US airstrike hits hospital in Afghanistan, 19 killed.

[T.Lex]

I wonder if shamans get the religious exemption, too.

 

[HoughMade]

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

To be clear, I'm accusing POTUS of being an opportunist with no love for the military, not an instigator of the attack.

...I know I'm out on a limb when I question the President's desire to defend our military.

 

[Alamo]

...I know I'm out on a limb when I question the President's desire to defend out military.

Pretty thick, solid, sturdy limb, tho.

 

[HoughMade]

...and maybe the President just didn't want to accuse the Taliban of Taqiyya. That would be insensitive. Better that we take the full blame than offend anyone by coming close to implying that there may be a religion that endorses deceit (and deliberately putting innocents in danger) to advance its cause.

 

[Alamo]

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.

The Intercept? Glen Greenwald? Now there's some unbiased axe grinding for you.

It would be abnormal if there weren't conflicting or contradictory reports in the immediate aftermath. Especially when something goes wrong, there is always a mad scramble to get some thing out as news, by pretty much everyone from the center of the event onward, with increasing amounts of spin. There's no chance for anything resembling a reasonable account to emerge. No one is willing to wait to let the dust settle a little, check all the first-hand accounts long the way, gather the facts. It's grab anything anyone says, verification be damned, and run with it, whether it's Afghanistan or Ferguson, Missouri. And when the final details do emerge, and it turns out it wasn't as big a kerfuffle as first imagined...meh. No one will care then.

Recent example: In Texas some guys carjacked a truck. First account: "good guy" shoots carjack victim in head. Great opportunity for all the little haters to come out and soil themselves squealing their favorite hate. Wait two days and find out the carjack victim himself states the carjackers beat him over the head to get his truck. Someone else took a shot at the carjackers. Much less interesting story. Meh.

 

[zippy23]

Its the bombs fault, we need to ban bombs and this would never happen and everything would be great and the world would be great. Those evil bombs......

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

There is the concept of "Spending Political Capital". If we can make a "mistake" that accomplishes some kind of objective, and then bow our heads in shame while feigning incompetence, we are no more The Great Satan than we were before. We are still hated bumbling buffoons as we were before, but now a Taliban asset is in ruins..... OOPS! Sorry..... (think about the children!)

 

[WWalker]

AP's Matt Lee Calls out State Department for Criticism of Israeli Missile Strike | PJ Tatler

 

[Dead Duck]

[STRIKE]US[/STRIKE] Kenyan airstrike hits hospital in Afghanistan, 19 killed.

FIFY

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Obama apologizes to Doctors Without Borders president for bombing of clinic in Afghanistan

 

[HoughMade]

Obama apologizes to Doctors Without Borders president for bombing of clinic in Afghanistan

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof course he did.

 

[T.Lex]

I swear I overheard Hough say, "Called it." when he read that.

 

[BugI02]

The Intercept? Glen Greenwald? Now there's some unbiased axe grinding for you.

It would be abnormal if there weren't conflicting or contradictory reports in the immediate aftermath. Especially when something goes wrong, there is always a mad scramble to CYA and get some thing out as news, by pretty much everyone from the center of the event onward, with increasing amounts of spin. There's no chance for anything resembling a reasonable account to emerge. No one is willing to wait to let the dust settle a little, check all the first-hand accounts long the way, gather the facts. It's grab anything anyone says, verification be damned, and run with it, whether it's Afghanistan or Ferguson, Missouri. And when the final details do emerge, and it turns out it wasn't as big a kerfuffle as first imagined...meh. No one will care then.

Recent example: In Texas some guys carjacked a truck. First account: "good guy" shoots carjack victim in head. Great opportunity for all the little haters to come out and soil themselves squealing their favorite hate. Wait two days and find out the carjack victim himself states the carjackers beat him over the head to get his truck. Someone else took a shot at the carjackers. Much less interesting story. Meh.

FIFY

 

[BugI02]

Its the bombs fault, we need to ban bombs and this would never happen and everything would be great and the world would be great. Those evil bombs......

Could the Taliban be described as bitter clingers to guns and religion? Just sayin....

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Doctors Without Borders increases pressure for international investigation - CNN Video

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I'm so old, I remember when something like this would lead to people calling the president a war criminal.

Report: U.S. Knew Bombed Afghan Site Was a Hospital

 

[pudly]

.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I'm so old, I remember when something like this would lead to people calling the president a war criminal.

Report: U.S. Knew Bombed Afghan Site Was a Hospital

You make it sound if those accusations are only used for political purposes.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

You make it sound if those accusations are only used for political purposes.

Well for all practical purposes, such accusations ARE only used for political purposes. I've noticed that all the media hype surrounds US efforts to target ISIS and its targeting of a Doctors Without Borders hospital and the troubles in Jerusalem, with the emphasis on the fact that it was a hospital rather than the fact that it was being used by ISIS as a military command post, or that Israelis are killing Palestinians in Jerusalem without emphasizing that those Palestinians are running around stabbing Israelis. Now it may be somewhat understandable that Doctors Without Borders doesn't have much say if ISIS decides to use one of their hospitals contrary to the laws of war and common human decency, but it's unconscionable that the Mainstream Media would fail to mention the problems this causes military planners. And of course, it's sadly typical that they ignore the provocations of the Palestinians' actions while decrying Israel's self-defense shootings.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

US 'did not follow rules of engagement' in MSF strike, says General. Planning disciplinary actions.