WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video that depicts the indiscriminate slaying of more than dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad. The victims include two Reuters journalists.
Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success, since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache helicopter gun-site, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his would-be rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded.
The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured. However, the video clearly shows the two children at the window of the van that had stopped to pick up the wounded.
After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own “Rules of Engagement”. Of course they were.
Make sure to watch the film through to the end.
It is obvious that the “RPG” being pointed around the corner is actually a large zoom lens, but at 2:20 into the full (torrent) version, I am not sure if the two guys in the background are or are not holding weapons.
But if I can’t tell for sure going over it again and again and freezing frames, the gunner should have been unsure as well. Obviously he was seeing what he wanted to see.
The main issue is that even if these guys were “insurgents”, most likely, the only reason they are is because they are against the occupation!
It is hard to blame the chopper crew for warcrimes on this one; the crime is being comitted by their civilian leaders who sent them there.
Speaking of stuff like this and seeing as how you have more time on your hands than the usual person, why not get involved? Wikileaks and organisations like Wij Vertrouwen Stemcomputers Niet need people like you! My brother is involved in the latter, as is Rob Gonggrijp, who also worked on the release of this film.
Well, there’s also the not insignificant matter of the helicopter crew opening fire on a van with two children clearly in view on the passenger side. If the crew didn’t see them, they’re incompetent and not fit to fly; and that’s taking the kindest possible view of what’s depicted in the video.
Furthermore, I don’t subscribe to the view that people in the military services can do no wrong and that the politicians are to blame for everything. It’s only by virtue of the fact that unthinking drones do the bidding of their leaders that sham wars such as this can be fought in the first place.
We don’t let the guards of Auschwitz off with the defence that “I was only doing my job and following orders”, so why would we be more lenient in this case?
As for time on my hands, I’m a full-time father to two. What time? 🙂
You’re right, though, that this is a very worthy cause.