Airstrike that killed 30 in Afghanistan blamed on human error

Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Avoidable human error lead to air strike on Afghan hospital The Pentagon has issued a report detailing an air strike on a field hospital in Afghanistan. On Wednesday officials stated that the attack which killed at least 30 people was a direct result of avoidable human error.

WASHINGTON — Human error was the primary cause of the airstrike that killed 30 people last month at a hospital in northern Afghanistan, Army Gen. John Campbell announced Wednesday.

The crew of an AC-130 gunship believed they were striking a building several hundred yards away, and not the Doctors Without Borders trauma center in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Campbell, the top commander in Afghanistan, told reporters in a briefing. Another 37 people were wounded. Technical problems also contributed to the "tragic mistake," Campbell said.

The crew also failed to "undertake appropriate measures" to determine whether the hospital was a viable target, Campbell said. He summarized the findings of the military's investigation but did not release the full report.

The special operations aircraft launched 69 minutes early and thus the crew was not fully briefed, including on targets that were deemed off-limits, including the hospital, Campbell said. In addition, technical problems on the plane prevented it from sending or receiving messages. The AC-130 attacked the building with artillery shells and left it a smoking ruin.

Officials with Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, were skeptical of the Pentagon report.

"The U.S. version of events presented today leaves MSF with more questions than answers," General Director Christopher Stokes said in a statement. "It is shocking that an attack can be carried out when U.S. forces have neither eyes on a target nor access to a no-strike list, and have malfunctioning communications systems. It appears that 30 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of people are denied life-saving care in Kunduz simply because the MSF hospital was the closest large building to an open field and 'roughly matched' a description of an intended target."

Most of the personnel involved have been suspended from their duties, Campbell said.

"No nation does more to prevent civilian casualties than the United States, but we failed to meet our own high standards on October 3rd," Campbell said. "This was a tragic, but avoidable accident caused primarily by human error."

Officials from Doctors Without Borders called U.S. military officials 12 minutes after the attack began, said Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, a military spokesman in Kabul. By the time the air crew was told it was hitting the hospital, their attack had ended. Some of the military personnel violated the "rules of engagement," Shoffner said.

Days before the strike, the Taliban had overrun Kunduz. U.S. commandos were aiding Afghan troops who were retaking the city. A missile had also been fired at the the AC-130, Shoffner said.

"Chaos does not justify this tragedy," Shoffner said.

The U.S. military is committed to helping Doctors Without Borders to rebuild the hospital and to make reparations to the victims, Shoffner said.

"We are absolutely heartbroken over what occurred here," Shoffner said.

In a statement earlier this month, Joanne Liu, international president of Doctors Without Borders, called the attack unjustified.

"The attack destroyed our ability to treat patients at a time of their greatest need," Liu said. "A functioning hospital caring for patients cannot simply lose its protected status and be attacked."

In a joint statement, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said they appreciated Campbell's candor about the tragedy.

"It is clear that process failures on multiple levels were involved," Thornberry said. "We will continue to oversee the investigation as it proceeds, and work closely with our forces in Afghanistan to ensure this tragedy is not repeated."