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'Collateral Murder': Wikileaks Reveals Video Showing US Air Crew Shooting Down Iraqi Civilians
Footage of July 2007 attack made public as Pentagon identifies website as threat to national security
A secret video showing US air crew falsely claiming to have encountered a firefight in Baghdad and then laughing at the dead after launching an air strike that killed a dozen people, including two Iraqis working for Reuters news agency, was revealed by Wikileaks today.
The footage of the July 2007 attack was made public in a move that will further anger the Pentagon, which has drawn up a report identifying the whistleblower website as a threat to national security. The US defence department was embarrassed when that confidential report appeared on the Wikileaks site last month alongside a slew of military documents.
The release of the video from Baghdad also comes shortly after the US military admitted that its special forces attempted to cover up the killings of three Afghan women in a raid in February by digging the bullets out of their bodies.
The newly-released video of the Baghdad attacks was recorded on one of two Apache helicopters hunting for insurgents on 12 July 2007. Among the dead were a 22-year-old Reuters photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen, and his driver, Saeed Chmagh, 40. The Pentagon blocked an attempt by Reuters to obtain the video through a freedom of information request. Wikileaks director Julian Assange said his organisation had to break through encryption by the military to view it.
In the recording, the helicopter crews can be heard discussing the scene on the street below. One American claims to have spotted six people with AK-47s and one with a rocket-propelled grenade. It is unclear if some of the men are armed but Noor-Eldeen can be seen with a camera. Chmagh is talking on his mobile phone.
One of the helicopter crew is then heard saying that one of the group is shooting. But the video shows there is no shooting or even pointing of weapons. The men are standing around, apparently unperturbed.
The lead helicopter, using the moniker Crazyhorse, opens fire. "Hahaha. I hit 'em," shouts one of the American crew. Another responds a little later: "Oh yeah, look at those dead bastards."
One of the men on the ground, believed to be Chmagh, is seen wounded and trying to crawl to safety. One of the helicopter crew is heard wishing for the man to reach for a gun, even though there is none visible nearby, so he has the pretext for opening fire: "All you gotta do is pick up a weapon." A van draws up next to the wounded man and Iraqis climb out. They are unarmed and start to carry the victim to the vehicle in what would appear to be an attempt to get him to hospital. One of the helicopters opens fire with armour-piercing shells. "Look at that. Right through the windshield," says one of the crew. Another responds with a laugh.
Sitting behind the windscreen were two children who were wounded.
After ground forces arrive and the children are discovered, the American air crew blame the Iraqis. "Well it's their fault for bringing kids in to a battle," says one. "That's right," says another.
Initially the US military said that all the dead were insurgents. Then it claimed the helicopters reacted to an active firefight. Assange said that the video demonstrated that neither claim was true.
"Why would anyone be so relaxed with two Apaches if someone was carrying an RPG and that person was an enemy of the United States?" he said. "The behaviour of the pilots is like a computer game. When Saeed is crawling, clearly unable to do anything, their response is: come on buddy, we want to kill you, just pick up a weapon ... It appears to be a desire to get a higher score, or a higher number of kills."
Wikileaks says it will shortly release a second secret US military video showing the deaths of civilians in an attack in Afghanistan. The Pentagon has been seeking ways to prevent classified material appearing on Wikileaks, including through "criminal sanctions". Wikileaks has made public classified US army reports on weapons, military units and battle strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon report, reflecting the depth of paranoia about where Wikileaks is obtaining its material, speculates that the CIA may be responsible. But perhaps most embarrassing leak for the US defence department was that of the 2008 report itself which appeared on the Wikileaks site last month.
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212 Comments so far
Show AllOur brave soldiers in harm's way. Makes you proud, doesn't it?
Yes, I'm proud: that humanly designed technology -- the video access and Wikileaks human and technical skills; along with persistence and diligence and vigilance will start to turn the tide from a Global Corp to a humane US Foreign policy. It's going to happen one day one way or another(US collapse or not) -- today is as good a day as any.
