Chalking up last month’s US attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Afghanistan to “human error,” Gen. Joseph Campbell today announced the multiple troops have been suspended from duty over the attack, and that they may face court-martial for attacking a hospital on the no-strike list.
Campbell insisted the military courts are “independent of decision-makers” and that they will continue to study what went wrong. He declined to say if the court-martials would involve disciplinary or criminal charges for the attacking troops.
The investigation claimed that the warplane that attacked the hospital was given the coordinates of a site suspected of being a “Taliban base,” but that it turned out to be an empty field. The crew on the plane then decided to just attack the next closest thing, which was the hospital.
They attacked the hospital even though no ground troops were within visual range of it and there were no signs of a fire-fight, despite the initial target coming from Afghan troops claiming they were “being attacked.” This suggests that the crew on the plane almost certainly will be among those facing court-martial.
MSF has demanded an independent investigation of the attack, saying it amounts to a war crime. President Obama has opposed the idea, and the military badly damaged the hospital site during its “investigation,” likely precluding any more inquiries.
Nov 24, 2015 The Deep State: The Unelected Shadow Government
America’s next president will inherit more than a bitterly divided nation. He or she will also inherit a shadow government—a permanent, corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country. As John W. Whitehead warns in this week's vodcast, all it will take is another terrorist attack or a natural disaster for such a regime to emerge from the shadows.
https://youtu.be/vjdw3Is9mT4
I believe the Shadow Government is a global entity, whose goal is to
establish the New World Order, backed by a global Police State.
"The crew on the plane then decided to just attack the next closest thing."
The military is still using "Dr. Strangelove" as a training video. How else do you explain the rise of General Breedlove?
Well, I guess it's something. But as always, they twist things to blame some poor lowly bastard and the not the jerks making the decisions, they get the promotions and the big bucks.
The arse-covering is interesting. Plainly next time some rag-tag irregular Afghans need support, the pilot flying the plane will hesitate, and then kick the matter upstairs for Obama's decision before doing anything. Lack of support will mean the Afghans'll feel, 'Hell. Why should I risk my neck for Yanks who won't even give me a bit of air support.' So the Taliban offensive will sweep on, as did that of ISIS in Iraq. One imagines the next serious war in Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and ISIS, to see who'll rule the ruins. You'll remember that the Captain of USS Stark was relieved of duty and retired when his ship was missiled by the Iraqis. You'll also remember that after this, the Captain of USS Vincennes didn't take any chances when he felt his ship was threatened, and promptly shot down Iran Air Flight 655. This sort of scapegoating has consequences.
> Chalking up last month’s US attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Afghanistan to “human error,”
Yeah because "wanton destruction" doesn't sound so good.
Campbell's explanation is simply unbelievable.
I believe the hospital attack was deliberate, and was meant to send a message to MSF and all other organizations not in lockstep with Washington to butt out.
The US military could care less about the loss of life or world opinion.
Ah, so it was "human error." I thought it was "computer glitches" and "sensor malfunctions." Whatever combination of incompetence is to blame, (which is the best argument against nuclear in particular and the Pentagon's weapons procurement program in general, I've ever heard), don't you find it convenient they released their report on Thanksgiving? I hope the internets redeliver this story on Monday.
In civilian deaths by police, the killers are "suspended" (with pay of course) until the whitewash or "no bill" grand jury action is over with.
You can imagine how this works in the military. Since when have you ever heard of the military suspending anyone? What does that even mean? Sent to the barracks without supper? This is nonsense. If they are in the brig for war crimes, what else can this be? Of course the military is being very vague about this because they believe they can finesse this by delay and fog.
No one will be tried, much less convicted, for this war crime until the perps travel to Europe where the International Court of Justice can nab them. Not likely.
So the war criminals will be slowly forgotten about has the military issues the usual snow job and what few Americans care will have fresher crimes to worry about. After all, it was only foreigners killed, so why worry? No one will lose rank, no officer held responsible, no promotion delayed. After all Americans by definition don't commit war crimes. At worst they commit "honest mistakes in the heat of battle." So solly, Dolly.