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Opinion

America must take full responsibility for mistaken bombing of hospital in Afghanistan

Kevin Rafferty says Obama needs to apologise and make reparations for the US Armed Forces’ ‘tragic and unnecessary accident’ in bombing an MSF hospital in Afghanistan, and put those responsible on trial

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General John Campbell, the commander of Nato and US forces in Afghanistan, reports on the investigation of the air strike in Kunduz. Photo: Reuters
Kevin Rafferty
On October 3, a US AC-130 gunship in Afghanistan destroyed a well identified and clearly marked hospital in Kunduz, killing 30 doctors, nurses and patients, with several children among the dead.
America’s top general in Afghanistan, John Campbell, this week admitted a catalogue of mistakes, including failure to follow proper procedures, equipment malfunctions and turning a deaf ear to 17 minutes of pleading from terrified staff at the Medicins Sans Frontieres hospital under aerial attack.

Reporting on the US military investigation into the attack, Campbell concluded that it was a tragic and unnecessary accident.

No amount of apologising or money can bring back the dead. But Obama owes this to the victims, and also to his own and America’s reputation

Barack Obama, in his roles as president and commander in chief of the US Armed Forces, must make a public apology for this war crime against civilians.

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He must also offer handsome compensation to the families of the victims; pay for replacing and re-equipping the hospital; put those responsible on trial publicly; and explain what steps are being taken to avoid a repeat of the atrocity. No amount of apologising or money can bring back the dead. But Obama owes this to the victims, and also to his own and America’s reputation as a civilised power.

READ MORE: When apologies for hospital air strikes are not enough

In this photograph from November 10, a burnt-out vehicle is seen inside the premises of the damaged Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in Kunduz. Photo: AFP
In this photograph from November 10, a burnt-out vehicle is seen inside the premises of the damaged Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in Kunduz. Photo: AFP
Americans may claim that they, unlike other countries responsible for civilian atrocities, have admitted to their misdeeds and investigated and reported on the “incident”, another weasel word. The investigation itself is troubling, even though it admits to too many errors for what is supposed to be a professional military operation.

READ MORE: United States owes world full and frank explanation on Afghan hospital air strike

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