Afghanistan hospital bombing: Please explain the conspiracy theory about this. Can you?

[uhnope]

Last edited Tue Oct 6, 2015, 08:16 PM - Edit history (1)

I can't imagine what kind of deranged thinking actually thinks that US forces, in fighting the Taliban, want to intentionally bomb hospitals, and I would like to know.

I'm wondering what such a mindset thinks is the benefit for the US to be gained from the horrible publicity and anger now coming onto the US forces due to this incident. Could you shed some light on that?

What conspiracy theory says that MSF was somehow in such an extremely adversarial relationship with the USA that the USA would intentionally bomb a MSF hospital, no matter what the repercussions?

Don't believe me? Read this thread, and this and this

[cwydro]

1. The hospital was targeted supposedly because of Taliban fighters there or nearby.

Our leaders simply DID NOT CARE about the collateral damage.

There's no conspiracy theory...they just did NOT CARE.

[TwilightGardener]

2. I don't think we know enough of exactly what happened to make that determination yet.

If they knew it was a hospital with patients inside, and made the decision to conduct airstrikes anyway, then it could be a war crime. If they struck the building under the impression that it was some other type of facility, or knew it had been a hospital but wasn't used as one currently, then it's a fuck-up. Neither is excusable, but one is far worse than the other, obviously. Since we don't generally do this (after fourteen years and two/three wars), I'm leaning toward "fuck-up".

[cwydro]

3. The hospital called the military during the bombing.

They allowed it to continue for 30 more minutes.

Prior to that, the Doctors Without Borders had provided the exact coordinates of the hospital specifically for this reason.

[TwilightGardener]

7. The military is massive--unless they had a direct line to whoever in the chain of command

was able to quickly arrange communication with the controllers or air crew, etc. That's possible. I haven't read about whom they called. They should name names if they have them. It's also possible that planes like the gunship in question aren't totally engaged by coordinates, either, as far as targeting. I don't know enough about it to say for sure--but I did read that the AC 130 circles and hangs around and visualizes things on the ground somehow, rather than swooping in/dropping bomb/swooping out. We'll have to see how the investigation plays out.

[Skittles]

4. who is saying that

I'm wondering what the fuck is wrong with people who say, sorry, mistake during war, time to move on

[uhnope]

5. with over 100,000 posts you don't need a guide to DU

my question is based precisely on the kinds of things being said about the hospital bombing. Look around

[Skittles]

6. I don't care for people who excuse collateral damage

not at ALL

I find *THAT* sickening too

[uhnope]

8. who exactly is doing that?

[enlightenment]

9. uhnope, you have

either started or participated in several threads on this subject. In each one, at one point or another, you question - more or less politely - how the military could do this.

Each time it is explained to you, using facts. Not made up stories, not "deranged" thinking. Facts as they have been supplied by both the MSF - people who were there - and by the US military, which is not denying that it dropped munitions on a hospital.

It isn't the first time in our national history that the military has done something criminally stupid and it won't be the last.

I have not seen any conspiracy theories that point to an adversarial relationship between the US and MSF - but there has been an acknowledged adversarial relationship between the Afghan security forces and MSF for some time, because (as has been pointed out in other threads - I believe at least once directly to you) MSF refuses to turn away injured people based on their presumed loyalties and the Afghani forces don't like that. Since the US military now says that they were following the directions of those forces, it is possible that it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the Afghan forces to rid themselves of a group that they see as problematic. That is purely speculation, however. I don't know what they were thinking.

The bottom line is that the US military knew it was a hospital both before and during the attack - and they dropped multiple bombs on top of it.

If you want to pretend otherwise, have at it - but please refrain from suggesting that others are "deranged" for preferring facts to your unsupported conviction that this was just a tragic mistake.

[uhnope]

13. no, no one has answered the question or "explained" "using facts"

Show me where you think that anyone did.

You say this:

The bottom line is that the US military knew it was a hospital both before and during the attack - and they dropped multiple bombs on top of it.

So you think this, as I say in the OP:

US forces, in fighting the Taliban, want to intentionally bomb hospitals

Or are you admitting that it was much more highly likely to be a mistake than intentional? That's all I'm saying.

[enlightenment]

14. No.

I do not believe it was a mistake.

You're free to persist in your increasingly frenetic dance around the facts. If nothing else, it is increasing your post count.

[uhnope]

16. so you think US forces, in fighting the Taliban, want to intentionally bomb hospitals

got it.

[mike_c]

10. you are all over DU with this nonsense...

...so I'm not playing. Instead, perhaps you could explain how you think an AC130 gunship could orbit and fire upon a known civilian hospital for an hour by MISTAKE. A wayward munition maybe, but this was not a misfired weapon. It was sustained and repeated cannon fire for an hour.

As I told you in another thread-- our not having a rational explanation for an irrational act doesn't make it any better.

It is absolutely clear that the US intentionally bombed an MSF civilian hospital. The gunship wasn't lost. It hit it's target, over and over. Why? Damned if I know. But perhaps you can explain how you suppose an asset like an AC130 gunship got lost over a civilian hospital and then shot the shit out of it by mistake.

[uhnope]

15. you're the one making the accusations--but you won't explain?

you say:

our not having a rational explanation...doesn't make it any better.

And wild speculation assuming the worst and most most unlikely intentions makes it better?

So you're clearly saying you think it was not a mistake. Therefore you're alleging what I outlined in the OP:

US forces, in fighting the Taliban, want to intentionally bomb hospitals.

There is benefit for the US to be gained from the horrible publicity and anger now coming onto the US forces due to this incident.

MSF was somehow in such an extremely adversarial relationship with the USA that the USA would intentionally bomb a MSF hospital, no matter what the repercussions.

Call me a rationalist, but it seems much more likely that a horrible mistake happened than...I don't know, America really is Satan and bombs hospitals for fun or whatever it is you're alleging

[Rex]

11. Haven't seen any of that here, but if I do I will mention your thread. nt

nt

[uhnope]

12. thx, I will link to it in the OP