WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. airstrike that killed 22 at a medical clinic in northern Afghanistan over the weekend was requested by Afghan forces who reported being under Taliban fire, and was not sought by U.S. forces, the top commander of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan said Monday.
Gen. John F. Campbell made the statement at a hastily arranged Pentagon news conference. He said he was correcting an initial U.S. statement that said the airstrike had been in response to threats against U.S. forces.
“We have now learned that on Oct. 3, Afghan forces advised that they were taking fire from enemy positions and asked for air support from U.S. forces,” Campbell said. “An airstrike was then called to eliminate the Taliban threat and several civilians were accidentally struck. This is different from the initial reports which indicated that U.S. forces were threatened and that the airstrike was called on their behalf.”
His revised account does not clarify whether the clinic was targeted in error or whether other mistakes may have been made by U.S. forces.
“If errors were committed we will acknowledge them,” Campbell said.
He declined to provide more details, saying a military investigation is ongoing. He said he learned from the investigator that it was the Afghans, not the Americans, who requested the airstrike.
Campbell, whose headquarters is in Kabul, was in Washington on Monday because he is testifying before two congressional committees this week.
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I don’t know why they feel they have to immediately come up with a response instead of doing their work in getting to the bottom of it before responding. This makes then look even worse.
Anyone with half a brain knew this was a “danger close” close air support mission. You call in heat when you’re pinned and likely to be wiped out. There’s not much time to think or plan. At that point its all chaos.
There’s NO WAY to eliminate an enemy like the Taliban in a dense urban center other than street to street use of infantry. Its the most dangerous kind of fighting you can do. I was an infantryman in the jungle and I could not have more respect for the men who walk those streets and alleys. But when I got heat we just wiped out a grid square with TAC air or artillery. The only collateral death was in monkeys and mosquitoes.
Not for these guys. They are feet from an enemy that will stop at nothing to kill them. Low on ammo, most tied up with an injured comrade and near blind with fear. So you call in a “danger close” and hope you don’t get snuffed with all the rest. My guess it was urgency that led to the errant strike on the hospital. Flyboys are very dedicated and they want you to come home alive. So they act fast and do the best they can. And as much as the TPM’ers might want to disbelieve…they are sickened by collateral death.
Its my guess if they kept quite as you say they’d be condemned for that. Its called damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Its a very popular game.
I smell neocons.
Well said, experience usually leads to an intelligent response. And yes, anyone who thinks DoD loves collateral damage is just being childish.