Doesn't that make headlines in America? Hospital bombing in Kunduz

[Minimalist]

Yeah...but it is rather like the police investigating their own shootings of unarmed civilians.  Does any one have any confidence in those "investigations?"

[abaris]

Nothing will come out of it. Everyone will be terribly sorry, same way as when the German colonel ordered a strike on civilians emptying some fuel trucks, back in 2010. Killing a couple of hundreds in the process.

Nothing will happen. It's only brown people getting investigated, or some dictator bastard, who no longer played western ball. The West is never wrong and it never commits war crimes.

[Clueless Morgan]

I'd wait until further investigation is done before declaring it a war crime. Whilst I admit it's looking more likely, we need to know whether the attacking forces were aware it was a hospital when they authorized the strike.

If they weren't aware, either because they didn't check, or were misinformed, then it's an accident. It shouldn't have happened either way.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2..._nine.html

In a shocking detail, Doctors Without Borders said the airstrikes “continued for more than 30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed by MSF that its hospital was struck.” The hospital’s location had also been reported to everyone before the bombing started. “MSF wishes to clarify that all parties to the conflict, including in Kabul and Washington, were clearly informed of the precise location (GPS Coordinates) of the MSF facilities in Kunduz, including the hospital, guesthouse, office and an outreach stabilization unit in Chardara northwest of Kunduz,” the charity added.

[Jackalope]

Yeah, it's a pretty well known war crime to attack a hospital, or other medical facilities, isn't it? Even if it did have enemies inside, you can't just do that.

It is, if attacking forces know it to be a hospital, unless it's being used for non-medical military purpose.

Not saying that's what happened here, I have no idea.

[abaris]

It is, if attacking forces know it to be a hospital, unless it's being used for non-medical military purpose.

Not saying that's what happened here, I have no idea.

Come on, we're talking about Doctors without Borders here.

[GrandizerII]

How shameful

[The Valkyrie]

Kinda glad I've decided to avoid combat areas on the few times I'm going to get to volunteer for MSF.

It's dangerous enough in places where there are serious outbreaks without having to worry about being bombed.

[Tiberius]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2..._nine.html

In a shocking detail, Doctors Without Borders said the airstrikes “continued for more than 30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed by MSF that its hospital was struck.” The hospital’s location had also been reported to everyone before the bombing started. “MSF wishes to clarify that all parties to the conflict, including in Kabul and Washington, were clearly informed of the precise location (GPS Coordinates) of the MSF facilities in Kunduz, including the hospital, guesthouse, office and an outreach stabilization unit in Chardara northwest of Kunduz,” the charity added.

Right, but that's why I said it could have been a mistake, or that they were misinformed. For example, someone authorizing the strike might not have checked (or checked properly) whatever list the military uses to document facilities like this. Or, perhaps the information was not entered correctly when it was received.

Somewhere there was a massive fuckup, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions when an investigation is only just getting underway. If the people who authorized the strike knew it was a hospital, then that's a war crime. If they didn't know, or didn't check, or used misinformation to make their decision, then it's not.

[Jackalope]

It is, if attacking forces know it to be a hospital, unless it's being used for non-medical military purpose.

Not saying that's what happened here, I have no idea.

Come on, we're talking about Doctors without Borders here.

Was there anything in my post that indicated that I thought any of the exceptions applied here? It was merely a statement of fact: there are times when bombing a hospital, even intentionally, is not a war crime.

Come on indeed.

[Clueless Morgan]

Right, but that's why I said it could have been a mistake, or that they were misinformed. For example, someone authorizing the strike might not have checked (or checked properly) whatever list the military uses to document facilities like this.

Even if it is the case that they got the GPS coordinates wrong, it appears to be the case that the bombing continued AFTER it was reported that the MSF facility was hit.