Veterans for Peace Letter

Veterans For Peace recently sent the following letter of support to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Dear Friends,

Veterans For Peace (VFP) supports your demand for an independent investigation of the Kunduz bombing. We have great respect for MSF and how your people put their lives at risk in service of sick and wounded humanity. Here is a statement VFP put out regarding the bombing and the war in Afghanistan. Veterans Organization Denounces U.S. Bombing of Afghan Hospital.

This was a horrific crime, assuredly a war crime, and as veterans with direct knowledge of how the military operates, we are quite clear this was not a mistake. Trained pilots do not make mistakes like that, nor do they proceed without direct authorization to do so. We feel this was deliberate and intentional. The motive is also clear ? MSF was treating all sick and wounded, without discrimination, including Taliban. But this particular attack may well backfire on the very war machine that causes so much suffering and death.

This was from one of our VFP members:

*"As an experienced Fighter Pilot, the USAF and their intel targeting branch knew WITHOUT a DOUBT that they were bombing a hospital; About the only excuse to avoid even more condemnation will be to say "the bombs were off target" - but this cannot hold up under minimal scrutiny.  WHY did the bombing go on for so long, allegedly over a half hour.  Precision munitions don't just hit hospitals, bomb after bomb."*

Members of VFP have served in combat and in every branch of the armed forces.  Based on their first hand and collective experience, and absent any evidence to the contrary, it is difficult to believe the bombing of the hospital was anything but deliberate or at a minimum done in reckless disregard of the consequences to human life.

It is up to all of us who care about humanity to keep this incident from being washed over and forgotten.

Please let us know how we can best support your demand for an independent investigation. Is there is a way VFP can coordinate with MSF and how can we work together to expose this crime fully and achieve accountability?

In addition to supporting MSF's call for an an independent investigation, we believe that full justice requires the following:

1. The tape and video from the attack AC-130 gunship must be released to Congress and/or made completely public.

2. The Pentagon must make full reparations to Doctors Without Borders and to the families of those killed and injured.

3. The U.S. military must fully rebuild and restock the hospital.

4. This war of 14-years and the long series of war crimes, of which the attack on the hospital in Kunduz is included, must end finally and completely.

In Solidarity,

Veterans For Peace National Board

Barry Ladendorf, President

Michael T. McPhearson, Executive Director