Aid group rejects US report on Afghan hospital attack

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called for an independent investigation into the bombing of one of its hospitals in Afghanistan by a U.S. warplane amid criticism of a Pentagon report into the incident.

The attack by an AC-130 gunship on the hospital in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, on Oct. 3 resulted in 42 civilian deaths, including 14 MSF staff. Last week, the U.S. military said the incident could not be treated as a war crime. Disciplinary action has been taken against U.S. service personnel but the Pentagon inquiry ruled out criminal charges.

Guilhem Molinie, MSF’s Afghanistan director, said the findings amounted to “an admission of an uncontrolled military operation in a densely populated urban area, during which U.S. forces failed to follow the basic laws of war.”

He added: “It is incomprehensible that, under the circumstances described by the U.S., the attack was not called off.”

In a statement at the weekend, MSF said it’s “request for an independent and impartial investigation by the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission has so far gone unanswered.”

The U.S. report noted the gunship attack occurred through “human errors, process mistakes and equipment failures” and said none of the aircrew realized they were striking a trauma center.

The families of those killed in the attack have been offered $6,000 as a “condolence payment”.