EXCLUSIVE Syrian MSF Hospital Kept Location Secret to Avoid Being Bombed

The Médecins Sans Frontières-supported hospital that was attacked by airstrikes in Syria Monday did not provide its location to the Syrian government because its staff feared that would prompt a deliberate attack.

In a phone call with Foreign Policy on Tuesday, Fabrice Weissman, director of research at MSF’s Center for Reflection on Humanitarian Action and Knowledge, said that the Syrian doctors working at the clinic in the northwestern town of Maarat al-Numan had been attacked multiple times in recent years and believed they were protecting themselves by refusing to reveal their location to forces carrying out airstrikes in the region.

Instead, the doctors — who had the authority to make the decision without needing the approval of MSF — may have just been delaying the inevitable.

Four missiles struck the hospital Monday in an attack that MSF believes was purposefully carried out by either the Syrian government or its Russian allies — accusations Moscow has categorically denied. At least 11 people — including five staff members and five patients — were killed, and another two people are still missing. At least four other medical facilities and two schools were also hit by airstrikes Monday, killing dozens of civilians.

[Edit for brevity--DJW001]

Speaking to a group of reporters outside the U.N. Security Council, Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s U.N. envoy, called MSF a “branch of the French intelligence operating in Syria.”

“They assumed the full consequences of their act, because they did not consult with the Syrian government and they did not operate with Syrian government permission,” he said, accusing the U.S.-led coalition of carrying out Monday’s strike.

foreignpolicy.com...[Emphasis mine. --DJW001]

Fascinating. According to a spokesperson for the Syrian government," it is entirely Doctors Without Borders fault that their hospitals are getting bombed because they haven't told the Syrian government where they are. Anyway, they're all French spies and, oh yeah, I almost forgot, the Americans did it."

Does Syria actually expect anyone to believe them?

I don't know about you but I could easily imagine the USA bombing hospitals. Was it them this time? Perhaps not, but it's not impossible like your question at the end suggests.

I will rather believe the syrian story then somerone with the name Weissman.

But thats just me ofc.

originally posted by: Tiamat384
I don't know about you but I could easily imagine the USA bombing hospitals. Was it them this time? Perhaps not, but it's not impossible like your question at the end suggests.

The US admits that it accidentally bombed an MSF hospital in Afghanistan, so why should they not admit to these? What is telling is that the Syrian government wants you to believe that it would not have bombed the hospitals if they knew where they were. They then justify bombing them because they claim that they are being run by DGSE (the French CIA) and then disavow having bombed them at all, because Russia is claiming it was the United States! The envoy couldn't keep his story straight in the course of a single breath!

originally posted by: Whatever08152
I will rather believe the syrian story then somerone with the name Weissman.

But thats just me ofc.

Wow. Just wow.

a reply to: DJW001

Such a shame that your OP is more unproven negative propaganda against the Assad government.

Your guiding question which appeals to the obvious in a sarcastic manner is just a perfect way to end your post.

Perhaps you could get a job working for the mainstream media?

a reply to: DJW001

What does the government of Syria actually expect anyone to believe them? That those doctors without borders did not give them their location, which is true according to your article? If so, how do you expect anyone to know where not to bomb?

One thing is for certain. You guys are working overtime to prove it was the Russian's who did this alleged attack.

I would not believe you guys even if you told me the sky is blue.

originally posted by: Whatever08152
I will rather believe the syrian story then somerone with the name Weissman.

But thats just me ofc.

Médecins Sans Frontières is a noteworthy organisation and does much to support people in unfortunate situations. Its track record is very good. I have an easier time believing them over any government or political/military force directly involved in the Syrian conflict.

The location of Maarat al-Numan, the city in which this hospital was hit, is 33 km south of Idlib - clearly in the region targeted by the Syrian and Russian air forces. Since we know that the USA tends to focus its airstrikes in the regional areas of Eastern Syria and Rojava, it's almost a certainty that they did not target the hospital in Maarat al-Numan.

a reply to: DJW001
Why wouldn't they? The American government fine, does in fact admit to certain issues, but this could easily be to appear more legitimate because of course there will be "accidents" but it would not report all of its evils.

To be fair if they had known where it was who knows the outcome and again the American government is hardly honest with all its propaganda channels. But people choose what to believe.

a reply to: and14263

Such a shame that your OP is more unproven negative propaganda against the Assad government

So are you saying the hospitals were not bombed? Or did Syria bomb them because they did not know they were hospitals? Or was it NATO killing their own spies? Well, which of the three contradictory stories Syria wants you to believe do you subscribe to?

a reply to: Nikola014

What does the government of Syria actually expect anyone to believe them? That those doctors without borders did not give them their location, which is true according to your article? If so, how do you expect anyone to know where not to bomb?

So you believe the Syrian loyalists bombed the hospitals because they didn't know they were really hospitals?

a reply to: DJW001

First, we need to find out if this apparent attack happened in the first place. Then comes everything rest.

If this attack did in fact happen, then yes, it is possible for either side to have mistakenly bombed the hospital. But going around and saying Russia or Syria deliberately targeted civilians serves no cause but pushing propaganda for whatever that your agenda is.

a reply to: DJW001

Why would Russia bomb hospitals? Syria, I can understand as they have no love toward their own. Putin doesn't seem the cold hearted random killer...unless hospitals were not really hospitals?

a reply to: Tiamat384

Exactly. Because of its reputation for mendacity, it is very difficult to believe anything the US government says, especially the way it lies to demonize the Russians. MH17 was a US lie, and likely this one is too.

originally posted by: Salander
a reply to: Tiamat384

Exactly. Because of its reputation for mendacity, it is very difficult to believe anything the US government says, especially the way it lies to demonize the Russians. MH17 was a US lie, and likely this one is too.

Then was it a lie when they admitted to attacking that MSF hospital in Afghanistan? Why would they attack hospitals that are treating the "terrorists" they are supporting?

originally posted by: DJW001
a reply to: and14263

Such a shame that your OP is more unproven negative propaganda against the Assad government

So are you saying the hospitals were not bombed? Or did Syria bomb them because they did not know they were hospitals? Or was it NATO killing their own spies? Well, which of the three contradictory stories Syria wants you to believe do you subscribe to?

You just don't stop do you?

It's like reading the 'Agenda Pusher's Handbook' or 'How to Promote Propaganda for the Benefit of Your Government'.

Why am I forced to choose from the choices you push in your reply?

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: DJW001

Why would Russia bomb hospitals? Syria, I can understand as they have no love toward their own. Putin doesn't seem the cold hearted random killer...unless hospitals were not really hospitals?

I didn't say Russia was bombing hospitals; the Syrian government has been attacking schools and hospitals since the beginning of the civil war. They are simply continuing the policy, forcing Russia to ludicrously blame the United States.

a reply to: and14263

Why am I forced to choose from the choices you push in your reply?

No-one is forcing you to do anything on this end. Just explain what you make of the UN envoy's statement, please. What's the real story here, and why does he say what he says?

Double post.

a reply to: Nikola014

First, we need to find out if this apparent attack happened in the first place. Then comes everything rest.

www.msf.org...

If this attack did in fact happen, then yes, it is possible for either side to have mistakenly bombed the hospital. But going around and saying Russia or Syria deliberately targeted civilians serves no cause but pushing propaganda for whatever that your agenda is.

Then why did Bashar al-Jaafari not admit that it was an accident? Why, then, did he turn around and imply that it was a legitimate military target (French intelligence operation), and then why, ultimately, did he claim it was the United States, who presumably knew that it was an MSF hospital?