Wikileaks Twitter: Disturbing Video on 'Cover-up' of Murder of Journalists in Iraq Released

[Hissyspit]

Wikileaks video showing cover-up of murder of civilians and journalists through US forces in Iraq

http://twitter.com/wikileaks

LEAK: Cover-up of murder of civilians and journalists through US forces in Iraq. Video online at: http://collateralmurder.com/
about 1 hour ago via web

Video also online on Youtube: http://tinyurl.com/ybnyspu (full)
and http://tinyurl.com/cmshort (short)
about 1 hour ago via web

Very disturbing. Columbia Journalism Review covers the press conference here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8090911. - H

Overview

5th april 2010 10:44 EST WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad -- including two Reuters news staff.

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 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.

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".

Consequently, WikiLeaks has released the classified Rules of Engagement for 2006, 2007 and 2008, revealing these rules before, during, and after the killings.

WikiLeaks has released both the original 38 minutes video and a shorter version with an initial analysis. Subtitles have been added to both versions from the radio transmissions.

WikiLeaks obtained this video as well as supporting documents from a number of military whistleblowers. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to verify the authenticity of the information it receives. We have analyzed the information about this incident from a variety of source material. We have spoken to witnesses and journalists directly involved in the incident.

WikiLeaks wants to ensure that all the leaked information it receives gets the attention it deserves. In this particular case, some of the people killed were journalists that were simply doing their jobs: putting their lives at risk in order to report on war. Iraq is a very dangerous place for journalists: from 2003- 2009, 139 journalists were killed while doing their work.

[tekisui]

1. It shows how blood-thirsty the gunners are and how little they care

about whether their target is a civilian. The guys were just walking around, the troops wiped them out. Including two journalists and the rescuers who tried to remove the body.

Sick fucks.

[Schema Thing]

2. I am disgusted and enraged. These soldiers are sick murderous fucks.

[Lost4words]

3. OMFG Murderers! their are HAVING FUN KILLING

I cant understand why they want to kill us.

And these guys are going home to be around our children sooner or later.

[Lost4words]

4. I believe this is exactly what they will do to US

What a fun time they are having, like I said, nobody can kill like the USA. they didnt care if they were innocent.

Common lets Shoot one says. When you take young people and teach this, they will never be the same.

[Lost4words]

5. K & R

[Lost4words]

6. If you believe in the goodness of mankind, dont watch the link.

you wont be the same unless you are military material.

[KeepItReal]

7. Cameraman points a telephoto lens at US troops with Iraqis standing by with AK-47's and an RPG

This was a recipe for disaster.

Never forget who sent those US troops there and before the invasion swore up and down there would be no urban warfare - George W Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld.

[Lost4words]

14. they didnt have to go and they didnt have to shoot.

others have refused to follow orders, and those are the ones I respect. Its kinda of like good germans following orders isnt it.

[KeepItReal]

20. Fact: Soldiers don't get to pick their wars. Their civilian leaders do. We tried to prevent this.

Those 2 cameramen were mixed in with Iraqi guys with weapons (minute 3:39 on Wikileaks site video) with US ground troops in the area.

Those are also facts.

You can make your own judgment on what happened next.

[sabrina 1]

8. They thought the camera was a weapon?

All that equipment they spend money on and they cannot tell the difference between a weapon and a camera.

'This video has been flagged by users' it says.

But when you look at the recs they overwhelmingly in favor of viewing it.

'Bushmaster' ~ appropriate to associate him with those killings.

And they use the propaganda about children dying 'it's their fault for bringing their children'. Rightwing defense of the killing of children.

I wonder how they felt when they learned that had just killed some Iraqi citizens walking around in their own country.

I hope the leaker is well protected. Imagine in the media did journalism like this. There would no wars, no lying to the public, as they would fear being exposed.

[KeepItReal]

9. Amongst the other real weapons, yes it appears so

There *are* guys carrying AK-47 assault rifles and at least one guy holding a rocket propelled grenade launcher (RPG) in the video.

Wikileaks does not in their edited video place arrows on those guys and point out their weapons, but they are visible.

[sabrina 1]

10. I can't tell from the video. All I could make out was the

camera when he was looking around the corner, and when the two reporters were walking together.

But, since this country belongs to Iraqis and the U.S. doesn't belong there, if an Iraqi is carrying a weapon in his own country which has been unlawfully invaded, that Iraqi citiizen is still in the right.

This war is illegal. So, every dead Iraqi is a crime.

