The Joke of US Justice and "Accountability" When They Bomb a Hospital

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/36592-focus-the-joke-of-us-justice-and-qaccountabilityq-when-they-bomb-a-hospital

Ever since the U.S. last October bombed a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Kunduz, Afghanistan, the U.S. vehemently denied guilt while acting exactly like a guilty party would. First, it changed its story repeatedly. Then, it blocked every effort – including repeated demands from MSF – to have an independent investigation determine what really happened. As May Jeong documented in a richly reported story for The Intercept yesterday, the Afghan government consistently admitted that the hospital was targeted, claiming that doing so was justified, and they wanted to publicly endorse calls for an independent investigation, which the U.S. refused to let them do; what is beyond dispute, as Jeong wrote, is that the “211 shells that were fired . . . were felt by the 42 men, women, and children who were killed.” MSF insisted the bombing was “deliberate,” and ample evidence supports that charge.

Despite all this, the U.S. military is about to release a report that, so predictably, exonerates itself from all guilt; it was, of course, all just a terribly tragic mistake. Worse, reports The Los Angeles Times‘ W.J. Hennigan, “no one will face criminal charges.” Instead, this is the “justice” being meted out to those responsible:

One officer was suspended from command and ordered out of Afghanistan. The others were given lesser punishments: Six were sent to counseling, seven were issued letters of reprimand, and two were ordered to retraining courses.

MSF continues to insist that the attack was a “war crime” and must be investigated by an independent tribunal under the Geneva Conventions. In a statement this week, Amnesty International said that it has “serious concerns about the Department of Defense’s questionable track record of policing itself.” The LA Times story notes that Physicians for Human Rights said in a letter to the White House that “the gravity of harm caused by the reported failures to follow protocol in Kunduz appears to constitute gross negligence that warrants active pursuit of criminal liability.”

[gratuitous]

1. Hey, the evening news spent about 20 seconds on this last night

Geez, what do you people want? We said we didn't mean to pump 211 shells into that hospital during a 30 minute barrage. If we did it at all, that is. Won't someone think of the 16 military personnel whose permanent records now have this blot on them? Isn't anyone thinking about them? Oh no, you people are all fixated on 42 men, women and children who were killed.

I wonder if any of the presidential candidates will offer an opinion on this? I'm willing to bet a shiny nickel that nobody in the popular media will ask them about it.

[marmar]

2. K/R

[newfie11]

3. Is this the second one America has bombed

Or is this about the one several months ago.
Either way I'm beyond disgusted and embarrassed to be an American.
This entire war shit is money for the MIC.

[malaise]

4. I knew what happened after I heard two versions

of who did it within 12 hours from the usual suspects.

[marmar]

5. Yep. Can't even keep their lies cohesive.