World snapshot US admits attack on hospital a ‘ mistake’

DOCTORS Without Borders has accused US forces of deliberately attacking its hospital in Afghanistan, as a top US commander said the deadly air strikes were a mistake.

The organisation, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, claims its medical facility in Kunduz was “deliberately bombed” three days ago, killing at least 22 people.

MSF’s international president Dr Joanne Liu alleges the bombing was a war crime, adding that buildings around the hospital were not damaged in the attack.

“Nothing can excuse violence against patients, medical workers and health facilities,” Dr Liu said. “Under international humanitarian law, hospitals in conflict zones are protected spaces. Until proven otherwise, the events of last Saturday amount to an inexcusable violation of this law.”

The international medical charity has called for an independent investigation into the incident.

However General John F. Campbell, the top commander of US and allied forces in Afghanistan, said the bombings were a mistake and the hospital was not deliberately targeted.

“To be clear, the decision to provide ( air strikes) was a US decision, made within the US chain of command,” he said.

“The hospital was mistakenly struck. We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility.”

He said Afghan forces requested air support on Saturday while engaged in combat with Taliban fighters in Kunduz, communicating with US special operations troops at the scene. Those US forces were in contact with the AC- 130 gunship that fired on the medical clinic run by Doctors Without Borders. US military personnel are required to verify that the target of a requested air strike is valid before firing.

General Campbell said he could not provide more details about what happened, including who may have failed to follow procedures for avoiding attacks on hospitals, as he was awaiting the outcome of multiple investigations.

On Tuesday anti- war protesters sat in the front row of a hearing into the air strikes with red colouring, depicting blood, on their faces. They carried signs that read: “Healthcare not warfare” and “Kunduz victims: RIP”.

Kunduz has been the scene of heavy fighting in recent days.

A Taliban assault on Kunduz took Afghan authorities by surprise and embarrassed President Ashraf Ghani’s administration.

The Taliban, who attacked on multiple fronts, held the city for three days before a Government counter- offensive began.