MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, called the weekend air raid on the hospital in Kunduz a “war crime” and has demanded an independent investigation.
Advertisement
White House press Secretary Josh Earnest said that Mr Obama had also called Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani to offer his condolences.
The United States carried out an airstrike on the hospital on Saturday, killing at least 22 people.
Twenty-two people were killed when the Doctors Without Borders’ facility in Kunduz was struck.
“If we came down to 1,000 – there is no counterterrorism structured force in those numbers”, Campbell said.
If that inquiry indicates that the U.S.’s military rules of engagement require change, “that’s what the President will expect the Department of Defense to do”, Earnest said.
“The estimates I’ve heard, both from an Afghan perspective and probably from the intel community, is anywhere between 60 and 70 percent (that are) potentially reconcilable on the Taliban side”, Gen. John F. Campbell told the House Armed Services Committee.
“The overwhelmingly shocking nature of the event forces us to take stock of our work in Afghanistan generally and to carefully weigh the safety and security of our staff and patients”, Christopher Stokes, general director of the group, told a news conference in Kabul.
“Protection of the medical facility is made by the fact that we don’t want to discriminate”, Molinie said. That was not what happened in this case.
Twelve Doctors Without Borders staff along with seven patients, including three children, were killed after the airstrike hit the worldwide charity’s hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz. Cone said he believed that this conversation took place before the attack had ended. Ms Liu said the strike “was not just an attack on our hospital, it was an attack on the Geneva Conventions”.
But, asked about unconfirmed allegations that Afghan troops had called in the USA strike because wounded Taliban fighters were being treated in the hospital, Campbell said that would not be a justification.
The USA military often touts the rigor of its procedures for ensuring that air power is used prudently, proportionally and with minimal risk of civilian casualties.
Among the unanswered questions: Did the crew of the attacking aircraft know their target was a hospital? Doctors Without Borders says it has had no response yet from any of the countries.
Advertisement
He said drawing the force down to 1,000 by the end of next year will limit coalition training and counterterrorism operations.
