On October 3, a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan was bombed by an American gunship. Before the attack, which rendered the hospital unusable, it was the only active medical centre in the immediate area; afterwards, injured staff and patients. Reportedly, 22 people were killed and more than 30 injured, with over 30 still missing. Many are arguing that the incident constitutes a war crime.
The attack occurred at around 2 a.m. local time, and continued for about an hour. After a few minutes, hospital staff contacted both NATO and Washington, but the attacks continued nonetheless. In fact, the hospital had informed all parties of the hospital’s location beforehand, and indeed, the hospital was supposedly in the “military database” of restricted sites, which are not to be attacked, even if enemy forces are present.
The attack occurred during the ongoing Battle of Kunduz; the city of Kunduz was attacked by Taliban forces in April. In late September, the Taliban captured the city, but on the 30th, Afghan government forces pushed back with American support, and have been largely successful in expelling the Taliban.
It is still not entirely clear why the strike was carried out, with the different parties involved playing the “blame game.” Initially, it was reported that Afghan forces had requested the airstrike, and that the hospital was collateral damage in an effort to protect US ground troops, but later the Resolute Support Mission commander, General John F. Campbell, confirmed that the decision to bomb the hospital had been an American one; however, he stated that it had been a “mistake.” The Afghan Interior Ministry reported that there were ten to fifteen Taliban insurgents hiding in the hospital, which Doctors Without Borders denies; the Taliban also deny this. Be that as it may, that would not, under international law, justify an airstrike on the hospital.
The UN’s high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, has stated that the attack was “utterly tragic, inexcusable, and possibly even criminal.” US President Obama offered his condolences, and the Department of Defense is investigating the incident; NATO and the Afghan government are launching their own investigations. However, Doctors Without Borders is not satisfied, demanding an independent investigation by a neutral body. Furthermore, there has been more criticism following the arrival of a joint investigations team; according to Doctors Without Borders, the team arrived in a military vehicle unannounced and forced their way into the hospital, damaging property and potentially destroying evidence.
To the victims of the airstrike, whose fault it was and why it occurred makes no difference. It can only be hoped that the outrage sparked by the incident will help to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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