JoannafromCanada
YES! SUPPORT WIKILEAKS!!!
There is now discussion in the media about the "morality" of aerial drone attacks on people in occupied territories. Part of the argument, is that civilian casualties are the fault of "terrorists" for hiding among and dressing like civilians. This video sequence shows that the aircraft are taking precautions, and cannot fire without permission. Still, they are killing civilians who were mistaken for terrorists because a) they were men, b) they were in a group, and c) they were carrying objects. When the helicopter gunmen learn that they have shot children, they say that "It is their fault for bringing their kids to a battle." That is the argument now for the "moral" use of drones to kill people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Palestine.
"Still, they are killing civilians who were mistaken for terrorists because a) they were men ..."
But can that properly be called "indiscriminate slaying"?
I thought women were now also allowed to participate in military activities and that discrimination on the basis of sex had been banned by the gallant bringers of "freedom and democracy" and gender equality to the world. I guess it's still okay for the selection of foreign civilian targets.
The “it’s their fault for bringing their kids to a battle” argument is wrong on so many levels, and is an especially asinine self justifying assumption. In fact what those brave people did was to bring their kids to town. The kids in the helicopters eager to shoot someone are what brought the “battle” to town.
Of course then the bastards tried to help a wounded man. Certainly no presumably middle-eastern looking person would ever do something so Christian as being a good Samaritan (especially at such high personal risk), so obviously they must be terrorists looking for weapons!
what's the old adage? Have helicopter gunship, with grainy zoom camera machine gun...will kill people at long range who more or less look like Muslims with something over their shoulder?
It's important to know that the pictures seen by the helicopter gunship were not "grainy" or poor quality in any way. Those images were sharp. They clearly showed that no one was carrying a 3-foot long RPG, and no one was firing an AK47, as the soldiers claimed to their superiors when asking permission to kill.
The images released by Wikileaks had been copied and transferred multiple times, and that accounts for their poor quality.
What brought the Vietnam war to a close when it did, more than anything, was showing the American people the close up death and destruction that is war. If more people were seeing this kind of thing, including pictures of American soldiers getting shot and torn apart, maybe we would finally start seeing an end to this atrocity masquerading as a freedom and democracy exercise. I cannot imagine what it takes to be that cold about killing.
That's why we won't see more video news footage like this.
The Corporate-War Party learned from Vietnam NEVER to show the casualties of war.
That way, more wars can be fought for profiteers who are part of the mainscream corporate media.
When the invasion started, journalists were targeted. The clearest examples were the Baghdad Hotel (caught on film) and the attempted murder of the Italian lady that was ransomed ("we don't negotiate with terrorists").
The essence is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_aggression
[...]
war of aggression...is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole."[1]
[...]
1. Broomhall, Bruce. International justice and the International Criminal Court (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 46. ISBN 0199256004, 9780199256006
Here's another "supreme law" for you from the Constitution of the United States of America:
"This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and ALL TREATIES MADE, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the SUPREME LAW of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. [emphasis added]"
So international crimes that are set forth in any treaty to which the U.S. is a party (Geneva Conventions, UN Charter, etc., etc.) are also crimes under the "supreme law" of the United States.
Not that any of that actually matters in practice, of course. Laws are significant only when they're enforced. In that sense at least, the U.S. is a lawless rogue nation.
Thanks you bluepilgrim, and thanks above all to the courageous people of Wikileaks for bringing this to light. Hopefully this will be the "Pentagon papers" of this dirty war.
JoannafromCanada
SUPPORT WIKILEAKS!!!
WHAT IS A "CLEAN WAR?"
Maddow posting? - I guess this will start making the news rounds, well let's see if it changes anything. Doubt it.
Curious to see if the story picks up any momentum in the next 24 hours, even from progressive sites. Will it be mentioned on Rachels show tonight? YouTube only shows 359 hits so far.
If you do a search of youtube, you will find many other similar years-old gunsight-camera-snuff films posted to many comments of approval. So one problem is that, other than the two of the "terrorists" being Reuters reporters, it is old news.
