At Least 16 Killed At Afghan Hospital After U.S. Air Strike

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

Sat Oct 3, 2015 12:21pm EDT

An airstrike hit a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres in the Afghan city of Kunduz on Saturday, killing at least 16 people in what the U.S. military called possible "collateral damage" in the battle to oust Taliban insurgents.

Frantic MSF staff phoned military officials at NATO in Kabul and Washington after the attack, and bombs continued to rain down near the medical facility for nearly an hour, one official from the aid group said.

At least 37 people were wounded and many patients and staff still missing, it added.

The U.S. military promised to investigate the incident, which could renew concerns over the use of its air power in the conflict.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/03/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSKCN0RW0HC20151003

[840high]

1. Horrible.

[avaistheone1]

2. Precision bombing?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Holy god, that is awful.

MSF does an excellent job under the hardest of conditions. If they won't go into an area, you know it's because conditions are beyond horrifying.

I am sickened to hear of this bombing.

[uppityperson]

4. Aw, damn. MSF does so much good work

[Marrah_G]

5. That is horrifying

MSF is one of the shining lights on our planet. We owe them so much.

[xynthee]

6. Goddammit!

[Jesus Malverde]

7. I believe that hospitals that serve fighters and terrorists are considered legitimate targets ...

Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2015, 08:08 AM - Edit history (1)

by the US military.

Denying insurgents/jihadists/terrorists a safe haven medical facility seems like a tactic, in spite of being a war crime. From a practical perspective it denies the enemy the ability to deal with casualties effectively. It forces them to use their own fighters to care for the wounded, depleting their fighting force or making them leave the wounded on the battlefield to die.

Its similar to the tactic used by snipers where it's better to wound a member of the enemy force, forcing his team to try to rescue him which presents new targets of opportunity.

And snipers don't always shoot to kill. What they like to do sometimes is wound somebody and hopefully that soldier will yell and scream and draw more soldiers out so he can start picking them off one by one. And that's my experience as I severed three arteries in my leg and I took care of myself, but I didnt scream or anything and no one else was shot.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123775568

It seems like a similar tactic on a larger scale.

[tecelote]

8. Why isn't PEACE a priority for our candidates!

"against individuals threatening the force" - listen to this.

We have become so evil and no one gives a damn.

[Catherina]

9. NATO knew precise coordinates, bombing continued for 30 mins, 37 seriously wounded

From Head of Humanitarian Analysis @ Médecins sans Frontières/Doctors


From the Executive Director, Doctors w/o Borders @MSF_USA


Journalist

[Catherina]

10. 9 MSF Staff killed, 37 wounded

From journalist in Afghanistan

[Catherina]

11. Pics

[reddread]

12. they probably zeroed in on their cell phones

seriously. this is dirt bullshit courtesy of lying war criminals who deserve absolutely
ZERO BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

[Sunlei]

15. THIS. Drs/Borders reported MASSES of wounded 9/28 & 9/29 so military targets that area 10/2

This just sucks.

I want our Congress to pull our military out of those countries and a total freeze on ALL military spending except paychecks and medical care & direct support.

No more bombing or killing. do not leave any weapons behind.

[uwep]

20. War is messy, ugly and horrible

civilians are always caught in the middle. I know that mistakes are always made, and I am not trying to justify this, but when you blame the American forces and do not consider the opposition in the mix, it is not right. The Taliban uses civilians as shields all the time. They kill, women, children and anyone else they see as non Muslim. There is no outrage because they are the enemy and we expect it of them. I am sure that if it was American air strikes that caused the loss of life, it was unintentional. Lets give our guys and gals a break. Lets wait until the investigation is over before we condemn our people. Every life is precious, but pure evil exists and in order to fight it there are going to be some innocent casualties.

[reddread]

23. whats to lose?

unintentional?

thanks for the smile.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. We used to have an international agreement

not to bomb hospitals- it is barbaric

[daleo]

28. Bombing a hospital

If that isn't pure evil, what is?

[Reter]

30. I'm shocked by your avatar that you would say this

Not.

[darkangel218]

27. +1

[Catherina]

13. Updated partial total- 56 - 57 Doctors and Nurses and Patients killed

Total 56 - 57 Doctors and Nurses and Patients killed by #NATO air strike In the Hospital of #Kunduz.

[bemildred]

14. Nothing quite like bombing hospitals to win the information war.

[questionseverything]

24. winning hearts and minds

[Scuba]

16. Sowing terror seeds East and West. The President must be so proud!

[Geronimoe]

17. While Chelsea Manning

lies a moldering in a prison cell for exposing war crimes.

[FlatBaroque]

22. This upside down world is not far from being

turned right side up again. They just cannot cover up their lies and crimes fast enough and people are fed up.

[bemildred]

18. Nine dead at Afghan hospital after U.S. air strike

The U.S. military on Saturday acknowledged it may have bombed a hospital run by medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres in the Afghan city of Kunduz in an air strike that killed at least nine people and wounded 37.

The incident could renew concerns about the use of U.S. air power in Afghanistan, a controversial issue in America’s longest war. Former President Hamid Karzai fell out with his backers in Washington over the number of civilians killed by bombs.

Fighting has raged around the northern provincial capital of Kunduz as government forces backed by American air power seek to drive out Taliban militants who seized the city six days ago in the biggest victory of their nearly 14-year insurgency.

Despite government claims to have taken control of the area, a bitter contest with the Taliban continues. Afghan security forces fought their way into Kunduz three days ago, but battles continue in many places, with Taliban hiding in people's homes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/03/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSKCN0RW0HC20151003

[GoneFishin]

19. Assholes.

[FlatBaroque]

21. No one will be held to account for another war crime

but the propaganda against Russia will continue unabated.

[Puzzledtraveller]

32. You got that right.

Sadly many of our fellow Democrats will gobble it up too. I swear it's an episode of The Twilight Zone. I am no fan of Putin but the ratcheting up cold waresque anti-russian propaganda is scary, and scarier that some of us are buying into it.

[Blue_Tires]

25. goddamned morons

[Reter]

29. I thought we pulled out

Didn't Obama announce that the US was out of Afghan about a year or two ago?

[Puzzledtraveller]

31. Criminal!!!!