A group of U.S. military veterans will hold a vigil this weekend to call for an end to the nation’s longest war in Afghanistan and to condemn the bombing of a charity hospital in the region.
Members of the group Veterans for Peace will hold a two hour vigil Saturday afternoon in St. Louis, Mo. the group announced Friday.
The organization — made up of men and women who have served in World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars and other conflicts — argue that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan that began 14 years ago has done more harm than good.
The conflict, “has not helped the Afghan people, but has cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars,” organizers wrote in a press release.
The vigil comes days after President Obama announced that he would keep nearly 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan through most of next year and 5,500 when he leaves office in 2017.
The announcement comes two weeks after a U.S. air strike hit a Doctors Without Borders hospital in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, killing 22, including hospital staff, patients and children.
“As a veteran, I stand in solidarity with Doctors Without Borders and the Afghan people” said Tom Abeln, Veterans For Peace St. Louis Chapter President in a statement.
“We call for an independent investigation of the recent hospital bombing and for an end to the war in Afghanistan.”
Gerry Condon, the group’s national board vice president said, “It is high time that the U.S. military be held accountable for the deaths of innocent civilians.”
Immediately following the Oct. 3 bombing the Pentagon claimed that the air strike was ordered to aid U.S. troops on the ground who were taking fire from Taliban militants sheltering in the hospital.
Later, Army Gen. John Campbell, the U.S.’ top commander in Afghanistan told lawmakers the hospital was “mistakenly struck” and the strike was called in by Afghan forces, not U.S. troops.
Doctors Without Borders has claimed that the bombing, if intentional, constitutes a war crime and has called on an outside panel of investigators to probe the incident.
The Pentagon, NATO and the Aghan government have all launched investigations into the incident and U.S. President Barack Obama has insisted that the Pentagon’s investigation will remain open and transparent.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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