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| Kunduz: Afghan MSF hospital strike a mistake, says US | Kunduz: Afghan MSF hospital strike a mistake, says US |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US commander of international forces in Afghanistan has said an air strike on a hospital in the northern city of Kunduz was a mistake. | The US commander of international forces in Afghanistan has said an air strike on a hospital in the northern city of Kunduz was a mistake. |
| Gen John Campbell said that the US would never intentionally target a protected medical facility. | Gen John Campbell said that the US would never intentionally target a protected medical facility. |
| At least 22 people were killed in the attack as government forces battled to retake the city from the Taliban. | |
| Gen Campbell also said that the US must consider boosting its troop presence in Afghanistan after 2016. | |
| He said that such a measure would be necessary if the Taliban upsurge was to be repelled and Afghanistan's military kept up to fighting strength. | |
| Under current plans the US is to reduce its troop levels from about 9,800 soldiers in Afghanistan to about 1,000 embassy-based soldiers from the beginning of 2017. | |
| But the "tenuous security situation" might require a re-think of this reduction, the general said. | |
| A 'war crime' | |
| Medical charity MSF has called for an independent international inquiry into the Kunduz attack. | |
| It has launched a Twitter campaign in support of its demand. | It has launched a Twitter campaign in support of its demand. |
| The charity said that statements from the Afghan government implied that the hospital had been deliberately targeted - and amounted to an admission of a war crime. | The charity said that statements from the Afghan government implied that the hospital had been deliberately targeted - and amounted to an admission of a war crime. |
| In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, Gen Campbell said: "To be clear, the decision to provide aerial fires was a US decision, made within the US chain of command." | In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, Gen Campbell said: "To be clear, the decision to provide aerial fires was a US decision, made within the US chain of command." |
| Gen Campbell said that the proposed air strike underwent "rigorous" US military procedures beforehand which were intended to prevent such mistakes, | Gen Campbell said that the proposed air strike underwent "rigorous" US military procedures beforehand which were intended to prevent such mistakes, |
| He said the attack was requested by Afghan forces who were fighting Taliban fighters in Kunduz, He said they were in communication with American special operations troops at the scene. | He said the attack was requested by Afghan forces who were fighting Taliban fighters in Kunduz, He said they were in communication with American special operations troops at the scene. |
| Those US forces in turn were in contact with the AC-130 gunship that fired on the hospital, he said. | Those US forces in turn were in contact with the AC-130 gunship that fired on the hospital, he said. |
| "The hospital was mistakenly struck," he said. "We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility." | "The hospital was mistakenly struck," he said. "We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility." |
| The general said that he was not in a position to provide more details about what happened, including who may have failed to follow military guidelines to avert attacks on hospitals. | The general said that he was not in a position to provide more details about what happened, including who may have failed to follow military guidelines to avert attacks on hospitals. |
| He said that such details must await the outcome of numerous inquiries. | He said that such details must await the outcome of numerous inquiries. |
| MSF President Joanne Liu has dismissed the American explanation for the attack. "Until proven otherwise, we are working on the presumption of a war crime," she said in a statement. | MSF President Joanne Liu has dismissed the American explanation for the attack. "Until proven otherwise, we are working on the presumption of a war crime," she said in a statement. |
| She said that her charity had alerted the Afghan and coalition military leadership about the attack, which continued for at least another 30 minutes. | She said that her charity had alerted the Afghan and coalition military leadership about the attack, which continued for at least another 30 minutes. |
| "The hospital was well known and the GPS co-ordinates had been regularly shared with coalition and Afghan military and civilian officials, as recently as Tuesday 29 September," she said. | "The hospital was well known and the GPS co-ordinates had been regularly shared with coalition and Afghan military and civilian officials, as recently as Tuesday 29 September," she said. |
| "This attack cannot be brushed aside as a mere mistake or an inevitable consequence of war." | "This attack cannot be brushed aside as a mere mistake or an inevitable consequence of war." |
| Read more on the battle for Kunduz: | Read more on the battle for Kunduz: |