Press Releases

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and leading voice on human rights, released the following statement in response to the announcement that the Defense Department has disciplined 16 service members for mistakes that led to the October 2015 U.S. airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. The bombing killed 42 and injured 43, including humanitarian workers and patients.

“Today’s action by the Pentagon is an important step, but only an independent investigation will ensure full accountability for the tragic U.S. airstrike that killed humanitarian workers and patients in a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan last fall,” Congressman McGovern said. “Hospitals in conflict zones are protected spaces. These doctors and medical workers put themselves in harm’s way every day to save lives. The victims and their families deserve justice and I will continue to call on President Obama and Secretary Carter to allow an independent investigation to be conducted to ensure that all who are responsible are held accountable and that this never happens again.” 

Congressman McGovern led a letter to President Obama after the October 2015 airstrike to request a full and independent investigation into the bombing. McGovern was joined on the letter by Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Jim McDermott (D-WA), John Conyers (D-MI), John Garamendi (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Judy Chu (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

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