In the fourth version of the continually changing story over the deadly US air strike on a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the Afghan city of Kunduz, General John Campbell, the top commander of the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, admitted that the US troops might have failed to follow their own rules.

"A hospital was mistakenly struck," Campbell said on Tuesday, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Although reiterating that the assault was carried out at the request of Afghanistan, still, it was "a US decision made within the US chain of command," Campbell noted.

The MSF is calling for an independent international commission of inquiry. The strike claimed at least 22 lives, with dozens still missing, in the medical center full of wounded patients and MSF staff. This despite the aid group repeatedly informing its GPS coordinates to US troops, and their emergency calls to the US forces to stop the bombing after the strike started. As the UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said, "this event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and, possibly, even criminal."

The reason why the US can act in this unscrupulous manner lies in its strong, hard power. Moreover, the international community is unable to impose punitive actions effectively and hold the perpetrating country accountable.

Beyond that, even if Washington does bad things, it always finds a "righteous" reason. Although the country's image of justice is already in tatters, it has not collapsed, and still has quite a few believers in the world.

For whatever the reasons the US tries to cite, it should bear in mind that strikes targeting hospitals are in any case prohibited, according to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention's Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

In saying that, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which has the jurisdiction to prosecute crimes against humanity and war crimes, should no longer remain silent. A thorough, transparent and independent investigation is needed in this case.

Over the years, the ICC has investigated militaries and leaders from Israel, Indonesia, Sudan and Libya, among others. Violators of international laws should be punished, no matter what excuses they find to justify their act. There should be no exceptions, including the US.