The Pentagon has released its report on the U.S. military’s bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, last year. The attack killed 42 people, including patients and staff. The report claims the bombing was a mistake caused by human errors and equipment failures. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, said the Pentagon does not consider it a war crime.
Gen. Joseph Votel: “The fact that this was unintentional, an unintentional action, takes it out of the realm of actually being a deliberate war crime against persons or protected locations. So, that is the principal reason why we do not consider this to be a war crime.”
A number of people disputed General Votel’s argument, including Patricia Grossman of Human Rights Watch, who tweeted: “It is established principle of customary international law that war crimes can be committed through recklessness.” Sixteen U.S. officers have received administrative discipline, but none face criminal charges. Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and others have called for an independent investigation.