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    Agree2DisagreeBrendan O'Connor
    10/18/15 7:15pm

    I would like to see Benghazi-level of investigation into this. This is fucked up. With the money we spend on the military, we should have the highest accuracy of intelligence to prevent these “mistakes.” Had this been the Taliban, we would’ve rained down a thousand bombs in retaliation. The Repubs have a chance to destroy the Obama administration on this, but everyone is mum cuz no one wants to admit we goofed. It doesn’t matter whether this was deliberate or not, we should be ashamed of ourselves for this.

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      The Alvin Greene DreamAgree2Disagree
      10/18/15 7:23pm

      If GWB had presided over this, the left would be tearing him to shreds, but since Obama’s in the White House, most of us will, as usual, remain mum. Just like with the drone program, domestic surveillance, and so on.

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      raincoasterAgree2Disagree
      10/18/15 7:34pm

      Pssst, it wasn’t a mistake.

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    benjaminalloverBrendan O'Connor
    10/18/15 6:50pm

    The nature of this attack is still completely inexplicable to me.

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      Armageddon T. Thunderbirdbenjaminallover
      10/18/15 6:57pm

      I’m reminded of the USS Liberty. I call it an active oops.

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      TRUMP DELENDUS EST (fka Chatham Harrison)benjaminallover
      10/18/15 7:07pm

      Too much of this debate has struck me as two sides talking past each other. What they need is an independent investigation, and I hope against hope that Obama agrees to it.

      The thing is, this is blatantly a war crime, no matter how you spin it. Either American forces unwittingly carried out a war crime on behalf of the Afghan military who called in the strikes, or we colluded.

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    TheScrobocopBrendan O'Connor
    10/18/15 9:23pm

    This attack should never have happened, BUT, the equivocation coming from MSF regarding whether or not the Taliban in the clinic were armed explains exactly why it did. Afghan fighters care very little about the Geneva convention when the people trying to kill them are being treated by unaffiliated medical staff. MSF shouldn’t serve as the de facto medical corp of any faction in an armed conflict, and they were naive to think doing so would never have negative consequences.

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      LobsterquadrilleTheScrobocop
      10/18/15 9:51pm

      Where has MSF equivocated about armed members of Taliban being present in the hospital? In every statement I have seen, they have been quite clear that there was no fighting happening on the premises, and that anyone being treated was obliged to leave their weapon at the door.

      As far as being naive, I can assure you that the people who work for MSF are exceedingly aware of the risks involved, and the potential consequences of how they operate. That doesn’t mean that they should just shrug their shoulders and accept it when bad shit happens. This absolutely is not the first time that someone has been killed violently in the course of their work for MSF, we’re just hearing about it now because it was at the hands of a supposed ally. They MUST speak out as strongly as possible - this is as much about the safety of all their staff around the world as it is about this specific hospital. Things have changed a lot in terms of respect for humanitarian workers in the last few years, and it’s pretty frightening.

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      TheScrobocopLobsterquadrille
      10/18/15 9:57pm

      “leave your guns at the door” is a ludicrous, naive standard when you're treating the people who shoot girls in the face for going to school. The medical staff who volunteer for MSF deserve better than to have their talents squandered on combatants in a civil war.

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    The Dread & Fear of KingsBrendan O'Connor
    10/18/15 6:48pm

    Jesus Christ, doctors, president Obama already said “my bad, shit happens.” Frankly, you're starting to get a little petulant.

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      ArdenThe Dread & Fear of Kings
      10/18/15 11:15pm

      Sadly, an awful lot of otherwise rational people have been echoing your sentiment completely unironically the last few days. as though a South Park-esque “I’m soorrryy” is good enough.

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    j4x_Brendan O'Connor
    10/19/15 8:06am

    We all know it wasn’t a mistake.

    It happened because leadership decided the gains outweighed the loss. They further decided that 6 months from now, no one in America will care this ever happened.

    The second point could not be more true.

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      PercyAndJasperj4x_
      10/19/15 8:40am

      I hope you’re wrong about the second point. If only this would be some sort of tipping point that gets the US out of the business of killing civilians and then lying about it. I know, probably it won’t, but we can hope.

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      cdoggydj4x_
      10/19/15 12:36pm

      What was gained?

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    maryislyBrendan O'Connor
    10/18/15 10:02pm

    So, then, why did we do it if we did it on purpose? To show Putin that although he may be a badass shooting passenger planes out of the sky that we are even bigger badasses by bombing a hospital into dust?

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      MyNomdePlumeisPaperMateBrendan O'Connor
      10/18/15 6:57pm

      Yet another tragedy that President Trump would have prevented.

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