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Why the US bombed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan.

May 28 2016
Let's not get too caught up 'confusion and technical failures' - that's the military's explanation for what happened. Afghan forces supplied an exact description that matched the hospital, suggesting that they intentionally intended to strike it, which would be war crime.

Journalist Matthieu Aikins reports on the stories behind the 'accidental' bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan by the US military - from the Afghan government's hostility towards the aid organization for treating injured Tailban fighters, to the chain of events and decisions that lead to the killing of 42 people by US bombs - and explains how the affair points to the contradictions of US military strategy in the country.

[Audio is a bit rough in patches, listening with headphones helps, it's a great interview]

Matthieu's latest writing is Doctors With Enemies: Did Afghan Forces Target the M.S.F. Hospital? for New York Times Magazine.

 

Guest

Matthieu Aikins

Matthieu Aikins is a journalist who has been reporting from South Asia and the Middle East since 2008.

maikins.com

 

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