The United Nations announced that the suspected US-led airstrike that killed 12 members of Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) is a possible war crime.
The UN’s human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, has called for a full and transparent investigation, saying that “if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime.” The attack wounded 37 people, including 19 MSF staff, and 18 patients and caretakers.
MSF President Meinie Nicolai said the attack is “abhorrent and a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law.”
“We demand total transparency from coalition forces,” Nicolai added. “We cannot accept that this horrific loss of life will simply be dismissed as ‘collateral damage.’”
President Barack Obama has expressed his condolences over the losses in the attack.
“On behalf of the American people, I extend my deepest condolences to the medical professionals and other civilians killed and injured in the tragic incident,” Obama said. “The Department of Defence has launched a full investigation, and we will await the results of that inquiry before making a definitive judgment as to the circumstances of this tragedy.”
The United State Department of Defense is the last agency that needs to conduct an investigation, especially since the American military may be involved in the attack. The inside corruption of the DoD will skew the results of any investigation.
For more on this story, visit Al Jazeera “UN says Afghan hospital bombing may be war crime”
