- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Campbell Admits 'Mistake' in Kunduz, But Wants to Keep Troop Levels High

© Cassandra FairbanksSenate Committee Hearing on Afghanistan
Senate Committee Hearing on Afghanistan - Sputnik International
Subscribe
While admitting at a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday that the US was at fault for the deadly “mistake” attack on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz which killed at least 22 people, General John F. Campbell, commander of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, is pushing Obama to keep troop levels high in the war-ravaged country.

The hearing took place three days after the deadly attack in Kunduz, which Doctors Without Borders, and many others, quickly labeled a war crime.

The burned Doctors Without Borders hospital is seen after explosions in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 - Sputnik International
UN Trusts US to Investigate Itself, Will Hold Off on Kunduz Bombing Probe

The bombing killed 12 staff members, ten patients, as well as three children.  The strikes reportedly came in waves and burnt people alive in their hospital beds, the Guardian reported.

Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), have further stated that Campbell’s testimony constituted an admission of a war crime.

“To be clear,” Campbell began at the hearing, the bombing was “a US decision made within the US chain of command.”

The commander went on to explain that while the attack was allegedly carried out at the request of Afghan forces, ultimately the decision to follow through was in the hands of the Pentagon.

“Even though the Afghans request that support, it still has to go through a rigorous US procedure to enable fires to go on the ground. We had a special operations unit that was in close vicinity that was talking to the aircraft that delivered those fires,” Campbell explained to the Senate armed services committee.

He stated that the hospital was “mistakenly struck,” as the US would “never intentionally target a protected medical facility.”  Campbell did not elaborate on how such a deadly “mistake” happened, and instead declared that he is waiting for more information from their investigation.

The story the US has provided has changed four times in four days.

Afghan staff react inside a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital after an air strike in the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan in this October 3, 2015 - Sputnik International
US Media Purposefully Obscures Who's Behind Kunduz Hospital Bombing

On Saturday, the military claimed they did not know whether the hospital was struck by their fire, but noted that US military strikes “may have caused collateral damage.”

On Sunday, the story shifted to claim that the strike took place in the:vicinity of the hospital, and hinted that it may have been hit by accident, and not targeted.

The following day, on Monday, Campbell admitted that US forces in the area were not threatened — but had fired at the request of the Afghan forces who were receiving fire from insurgents.

“We have now learned that on October 3rd, Afghan forces advised that they were taking fire from enemy positions and asked for air support from US forces. An airstrike was then called to eliminate the Taliban threat and several civilians were accidentally struck. This is different from initial reports which indicated that US forces were threatened and that the airstrike was called on their behalf,” Campbell’s statement on Monday asserted.

By the time of the hearing on Tuesday, the story had changed once again, with Campbell admitting that, ultimately, the US went through a “rigorous procedure” before making the decision to fire.

“The US military remains responsible for the targets it hits, even though it is part of a coalition,” director general of MSF, Christopher Stokes, told the Guardian.

The burnt Doctors Without Borders hospital is seen after an explosion in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. - Sputnik International
Asia
MSF Hospital Terror: 'Bombing Continued Despite Our Calls to US Officials’
The hearing was protested by members of Code Pink, who wore hospital scrubs with hands and clothing stained with blood.  There was one arrest as the hearing began, as Dr. Margaret Flowers left the room while making her opinion of Campbell heard.  She was charged with failure to obey.

During the hearing, Campbell also stated that he recommends Obama scrap his plans to withdraw troops down to the size of what would be required to protect an embassy.

“Want some blood on your hands, just like your government?” One protester asked another while holding up a tube of fake blood before the hearing began.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала