death and $3,000 for each injury resulting from the attack. Votel was able to confirm that “U.S. air power had no role” in a similar attack on an MSF hospital in Aleppo, Syria Thursday which has reportedly killed dozens of people.

US General Says Accidental Attack On Afghan Hospital Was Not A War Crime