[KeepItReal]

13. I agree - we shouldn't have been there in the first place.

<eom>

[Lost4words]

15. who does not cary arms in Iraq?

David Motari tossed the puppy off a cliff cause it could have had a bomb in its puppy tummy right, thats what you will say next.

If I was an enemy combatant, I sure as hell would not stand in the middle of the street with a us death chopper circling overhead.

Get real!

[KeepItReal]

17. Iraqis with weapons + US ground troops nearby + US gunships covering US troops = Problem

There *are* guys with weapons in that group that were not the 2 cameramen. You can see them at about 3:39 on the Wikileaks's Collateralmurder site's video. They are behind the cameramen, but walked to the same corner spot that the cameramen went to shoot pictures.

[tabasco]

22. I've been in combat and captured AK-47s and RPGs.

I know what they fucking look like.

If you can see rifles - let alone identify the type - in that video, you've got some amazing fucking eyesight.

[sabrina 1]

23. Thank you ~

[KeepItReal]

25. From Reuters

"There were other people in the street, including a number of men. It is believed that two or three of these men may have been carrying weapons, although it was clear from witness statements that they were not firing them nor were they held in a firing-ready position."

http://www.thebaron.info/namirnooreldeenandsaeedchmagh.html

[sabrina 1]

24. Apparently the RPG

was a motor scooter with two guys riding it ... so much for that. As for the AK-47, no one has been able to verify that either. But even if someone was carrying a weapon in a country that has been invaded illegally, and where the bad guys are armed and working for the invaders, so what? That is their right as citizens of that country.

There is no excuse for the U.S. They don't belong there and that's the end of it. As long as they, innocent people will die and they know it, and they don't care.

I wonder how Americans would react if this country were invaded ~ those same people defending this unlawful invasing would armed to the teeth and screaming 'murder' even if they did fire the first shots.

[KeepItReal]

26. Even Reuters says there were other guys with weapons

Don't take my word for it:

"That was the morning of Thursday, 12th July 2007, in the fifth year of the U.S. and British led campaign to pacify Iraq and restore democracy after the overthrow and execution of the dictator Saddam Hussein. Noor-Eldeen and Chmagh drove to the al-Amin al-Thaniyah area of eastern Baghdad to check on reports of a dawn air strike on a building by the American military.

There had been reports of clashes between U.S. forces and insurgents in the general vicinity but there was no fighting on the streets in which Noor-Eldeen and Chmagh were moving about.

There were other people in the street, including a number of men. It is believed that two or three of these men may have been carrying weapons, although it was clear from witness statements that they were not firing them nor were they held in a firing-ready position."

http://www.thebaron.info/namirnooreldeenandsaeedchmagh.html

[sabrina 1]

28. And I am asking you again SO WHAT!!

It is legal for Iraqis, always was, to carry weapons in their own country. What is illegal is OUR presence in their country. STop trying to rationalize these atrocities. We look bad enough to the world without trying to excuse these crimes.

I will say this again, if this situation were reversed and those victims were Americans in this country being mowed down by a brutal, laughing, invading force, people like you would be singing a very different tune. I can just imagine you saying 'well those Chinese shooters felt threatened by Mr. Smith who after all, WAS carrying his weapon as he walked along the street'. Please, stop, the only people likely to buy any defense of this are people who view the Iraqi people as inferior beings and as the perpetrators rather than the victims of a brutal and illegal invasion.

The best thing America can do now, is to get out, to hold the original war criminals and liars accountable, and take their mercenaries and the WMD with them. Then, they need to focus on THIS country.

[Echo In Light]

11. k/r

[disillusioned73]

12. That was absolutely horrible...

Did anyone else notice the interperations of the events didn't match the video.. in other words, when they were asking for clearance to engage their description always made the person on the other end that wasn't seeing this live conclude that engagement was necessary - when it obviously wasn't..

examples; camera = weapon, minivan = truck & various others that made the situation less tenable

Gives a whole new meaning to "rules on engagement" doesn't it??

[Lost4words]

16. We dont need no stinking Geneva Convention!

But I have to say there is NO WAY GOD is on our side.

[Brickbat]

18. Jesus fucking wept.

My heart aches for those children, the victims, and the families. And frankly, my heart aches for soldiers who have been twisted hard enough to dehumanize other people. Nothing good comes out of any of it. Nothing.

[Swamp Rat]

19. k&r

[MisterP]

21. I see the Reed Irvine Pentagon Brigade is already on the ball knr nt

[spanone]

27. i guess 'they all look alike' ....i hang my head in shame