On Nov. 3, 2015 Toronto staff of Médecins Sans Frontières protested the deadly U.S. attack on its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan in October.

On Nov. 3, 2015 Toronto staff of Médecins Sans Frontières protested the deadly U.S. attack on its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan in October.
Photo Credit: MSF

MSF again calls for inquiry into hospital attack

The deadly air attack on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan on October 3 “illustrates gross negligence on the part of U.S. forces and violations of the rules of war,” says Christopher Stokes, general director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), called Doctors Without Borders in English.

U.S. General John Campbell blamed the attack on a series of human and technical failures. He said American soldiers and airmen who were involved had violated U.S. rules of engagement and have been suspended while awaiting disciplinary action.

Horrific attack killed medical staff, patients, children

Although MSF had repeatedly given U.S. forces the hospital’s coordinates, a heavily armed gunship unleashed a 29-minute attack from the air involving bombs and shooting that killed at least 30 people including medical staff, patients and children. Another 30 people were injured.

Stokes said the general’s statement raised more questions than it answered. “It is shocking that an attack can be carried out when US forces have neither eyes on a target nor access to a no-strike list, and have malfunctioning communications systems.

‘Hundreds of thousands denied life-saving care’

“It appears that 30 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of people are denied life-saving care in Kunduz simply because the MSF hospital was the closest large building to an open field and ‘roughly matched’ a description of an intended target,” said Stokes  as he renewed calls for an independent investigation of the attack.

The U.N.’s human rights chief has called the attack “utterly tragic, inexcusable, and possibly even criminal.”

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