US airstrike hits hospital in Afghanistan, 19 killed.

[HoughMade]

Is this what they mean by a "surgical strike"?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Is this what they mean by a "surgical strike"?

 

[HoughMade]

Just because the joke's obvious doesn't mean that it shouldn't be told. This is how I live my life.

 

[miguel]

Seconded, providing any documented incidence of lying or prevarication is a disqualifier.

Each aircraft should only have space for less than ten rounds in their guns and one bomb or missile. WHO NEEDS MORE THAN TEN ROUNDS???

 

[ArcadiaGP]

The Konduz Hospital bombing investigations will likely show Taliban fired from it - a tactic used since '01

But that's impossible because Obama ended that war and traded prisoners with them.

Taliban forces hide in mosques and hospitals - Telegraph

 

[BugI02]

The Konduz Hospital bombing investigations will likely show Taliban fired from it - a tactic used since '01

But that's impossible because Obama ended that war and traded prisoners with them.

Taliban forces hide in mosques and hospitals - Telegraph

Longer than that, I think (the idea of human shields/conducting operations from off limits areas). I seem to recall Palestinian terrorists setting up antiaircraft gun emplacements on hospital roofs during some of the more knock down - drag out gorounds with the Israelis back in the day.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Doctors Without Borders calls US bombing of its hospital a war crime | Public Radio International

Ah, there's that phrase.

 

[T.Lex]

Oops.
Kunduz: Afghan MSF hospital strike a mistake, says US - BBC News

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, US Gen Campbell said that the air strike was made within the American chain of command.
"To be clear, the decision to provide aerial fires was a US decision, made within the US chain of command," he said.

I would totally believe the Taliban would use a hospital to launch operations. But, it does not appear that the US believed that was happening. Otherwise, they would have said so.

 

[SSGSAD]

I call for background checks on Commanders-in-Chiefs.

And "REAL" Birth Certificates .....

 

[HoughMade]

...I would totally believe the Taliban would use a hospital to launch operations. But, it does not appear that the US believed that was happening. Otherwise, they would have said so.

As how these questions are answered is also a matter of chain of command, I'm not so sure they would.

 

[T.Lex]

As how these questions are answered is also a matter of chain of command, I'm not so sure they would.

If I were at the top of the chain, that is an important data point. I see no reason not to provide it. It isn't like it would divulge operational security details.

"Because we were receiving fire from that location, we blew it the hell up." Done. Let MSF say, "No you weren't." It wouldn't matter.

But, we haven't said that. At least not that I've seen.

If Campbell finds out later that was the case, and no one told him, he'd have every right to be royally peeved, I think.

 

[Thor]

Given that this was an AC130, and that the Afghan forces called in the strike, it is more than likely that the operators saw exactly what they were shooting at and that a: the compound was not marked as a hospital, and b: there was active fire coming from the compound and armed people moving around inside of it.

As noted it's not the first time that the enemy goes to ground where they think we will not shoot them. Maybe somebody didn't tell these guys it was a gun free zone. http://data1.ibtimes.co.in/cache-im..._taliban-militants-inside-kunduz-hospital.jpg

 

[Birds Away]

Um, we were aiming for the Chinese embassy.




too soon?

 

[T.Lex]

Overview of how the story has evolved.
https://theintercept.com/2015/10/05...fghan-hospital-from-mistake-to-justification/

Including:
US forces knew it was a hospital. There was, then there wasn't, then there may have been direct fire on US forces from near that location.

One note, if the Taliban took their wounded to the hospital for treatment, I do not believe that makes the hospital a valid target.

 

[T.Lex]

Um, we were aiming for the Chinese embassy.




too soon?

Or the French embassy?




Too soon?

(Probably not.)

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Overview of how the story has evolved.
https://theintercept.com/2015/10/05...fghan-hospital-from-mistake-to-justification/

Including:
US forces knew it was a hospital. There was, then there wasn't, then there may have been direct fire on US forces from near that location.

One note, if the Taliban took their wounded to the hospital for treatment, I do not believe that makes the hospital a valid target.

Unrelated question - Do the Taliban follow the same rules of engagement, or is the "don't shoot a field medic" one of those unwritten rules?

 

[T.Lex]

Unrelated question - Do the Taliban follow the same rules of engagement, or is the "don't shoot a field medic" one of those unwritten rules?

I have no idea, but I suspect they are different and I can almost guarantee their rules are ALL unwritten.

This is even a bit different from that, though. If a Taliban field medic/shaman is treating a wounded Taliban on the battlefield, that's one thing. If they successfully evacuate to a known-neutral facility under the auspices of a 3rd party, that's very different.

 

[HoughMade]

If I were at the top of the chain, that is an important data point. I see no reason not to provide it. It isn't like it would divulge operational security details.

"Because we were receiving fire from that location, we blew it the hell up." Done. Let MSF say, "No you weren't." It wouldn't matter.

But, we haven't said that. At least not that I've seen.

If Campbell finds out later that was the case, and no one told him, he'd have every right to be royally peeved, I think.

At the top of the chain of command is the Commander in Chief and just below him, various diplomats whispering in his ear. What the military may want to say is interesting, but not terribly relevant. I'm not contemplating a conspiracy of any kind, but does the President really care if our military is viewed as barbarians? No stink of this will EVER land on him. Is he more concerned about appeasing the "international aid community" than defending our military? Is he willing to withhold some level of defense to promote the "greater good" of military solutions being viewed as always the wrong ones? Don't know, but it seems plausible.

 

[T.Lex]

At the top of the chain of command is the Commander in Chief and just below him, various diplomats whispering in his ear. What the military may want to say is interesting, but not terribly relevant. I'm not contemplating a conspiracy of any kind, but does the President really care if our military is viewed as barbarians? No stink of this will EVER land on him. Is he more concerned about appeasing the "international aid community" than defending our military? Is he willing to withhold some level of defense to promote the "greater good" of military solutions being viewed as always the wrong ones? Don't know, but it seems plausible.

Glad you said you weren't contemplating a conspiracy, otherwise, I might've thought you were contemplating a conspiracy.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I have no idea, but I suspect they are different and I can almost guarantee their rules are ALL unwritten.

This is even a bit different from that, though. If a Taliban field medic/shaman is treating a wounded Taliban on the battlefield, that's one thing. If they successfully evacuate to a known-neutral facility under the auspices of a 3rd party, that's very different.

First thing that came to mind