Page 89 - Coordinates News Today

Remove that threat. today, general john campbell, the top military commander in afghanistan clarified it was the afghans who said that they were under attack and the u.s. then called in the air strike. but that raises more questions than it answers. did the u.s. attempt to clarify the taliban claims? did the taliban give coordinates and were those checked out? did the taliban say it was coming from the hospital, or did they identify it as a hospital? and what instructions were given to the ac-13...

Violation of international humanitarian law. people are outraged. you have been in the hospitals and exact situation. how does something like this happen? >> they have been through during the rwanda genocide, iraq, afghanistan you name it. they took the brunt of staff members there. they are extraordinarily careful an good. september 29th they told u.n. forces where they were and what the location in the hospital was. they image there was a strike package and they had a pi particular laser desig...

Extra, 2001. there was a feierce battle goin on. afghan troops asking for help and gave the coordinates and u.s. went in with the u.s. and ac-130 gun ship. would they rely on afghan troops? >> maybe in part but there are vetting procedures any time afghan troops will call in american air support. thats why its important to wait and get the facts. youre right, this is the first city the taliban has taken in almost 15 years and major fighting and always fog on the battle field and thats why ultima...

Afghan shoulders called in yesterday, and what doctors without borders said that first of all, this is called by the united states collateral damage, and then a tragic accident, and now the united states will blame it on the afghan government, and he said that for that reason, it make it all of the more urgent that there is an independent international transparent inquiry, wolf. >> as you know, colonel franco nashgs and st francona, they say that the d k doctors without borders gave their coordi...

Large mortars out of this howitzer. it is the most likely scenario. that is what happens in terms of tracking u.s. troops in the fog of war thats what is likely to come out. >> give n everyone neknew the coordinates of the hospital hospitals with borders said you are bombing our hospital, after that call came in was there a decision that irrespective of the hospital that americans or afghan forces are being fired upon and therefore they had no choice? >> i actually went to the headquarters at th...

>> nbc pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski is here with the very latest. confusion to start but the pentagon there making that clarification, jim. >> reporter: thats right. general john campbell, the top u.s. commander there in afghanistan did make that clarification today and u.s. military officials tell us the air strike still was within the parameters of the rules of engagement but clearly, clearly this was a mistake. 22 individuals were killed. 12 of them doctors, 10 patients, including ...

That the u.s. cant be responsible. because they do have airborne air control systems. even if -- the koord nants were given through intelligence, a lot of those should have gone up. the pentagon has computer systems for identifying what are off limit and how to do targets. . if those coordinates were called in, it should have set off alarm bells. i dont think stretches forces thin on the ground changes that. theres also air control systems at a higher altitude keeping control of all these planes...

>> no, absolutely. but you have to remember we have advanced technologies to be able to allow us to see things on top of these roofs and buildings that other people cannot see with the naked eye. >> should we not know, rusty, should we not know of a hospitals coordinates? >> a couple things. number one, yes, we should have. but people are not thinking about things that are obvious. number one, the complete retro grade of u.s. forces that are there does not allow us to track nongovernmental organ...

But you have to remember we have advanced technologies to be able to allow us to see things on top of these roofs and buildings that other people cannot see with the naked eye. >> should we not know, rusty, should we not know of a hospitals coordinates? >> a couple things. number one, yes, we should have. but people are not thinking about things that are obvious. number one, the complete retro grade of u.s. forces that are there does not allow us to track nongovernmental organizations that are i...

Given the kwoecordinates. i dont think the united states is going to go public of where we got the coordinates. >> i agree with bob. there were probably no forward air controllers but there are reports that there were u.s. special operations forces with the afghan commandos who were under fire and called in the strikes. it could have been something as little as tragic as confusing the do not strike area. >> thank you again. we will continue to follow this as more information comes out. up next, ...