Syria: Hospitals hit repeatedly by Russian and Syrian airstrikes, condemning hundreds to death

[Blue_Tires]

Out of only eight hospitals still functioning in east Aleppo, four hospitals and a blood bank were damaged by bombing in four days, one of them twice.

On 30 September, two hospitals in east Aleppo supported by MSF, among others, were damaged by continuous indiscriminate bombing. A blood bank was also damaged. Despite the damage, medical teams at the three facilities managed to continue their work.

On 1 October, a major trauma hospital was so severely damaged by bombing that it was forced to close. Two days later, as construction teams worked to repair the damage, the area was bombed again, killing a number of people and further damaging the hospital.

On 2 October, a surgical hospital was damaged by bombing, but remained open.

“The few remaining hospitals are collapsing under a flow of hundreds of wounded lying in agony on the floors of wards and corridors,” says Pablo Marco, MSF’s operations manager in the Middle East. “Doctors are performing brain and abdominal surgeries for the victims of bombing on the floors of the emergency rooms, for lack of available operating theatres. Russia and Syria must stop this carnage now.”

http://www.msf.org/en/article/syria-hospitals-hit-repeatedly-russian-and-syrian-airstrikes-condemning-hundreds-wounded

And the silence from Snowden and Greenwald is deafening... Where are all the calls for an independent international investigation? Where is the demand for accountability? Where is the merciless criticism of Russia's foreign policy, and scorched-Earth military strategy which is *intentionally* targeting civilians??

[David__77]

1. It would help...

...if the insurgents cooperated with the voluntary evacuation of civilians from districts they control.

I think the sooner al Qaeda is kicked out of Aleppo, the better.

[Blue_Tires]

2. It would also help if Russia didn't target MSF and other civilian facilities...

Let's not blame the victim here...

I mean, the U.S. didn't get a pass for the "But the bad guys are intentionally surrounding themselves with civilians and daring us to hit them" - excuse for Kunduz, so why would that bullshit explanation fly now?

[David__77]

4. OK.

I didn't and didn't intend to explain or justify, validate, or invalidate anything. I do think it would help if the insurgents would cooperate in the voluntary departure of civilians from the districts that they control.

I also think that the speedy departure of armed al Qaeda supporters from Aleppo would be a good thing.

[pampango]

3. For some, if Russia or Syria bombs hospitals and markets it is just the way that total war is fought

The civilians are 'collateral damage' that is an acceptable cost of achieving a military objective - capturing a city, eliminating Al Queda or ISIS, etc. Of course, targeting civilians, even not taking sufficient precautions to limit civilian casualties, are classified as war crimes.

It appears that the US will be providing support to the Iraqi army in Mosul in the near future. We will see what extent we limit targeting or hitting inadvertently hospitals, markets and civilians there. I suspect we will do a much better, but not perfect, job.

[Blue_Tires]

5. kick