The Afghan Air Force attacked a private hospital in Helmand Province on Saturday, killing one and wounding three. This was not a mistaken attack, according to those familiar with the situation, who say the Defense Ministry ordered the attack based on false allegations that Taliban were being treated there.
The hospital’s owner says there were no Taliban at the small Lashkar Gah hospital. The Defense Ministry has so far declined media requests for comment on the attack.
This has been an ongoing problem, both with the Afghan Air Force causing civilian casualties and with the Afghan military believing it is appropriate to attack medical facilities if they offer treatment to the other side.
The Afghans reported they’d pushed the Taliban out of Lashkar Gah later in the day at any rate, meaning it’s unclear why they felt the need to attack a hospital based on what was clearly uncertain intelligence.
My time in Afghanistan was really wonderful when I was there back in the day. If anyone would have told me that the U.S. was going to occupy Afghanistan, I would have belived the chances were 100 to one. I know, I know, people who drop TWO nuclear bombs on TWO cities killing around 100,000 mostly women & children will do anything no matter how evil it is. So It’s no surprize to thinking people that the U.S would invade.
They were, after all, trained by the US so no big surprise.
“This has been an ongoing problem, both with the Afghan Air Force causing civilian casualties and with the Afghan military believing it is appropriate to attack medical facilities if they offer treatment to the other side.”
Yeah, our Afghan “allies” have a “problem” with basic international humanitarian law.
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule28
Obviously they’ve been properly trained by the Americans/NATO.
They’re just taking their cues from Israel, who bombs anything and everything under the cover of ‘there might be Hamas in there’. Tel Aviv seems to get away with it, so why not Kabul?
…and as U.S. taxpayers we are supposed to pay $3.8 billion per year to fund the Afghan military for many years to come. And the U.S. military will continue its “training” of the Afghan military in other countries indefinitely. Our government is sick.
Just abusing the shiny new military powers to settle old tribal gripes. You know corrupt and in power. Yeah, it was credible report that the Taliban was there, no over there, wait, over here.
Bingo Scout!!!