Bombing undermines US

THE shocking bombing of a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Kunduz, Afghanistan, by US forces has bloodily underlined several problems with the US military’s approach in the region and the waging of counter-insurgencies generally. To begin with, the horror of what was inflicted on the MSFrun hospital has been compounded by the reluctance of the US to immediately and clearly acknowledge that, no matter what the circumstances, it is simply unacceptable to bomb a hospital.

Worse yet, there have been shameful indirect suggestions that the bombing may have been justified in the heat of the battle because Afghan Taliban fighters had either sought cover inside the hospital premises or were continuing to attack US and Afghan forces from inside the hospital.

The US’s refusal to condemn the incident and its attempt to shield its military from criticism is a regrettably familiar reaction. Be it the night raids inside Afghanistan that former president Hamid Karzai opposed or drone strikes in Fata that the US government pretended never killed civilians, apologies are usually late or never delivered when locals are killed.

True, the US military does try to avoid or minimise civilian casualties, unlike the militants and insurgents, who often deliberately target civilians.

But there is also a different and very necessary burden on any state that is fighting an insurgency — to win, the state must be seen to hold itself to higher standards of behaviour and discipline than the insurgents and militants.

The whole point of the US military operations in Kunduz — nine months after combat operations were to have officially ended — was to try to help the Afghan state reassert its legitimate control of the city. That aim has surely been seriously undermined by the hospital bombing.

Inadequate as the initial US response has been, there are lessons that others can draw from the experience. Clearly, no matter how bad the news, it is important that it be made public rather than buried. Information aids accountability and can help improve tactics.

Contrast the widespread coverage of the Kunduz disaster with the virtual media blackout of the Pakistani military operations in Fata, especially Operation Zarb-iAzb in North Waziristan Agency. The state claims of sustained progress and nonexistent civilian casualties should be weighed against the reality that the operation still continues 15 months on. Karachi, October 6