Obama Apologises To Aid Group For US Airstrike

Barack Obama has contacted Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to personally apologise for a US airstrike that killed 22 people at the group's Afghan clinic.

Mr Obama spoke to the aid group's international president, Joanne Liu, on Wednesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

He said the President offered his condolences to Ms Liu and her staff and assured her the US would mount a "thorough and objective accounting of the facts and circumstances of the incident".

Mr Obama also called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and pledged to keep working closely with his government, Mr Earnest said.

MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, called the weekend air raid on the hospital in Kunduz a "war crime" and has demanded an independent investigation.

"If we let this go, as if it was a non-event, we are basically giving a blank cheque to any countries who are at war," Ms Liu told a news conference in Geneva.

"If we don't safeguard that medical space for us to do our activities, then it is impossible to work in other contexts like Syria, South Sudan, like Yemen."

The US military has taken responsibility for the incident, calling it a mistake.

US defence chief Ash Carter, who is in Rome, told reporters: "We are conducting a full and transparent investigation and will make the findings of that investigation known as they are found and will hold accountable anyone responsible for conduct that was improper."

Mr Earnest on Wednesday said there was no evidence suggesting the airstrike was anything other than a "terrible, tragic accident".