Pentagon: Afghan Hospital Bombing Not a War Crime

The U.S. military has disciplined 16 service members for their role in a deadly air strike in Afghanistan last year that killed 42 people and destroyed a hospital run by the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders, and it has concluded the incident was not a war crime.


General Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters Friday at the Pentagon that an investigation into the incident found the tragedy was a result of an “extraordinarily intense situation” that included multiple equipment failures.

He added that the air strike was not deemed a war crime because “the personnel involved did not know they were targeting a medical facility.” The attack was conducted using an Air Force AC-130 gunship.

“The fact that this was unintentional, an unintentional action, takes it out of the realm of actually being a deliberate war crime against persons or protected locations,” he said.

“They were trying to support our Afghan partners. There was no intention on any of their parts to take a short cut or to violate any rules that were laid out for them,” Votel underscored.........http://www.voanews.com/content/pentagon-disciplines-16-says-afghan-hospital-bombing-not-a-war-crime/3308718.html
29/4/16
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Related:

• Diplomat calls punishment of US military for bombing Kunduz hospital mockery of justice

• US Disciplines 16 Over Afghanistan Hospital Bombing. None of those punished face criminal charges

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• US to Pay Compensation Over Airstrike on Afghan Hospital

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