Kunduz Air Strikes 'Inexcusable', 'Possibly Criminal': UN Rights Chief

[Purveyor]

Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

3rd October 2015, Comments 0 comments

A suspected US air strike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz that killed nine MSF staff on Saturday was "inexcusable" and "possibly criminal", UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.

Zeid called for a full and transparent investigation, noting that, "if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime."

Doctors Without Borders -- known by its French acronym MSF -- said the bombardment continued for more than 30 minutes after Washington was informed and that both Afghan and US officials were given the precise location of MSF facilities.

"This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and possibly even criminal," Zeid said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.expatica.com/ch/news/country-news/Kunduz-air-strikes-inexcusable-possibly-criminal-UN-rights-chief_509711.html

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Bombed Afghan Hospital Staff Helpless As Patients Burned In Wards

By Krista Mahr
1 hour ago

KABUL (Reuters) - When the bombing started at 2:08 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Medecins Sans Frontieres compound in the Afghan city of Kunduz, the hospital staff was doing what they have been doing there for years: saving lives.

Earlier, a large group of passengers injured in a road accident had arrived at the compound's wide gates, according to Abdul Rauf, a logistics specialist who was on duty at the hospital.

Doctors were treating the patients late into the night when the hospital's main building came under bombardment, Rauf said, waking him and his colleagues who had been sleeping in a basement area.

"When I came outside, I saw bodies burned," Rauf said.

At least 19 staff and patients, including three children being treated, were killed and 37 people wounded when an air strike hit the hospital run by the medical charity, in what U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said on Saturday may amount to a war crime.

"The bombs hit and then we heard the plane circle round," said Heman Nagarathnam, MSF Head of Programmes in northern Afghanistan, in a statement. "There was a pause and then more bombs hit ... When I made it out from the office, the main hospital building was engulfed in flames."

MORE...

http://news.yahoo.com/bombed-afghan-hospital-staff-helpless-patients-burned-wards-202238533.html

[840high]

1. Jesus H -

[PSPS]

2. Maybe our next president won't turn out to be just another war criminal.

[peacebird]

5. Another reason we need Bernie.

[cpwm17]

6. We can hope. n/t

[Kelvin Mace]

7. Well one of the candidates has a pretty suspect mentor

[Geronimoe]

3. Crickets from the Administration

This happened 18 hours ago and no statements from the administration.

Is anyone home at the White House?

[peacebird]

4. IF you have credible intel that terrorists are hiding in a hospital, send in the Seals to take them

Do NOT bomb the hospital.

[Kelvin Mace]

8. "Credible intel"

Is an oxymoron these days.

[peacebird]

9. Sadly I fear you are correct

[joshcryer]

10. Hasn't happened since black hawk down.

And won't as long as we have drones. The American public loves them some drones.

[philosslayer]

11. Horrible. Sounds like the military is out of control

President Obama needs to make some significant changes in the DOD hierarchy. Sounds like some remnants of the Bush administration are still making decisions.