Why weren't the liberaloid mainstream reporters discovering these atroctiy-videos six or seven years ago?
Better late than never I guess.
You would have won $10. It wasn't on neither.
People still watch that mass manufactured pseudo "progressive" (really right wing) crap that supports the status quo every bit as much O'Reilly and putrid friends? :(
Let us see if Ms. Maddow will draw the obvious conclusion of how idiotic and morally depraved the U.S. has become with its unjustifiable military actions. If she does, then she should then announce on her program that the only viable solution is: UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE NOT WARFARE.
Drones are an effective terrorist tool for the United States. Not only does it kill insurgents but also many civilians. Imagine hearing the drones circle your town all day and you are just waiting for it to fire not knowing if you or your family will die too. It is well understood in Washington that this is fighting terrorism with terrorism.
Just be sure that you don't carry any "AK47" cameras around.
As the old WW2 saying goes: "When the Germans shoot, The British duck. When the British shoot, the Germans duck. When the Americans shoot, everybody ducks."
",,,every enlistee spends a week,- or at least a few days doing bayonet training, and we are putting a bayonet on the end of a rifle.and we repeatedly stab a dummy that looks like a human being, and yell "kill!!" with every movement.- That is the basis, the first step of dehumanization towards the enemy,- the acceptance to kill.
There is a very popular thing our drill sergeants require us to say: the response to the question: "Soldiers, what makes the green grass grow?" and the response is: "Blood! blood!! blood!!!, Drill Sergeant!." "
Kristofer Goldsmith, ex Army Sergeant, Winter Soldier Hearings before the Progressive Caucus May, 09
As we prepare to pay our taxes, let us consider that our taxes pay for this kind of cold-blooded murder of civilians- murder by cheerful and jocular American "heroes" eager to kill.
I DO NOT SUPPORT the troops!
On my 2003 tax return, I attached, with a staple at each corner, a number of graphic pictures of mutilated and or fear-striken Iraqi children over the top of the completed 1040 form.
Never heard anything back about it.
Maybe it is time to do it again.
pjd412
Excellent idea.
Awesomely courageous, sorry I doubted you earlier.
Nothing too courageous about it. Don't attribute such monolithic onmipotence and malevolance to the US government. Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney didn't process my return, a low-grade clerk or poorly paid private contractor employee, working furiously, processed the claim. She or he probably just tore the photos off the return, took the staples out and processed it. If I made an impression on that one person, then it was worth it. The 2.5 million civilian employees who work for the US govt. are largely decent people most of whom aren't employed in warmaking.
Did you pay them?
I'd love to do tax resistance, but even the war-tax resistance organizations explain that the IRS eventually gets the money anyway, with penalties and interest, through a lien on your house, seizing your savings, or garnishing your pay.
The only way to do war tax resistance is the way Kathy Kelly and Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, Catholic Workers, Amish or Bruderhof Mennonites do it - live in voluntary poverty by keeping your income below the standard deducton and exemptions. That would be about $16K per year for a married couple.
I see the call for tax resistance all the time. The only problem is that those who would withhold money to protest the Oligarchy's wars have already had their taxes withheld by their employer. It has already been paid. You just hope for some sort of a refund.
Those who could withhold are those wealthy and powerful enough to use all the loopholes to get around withholding, etc. Unfortunately, they are the ones who really love (and profit by) our endless wars and exploitation.
So that is why a tax revolt won't work here. All you get is a fine for not filing and additional penalties as they can think them up.
I will view this video soon. But early in the war, gunsight-videos like this were openly, and quite proudly posted on the internet by US soldiers. One well-known one is a video taken by what seems to be an IR gunsight camera after dark, of an apache helicopter killing what apear to be civilian farmers in a field - first a boy (based on how he skipped) by a tractor, then they "light up" a truck, killing the occupants, then they kill a wounded man crawling out from beneath the truck. These videos and other like them were being proudly posted on the web by US soldiers to much kudos by their war-thug friends.
DEATH TO THE WAR-PIGS!
