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AdjraBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:34am
The US military statement is very misleading. Assessments of potential civilian deaths, i.e. collateral damage, are done prior to any military strike in order to ensure compliance with the proportionality test under international law. Depending on the number, there are different protocols for approval of a strike. What I am saying is that “may have resulted in collateral damage” suggests that it was accidental or not expected. When, in actuality, while the exact number may be different from the estimates, the expectation that there would be collateral damage would have already been calculated (expected) when deciding whether to order the strike, which they did order. Given that this is a known clinic and is not mobile, the calculations of a strike within a certain distance of the clinic would be I assume fairly solid- meaning it wouldn’t really be a “it may or not” hit this clinic, but rather it will almost surely hit this clinic and then they balanced expected civilian loss against the military value of the strike.

ETA: Assuming the coalition forces are using the same protocols as those used in Iraq, which is likely, the sign off with the calculations of civilian loss very well may have been signed off on by President Obama. The Iraq threshold was either 20 or 30, can’t remember which. Here, 30 missing and 9 confirmed deaths would put this in the range of a fairly rigorous and extensive review. Presumably, whatever military advantage they saw from this outweighed (to the Obama administration) the expected collateral damage and ensuing bad publicity.
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  AdjraAdjra
  10/03/15 11:04am
  The Afghani statements suggest that the clinic may have actually been the target. The presence of Taliban fighters would make it a legitimate military target, assuming it met the proportionality test. Making it all the more likely that this was signed off on quite high up in the administration and potentially by President Obama himself. Sorry to be that person, but I think Americans need to understand how war is actually conducted: it is highly unlikely that this was a fuck-up (from the military’s perspective), yes the US military will absolutely target a hospital if it considers it necessary for military reasons, and, most sadly, it may not violate international law. : (
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  2016Adjra
  10/03/15 11:14am
  Eh, USA forces do have a reputation for “friendly fire fuck-ups”. The statement sounds more like covering their ass. A team could be sent inside the hospital, instead of “ Let’s just bomb this hospital and hope to get terrorists. Fuck collateral damage “
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North-Mississippi-big-macho-truck-he-manBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:38am
Horrible as this is, mistakes happen in war. Pick your poison. The Taliban get back control of Afghanistan they’ll probably morph with the Islamic State. Sure, we could do nothing and leave them be, but then we might have a problem on our hands in 5 years. Not so easy to make these kinds of decisions.
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  2016North-Mississippi-big-macho-truck-he-man
  10/03/15 11:21am
  You mean the Taliban aka “freedom fighters” USA financed to spite ex-URSS? Afghanistan was much better before USA felt threatened by its relationship with URSS. Also, see Iran pre-religious gouvernment and actually a lot of other countries. It’s like every country USA military “helps” to overthrow an unfriendly government, ends up with an even more hostile government 20-30 years down the road.
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  Klewless2016
  10/03/15 12:54pm
  Also see Iraq. A semi-hostile despot in charge but it was a forward thinking secular country. Then Bush goes in, fucks it up and now the schools are destroyed, ISIL is taking over, women are losing their rights...
  
  We bombed it back to the middles ages.
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SwanlogBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:07am
They hate us for our freedom.
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  EL34Swanlog
  10/03/15 10:21am
  “They”? It was a U.S. air strike.
  
  (apologies if you’re being sarcastic. I can be quite dense at times)
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  SwanlogEL34
  10/03/15 10:28am
  I was. This was a propaganda phrase used by the Bush II administration to explain the motivations of anti-American terrorists. I’m implying that dropping bombs on people may have more to do with their resentment of America than how free we are, whatever the hell that means.
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EL34Brendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:19am
I was hoping Gawker would cover this story this morning; thanks, Brandon.

IMO (as of 10:15 AM EST), it seems like Reuters is doing the lion’s share of the coverage, for those of you who want to keep up on this tragic mayhem today.

Makes me really miss Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl of Frosted Flakes... and a (perhaps imaginary) flag I could whole-heartedly salute.
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  IkerCatsillasEL34
  10/03/15 10:30am
  The Guardian’s doing a good job as well.
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  "Like those joke Glasses?" -D.S.EL34
  10/03/15 10:44am
  Sorry but, gotta be that person... (Brendan)
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Emerald D.V.Brendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:21am
Bombing hospitals? Who do we think we are, the IDF?
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  Squash that warrantEmerald D.V.
  10/03/15 10:35am
  That’s exactly what I was thinking. Bibi really IS calling the shots.
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toothpetardBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:31am
United States airstrike

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  Andrewtoothpetard
  10/03/15 4:04pm
  
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  suppiluliumastoothpetard
  10/03/15 4:26pm
  If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.
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IkerCatsillasBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:32am
This is a monumental fuckup. From The Guardian:

[MSF] claimed the GPS coordinates of the hospital had been widely circulated to all parties fighting in the conflict. It also alleged the bombing continued for up to 30 minutes after it raised the alarm with US and Afghan officials.

MSF is one of the best charities out there doing hugely vital work. We should all be even more ashamed of the American military than normal today.
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  Set Fire to the Room--do it now (fiends NOT friends)IkerCatsillas
  10/03/15 11:16am
  I watched an MSF webcast last year that had the first American to be sent to Afghanistan since before 9/11; she talked about how their insurance carrier wouldn’t let Americans go because the risk was too great. But MSF argued that their organization’s reputation in Afghanistan was more powerful than any anti-American sentiment, and that an American staffer from MSF would be at no greater risk than a non-American MSF staffer.
  
  And the insurer agreed. MSF does such good work that their logo outweighs country of origin. Or at least it did. God forgive us.
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  c-m-o-t-dibblerIkerCatsillas
  10/04/15 7:02am
  I am ashamed for them even though i’m not american. It’s just fucked up they bombed them even though they had the coordinates and even more fucked up that they continued after they were alerted. Is there some buerocracy involved in calling it off?
  
  Btw i am trying to convince my wife to let me join msf and she immediately sent me links to the story and said you’re not going anywhere. So thanks for that too
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e.nonBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:26am
you should have also noted that msf had repeatedly given the coordinates to the u.s. military — the last time being three days before the attack.

the u.s. was aware, but just didn’t give a shit that it’s the only hospital serving that area of the fucking country. booyah!

if you’re so inclined:

https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/monthly.cfm?so…
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OMG!PONIES!Brendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:41am
Call me old-fashioned but I think that everyone involved in the planning and execution of this clusterfuck should spend the rest of their military careers cleaning diseased shit from the inside of latrines, equipped only only with a broken toothbrush and an empty canister of wet naps.
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UnicornIceCreamBrendan O'Connor
10/03/15 10:13am
may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility.

This is just PR gibberish and it is fucking offensive that it has been phrased as such. May have resulted?!!! Are doctors just collateral damage? FOH.
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  SwanlogUnicornIceCream
  10/03/15 10:18am
  I find the mealy-mouthed excuse-making pretty offensive. You bombed a goddamn hospital; just say you fucked up.
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