Thursday, October 15, 2015

MSF Hospital Bombing - INDEPENDENT Inquiry Needed - UPDATED AGAIN!

We cannot let the attack on the civilian MSF (Medicins Sans Frontieres)  hospital in Afghanistan just "go away."  If you have truly read the accounts, it should be clear that this was NO accident.  Let's remember that the GPS coordinates were given to both sides and  that the hospital was bombed precisely several times while the MSF staff called DC to plead for it to stop. Thanks to a gal commenting on TI for this tweet showing there were NO other targets in the vicinity of the hospital!

MSF has called for an independent, impartial, and transparent inquiry.  Sorry, but we CANNOT trust the U. S. military, NATO and all to investigate themselves.  And we must all denounce this. International MSF President, Dr.  Joanne Liu, has called this an "attack on the Geneva Conventions."  True accountability must be demanded and received (though maybe we shouldn't hold our collective breath).  

Read about  this reaction of the MSF.  I wasn't originally going to post this link, but here's Greenwald again, with another worthwhile read.  I felt it was worth including here when it occurred to me, why is the U.S. hemming and hawing about a real, independent investigation?  What is that old line again - "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear"?  So what is the U.S. afraid of?

We must stand with MSF and the victims.  We must add to the call for a real, impartial and independent inquiry.  We should accept no less.  MSF has a site and social media campaign going.  Since I'm not on facebook,instagram, or twitter, not sure how I can help in this ---- any ideas???


UPDATE !:

I was tuning in to a C-Span (American History TV) program and saw a blurb about one of their "Reel America" segmentsthat is supposed to air a few times today (10/10) and the next day or so. I was stunned.  What do you all make of this?  Here is the description of "Afghanistan 1982" from their website:
"This U.S. Information Agency film chronicles events in Afghanistan from the 1979 Soviet invasion until the end of 1982, and includes a 1982 interview with a Doctors Without Borders official following the Soviet bombing of hospitals."

I don't know if I'm jumping to any conclusions, but the timing of this seems QUITE odd. It just couldn't be an effort to distract from the U. S.  bombing of a MSF hospital in Afghanistan, now could it?  I e-mailed C-span about this and will update if I get a response.  What are your thoughts, readers?  I have NOT so far heard anything from C-Span.  Anyone have a take on this?

UPDATE II:

The International Humanitarian Fact Finding Committee is ready and willing to investigate, but would need the ok of the U. S. and Afghanistan.  But the U. S. is so far signalling they will NOT ok cooperartion. Can you believe it?  From the article:
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest signaled that the administration would oppose an IHFCC investigation.
“The administration has confidence that the investigation that is currently under way by the Department of Defense will provide the full accounting of the situation that the president has asked for,” Earnest said.  It sounds to me as though this is a case of asking a fox to investigate that disappearance of some chickens from the coop.  I am ashamed of this incident and angry at the hubris that our government won't be fully transparent with international agencies.
 

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