During the EP plenary session in Strasbourg MEPs debate on the Lethal US led air strikes against MSF hospital in Kunduz. Statements by Christos STYLIANIDES, Member of the EC in charge of Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), Afzal KHAN (S&amp;D, UK), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), and Jean LAMBERT (Greens/EFA, UK)

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - USA (T)

EU - Afghanistan (T)

LAMBERT, Jean (Greens/EFA, UK)

STYLIANIDES, Christos (CY, EC)

DEMESMAEKER, Mark (ECR, BE)

DANJEAN, Arnaud (EPP, FR)

KHAN, Afzal (S&D, UK)

humanitarian aid (T)

Lethal US led air strikes against MSF hospital in Kunduz: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Christos STYLIANIDES, Member of the EC in charge of Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, "This tragedy demonstrates the proportionate risk for civilians when violent conflict reaches urban areas. All parties must do everything in their power to distinguish between military and civilian targets including medical facilities."

SOUNDBITE (French), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), "This error which had been admitted by the Americans after days of trepidation now admitted that they have destroyed the only functioning hospital in the region of Kunduz."

SOUNDBITE (French), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), "In the north of Afghanistan, they have been spared of this threat, but that means now that the Taliban is extending beyond their normal territory and there had been very costly training programs of the Afghan security forces, but unfortunately the capacity of the Afghanistan's to fight this offensive is still not at par. And there are still areas that are occupied by the Taliban's today."

SOUNDBITE (English), Afzal KHAN (S&amp;D, UK), "Given the seriousness of the harm and the gravity of the alleged legal violations it is critical that there is a prompt, full, independent investigation to ensure maximum transparency and accountability and those responsible must be brought to justice. Constantly we see there are some measures adopted to encounter terrorism that have violated international laws. We learned earlier this month of David Cameron's decision to carry out a British drone attack killing its own citizens actually judicially outside the UK."

SOUNDBITE (English), Afzal KHAN (S&amp;D, UK), "The US states that this attack was a mistake but there have until now offered 4 different accounts, hence the need for an independent inquiry, the attack has an implication not only in Afghanistan, but for medical NGO's across the world. We have a responsibility to ensure that this type of tragedy does not happen again."

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Mark DEMESMAEKER (ECR, BE), "The Americans have been operating now for 14 years in Afghanistan and putting this down to collateral damage is a cheap and unacceptable excuse."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean LAMBERT (Greens/EFA, UK), "As we have been told the coordinates have been given but for whatever reason they were not respected. And I think questions are raised yet again about what is really meant by precision bombing and what is the value of such bombing. We are told that this may constitute a war crime it is certainly an enormous violation of International Humanitarian law and so we support the call of MSF as others have done for an independent investigation."