Discussion for article #241811
Of course they had to know. This was a horrible tragedy like all tragedies of war. I doubt it was intentional. I would hate to believe that.
Yes they knew it was a hospital. Just like they know a child is a child. The question is did the folks in that AC 130 know they were bombing a hospital. That is a flight crew up there…not special ops. So although it sounds good to some folks what the AP is doing is mincing words. Did the Americans on that aircraft know they were bombing a hospital? Fuck the asshole SF’s on the ground. That’s the only fucking damn thing that matters. Other than…did MSF know that building was being used by insurgents as a safe spot?
And lets not fucking equivocate here. Yes, hospitals in combat zones often care for the injured of both sides of the war. ( When i was in Vietnam the man that shot me and my that buddy subsequently shot was in a bunk right next to me in a MASH unit ) And that’s a good thing. If injured Taliban were in that hospital no big deal at all. BUT…if that hospital was being used as a safe house or launch point by Taliban which the Afghan forces claim was the case…did MSF know?
So lets give MSF their "interdependent investigation " I am sure no American deliberately struck a hospital. But lets also make sure we find out just what else…other than medicine and surgery…was going on in that joint. If it was at all.
A horrible story deserving of an independent investigation - including answering the question “is our alleged ally Pakistan STILL working against us?”
Goddamn we need to get the hell out of there.
At least the headline does not make the mistake of saying “the government” knew. Instead, this illustrates that war consists of thousands of discrete actors, some knowing some things and some knowing other things. That is why they call it fog.
Because to the blind men touching the elephant, it truly is like a rope, and like a tree, and like a snake.
Where is the lie here? You can’t just make shit up. The US Military took full responsibility at the first claim of the strike. Contrary to what MSF said…the Military NEVER denied the strike or that it was done by an American plane. What lie are you talking about?
We never should have been there.
This is not to excuse it in any way shape or form, but another wartime screw-up. Military history is replete with these events.
When they’re analyzed it’s usually found to be a concatenation of events and smaller screw-ups made worse with no or poor communication.
In WW2, for ex, we killed thousands of French to “soften” Normandy for invasion. We shot down our own aircraft n Sicily carrying hundreds of our own paratroopers.
Every one was just awful – “friendly fire” incidents, just awful. “The fog of war” is real.
Agree. These things happen all the god damned time in warfare,but own up to them for chrissakes and try to make some reparations where possible.
“some U.S. analysts assessed that the strike had been justified, the former officer says.”
If so, those analysts are condoning a war crime.
Essentially, yes.
Agree, but how to prevent?
You need to go sit on the Benghazi committee. Here’s what happened. An Afghan platoon was pinned by sniper and small arms fire. They called their support, an American unit and asked for help. That American unit called in an air strike for them. This is all certain knowledge now ( if you care to find out )
Now look at your goofy support for a lie…by the way a lie that would achieve nothing. You don’t have a case for a lie buddy. What do you think folks do when they are “in the shit”…keep ledgers and jot it all down? There is no story coming from blood and guts hell that’s going to line up like board meeting. In this case no lies were told and most important…there were no material distortions of the facts. If you read up you’ll find out the USA Chefs of Command accepted “FULL RESPONSIBILITY” for the strike just as soon as news of it broke out.
Fuck you and your never fighting ass.
Well yea, but now that we are we should get the hell out asap!