Reminds you of the Brad Pitt character, Early, in the movie "Kalifornia". He was a sociopathic serial killer -- the type that is now being grabbed up by the military. Early would made a great soldier.
Gross violation of International Law and the Provisions of the Geneva Convention.
What morons.
What scum.
What complete fucking animals.
Animals would never behave in such a heinous manner.
Well, they do (male lions who take over other's prides kill the cubs, chimps attack other troops and kill other chimps, killer whales will "play" with their food before killing it). The difference is that they do it primarily for survival (I guess), not for trumped-up reasons.
The real criminal in all this is the MIC that creates the illusion that the world is against us and that the "other" is evil and out to get us. Yes, danger and evil exist, but we foment so much of that danger and evil with heinous acts like this video showed.
The military trains people to be killers, and the do it very well. When they come back home, watch out!
I do get your point about animals, though. Comparing human killers and reprobates to animals does animals an injustice.
i saw videos - on youtube - where a Lioness - after having led her pride in downing some gazelles - was resting from the eating. being that in a pride it is usually the females that do the "hunting" and the males often just move in to claim the prize and the females wait for their turn (unless the males are on their own and don't have a pride yet) ...these females were obviously satiated and fed.
the leader female lioness was resting on a fallen tree , watching over the carcass of a young mother gazelle she just killed...and then noticed that below the fallen tree just a couple of feet away - was the ORPHAN of that very same gazelle...
the Lioness stood up, walked to the baby gazelle that was struggling to stand up (it literally was covered in birth fluid still) ...then the lioness sniffed at the baby and then started to LICK it clean....and then adopted it - and the days after - let it suckle - and wouldn't let any other lion get near the baby, except of course the baby lions wanting to play.
and then it had to lead the pack again to hunt...and that's when a big Male Lion ate the gazelle.
the lioness came back - and it seemed like it was looking for the gazelle...making those short , low grunts of lions when they are 'calling' a family member.
Conclusion: The world would be better off without males?! Probably.
You do a diservice to our fine animal species.
Humans are by far the worst living beings on this planet.... There is no animal as destructive, violent and abusive and goes around killing just for the fun of it!
This is clearly a war crime, similar to many other similar events perpetrated by the US or its accomplices like Blackwater. As an isolated incident, it would be crimes by the shooters; but when it occurs repeatedly, not only the shooters, but the chain of command is responsible. Will Rachel Maddow have the guts to show this video on her show or bring it up during her Sunday morning talk show visits?
Also, now that this has become public, will our "Commander in Chief" take action against those who committed this? Answer: No, rather he will continue the use of drones and the policy of shoot first and ask questions later.
As bluepilgrim pointed out below, the supreme crime is the aggressive invasion and occupation ("war") itself. An incident such as this is merely one of innumerable similar and subordinate counts for a much larger indictment that will never happen -- except, perhaps, in the pages of some non-U.S. history books.
In fact, in the overall scheme of things, which includes such atrocities as the incineration, rape and torture of children and the probable genetic mutation of those yet unborn, it's hard to say where this particular incident might properly be placed.
All those violent video games and movies makes it easy for these kids. "Nice shoot'n." Thanks."
Man, you just bloodied and ended the lives of eight people, and you calmly say, "thanks?"
Who says that the military doesn't produce cold-evil monsters?
I couldn't stomach watching the rest.
What was it Harry Truman said, "The buck stops here."
Responsibility for these execrable acts lies with Obama, Biden, all those Congresspeople who voted for money for this war, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and every damn G.I. who goes along with this murder!
When will the braindead American people stop voting for those who vote for death? If you voted for a Republican or a Democrat, you voted for these atrocities. It's time you stop voting for them.
Amen
I concur. Voting for either wing of the only party is an act of violence.
PeaceTruthBeauty!
Jack Chase
Until we take our elections out of the hands of electronic voting systems running secret software with no verification; it doesn't matter who you vote for. You vote, they decide.
Our best and brightest, coming soon to a police department near you.
FUCKING BABY KILLERS !!
Die a long drawn out horrible death you fucking pigs.