By Avirook Upmanyu '19
Coalition airstrikes in Kunduz, Afghanistan blew apart a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital, killing 19 people and seriously injuring 37 others. MSF officials have declared that 12 of the 19 fatalities were staff members while the other seven were patients.With a population of 300,000, Kunduz is one of Afghanistan’s largest cities; it is also strategically important as a transportation hub because it serves as a major link along the main highway connecting Kabul to Tajikistan. It has been the center of intense fighting since last week, when it was overrun by Taliban forces that had pushed back Afghan troops in what is the Taliban’s biggest military victory in over 15 years.Amid severe international pressure from both Afghanistan and the UN, the U.S. has promised to launch an investigation into finding the reason behind the airstrikes. In a statement, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said: "While we are still trying to determine exactly what happened, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to everyone affected. A full investigation into the tragic incident is under way in co-ordination with the Afghan government." An anonymous U.S. Military official said that the sanctioned investigation was looking into the possible involvement of an AC-130 gunship in the bombing of the MSF hospital. The gunship had been ordered to conduct military sorties in order to protect Special Operations assets in the region.On the other hand, Col. Brian Tribus, a spokesman for the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, was quoted as saying, "U.S. forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz city at 02:15 (local time)... against individuals threatening the force. The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility." MSF Officials claim that their facility was continuously bombed for over half an hour in spite of the fact that only days earlier, Coalition and Afghan Forces had been informed of the exact GPS location of the hospital. This begs the question: was this simply a case of wrongful targeting or are there broader implications to be considered?As mentioned earlier, the city of Kunduz has been the center of intense fighting for over a week and the air strikes came in on the sixth day of combat operations in the region. While Afghan and U.S. officials claim that all Taliban fighters have been cleared from the region, the Taliban denies this claim. Locals seem to add credibility to the Taliban’s words by saying that Taliban fighters can still be seen either roaming the streets or inside houses.While the world awaits the results of the internal investigation launched by President Barack Obama, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, "This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable, and possibly even criminal." This is not the first time U.S. and Coalition forces have been accused of damaging civilian property in Afghanistan. Keeping in mind that Coalition forces had been informed of the exact GPS location of the hospital, it must be asked why the Coalition forces continue to repeatedly make the same mistakes.Sources:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34433302http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2015/10/03/us-air-strike-on-msf-clinic-in-kunduz-leaves-tens-killed-and-wounded-photos.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/asia/afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/