SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Iraq Outrage over US Killing Video
Families of Iraqi civilians, seen being shot and killed by US forces in a leaked video, are seeking justice for their deaths.
Earlier this week Wikileaks, a whistleblower website that publishes anonymously sourced documents, released a video showing the US military firing at a group of civilians in Baghdad three years ago.
Apr 07, 2010
Families of Iraqi civilians, seen being shot and killed by US forces in a leaked video, are seeking justice for their deaths.
Earlier this week Wikileaks, a whistleblower website that publishes anonymously sourced documents, released a video showing the US military firing at a group of civilians in Baghdad three years ago.
The shooting left 12 people dead, including two employees of the Reuters news agency.
The Pentagon said it had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the tape, but that two investigations into the incident cleared the air crew of any wrongdoing.
But victims' relatives have told Al Jazeera they want the military personnel responsible to be taken to court.
Two young children whose father was killed in the attack could not understand why they were targeted.
"We were coming back and we saw an injured man. My father said lets take him to hospital. Then I heard only the bullets ... why did they shoots us? Didn't they see we were children?" Sajad Mutashar, who was injured along with his sister, said.
His uncle, Satar, demanded the pilot be taken to court.
"Nobody gave the children anything, their rights are gone and the American's didn't even compensate for the destroyed car. I sold it for $500 to spend the money treating them," he told Al Jazeera.
The US army says it has authorised payments to the family.
'Monster pilot'
The family of Saeed Chamgh, one of the Reuters employee killed in the attack, are also demanding justice for his death.
"The pilot is not human, he's a monster. What did my brother do? What did his children do? Does the pilot accept his kids to be orphans?" Safa Chmagh, Saeed's brother, told Al Jazeera.
"Inshallah we won't leave his rights".
Salwan Saeed, Saeed's son, added: "The American has broken my back by killing my father. I will not let the Americans get away with it. I will follow the path of my father and will hold another camera."
A statement from the two probes said the air crew had acted appropriately and followed the rules of engagement.
According to Pentagon investigations into the affair, the air crew had reason to believe the people seen in the video were anti-government fighters.
'Case for war crimes'
But Mark Taylor an international law expert and a director at the Fafo Institute for International Studies in Norway, told Al Jazeera the evidence so far "indicated that there's a case to be made that a war crime may have been committed".
"It's the American authorities, the US military that has to take a closer look at this investigation.
"There are questions about the way the investigation was conducted and whether or not it was done in a proper manner," he said.
Taylor added the Iraqi families may be able to get monetary compensation, but that there could be a much larger case to be had.
"There are precedents of US soldiers being prosecuted for crimes in Iraq, for crimes of murder, rape and manslaughter. So it's not unprecedented that this could go forward both in military courts as well as in civilian criminal courts in the US.
"The case also raises larger questions about the laws of war. I think what this video shows is really a case that challenges whether the laws of war are strict enough."
WikiLeaks said it obtained the video from a number of "military whistleblowers".
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Families of Iraqi civilians, seen being shot and killed by US forces in a leaked video, are seeking justice for their deaths.
Earlier this week Wikileaks, a whistleblower website that publishes anonymously sourced documents, released a video showing the US military firing at a group of civilians in Baghdad three years ago.
The shooting left 12 people dead, including two employees of the Reuters news agency.
The Pentagon said it had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the tape, but that two investigations into the incident cleared the air crew of any wrongdoing.
But victims' relatives have told Al Jazeera they want the military personnel responsible to be taken to court.
Two young children whose father was killed in the attack could not understand why they were targeted.
"We were coming back and we saw an injured man. My father said lets take him to hospital. Then I heard only the bullets ... why did they shoots us? Didn't they see we were children?" Sajad Mutashar, who was injured along with his sister, said.
His uncle, Satar, demanded the pilot be taken to court.
"Nobody gave the children anything, their rights are gone and the American's didn't even compensate for the destroyed car. I sold it for $500 to spend the money treating them," he told Al Jazeera.
The US army says it has authorised payments to the family.
'Monster pilot'
The family of Saeed Chamgh, one of the Reuters employee killed in the attack, are also demanding justice for his death.
"The pilot is not human, he's a monster. What did my brother do? What did his children do? Does the pilot accept his kids to be orphans?" Safa Chmagh, Saeed's brother, told Al Jazeera.
"Inshallah we won't leave his rights".
Salwan Saeed, Saeed's son, added: "The American has broken my back by killing my father. I will not let the Americans get away with it. I will follow the path of my father and will hold another camera."
A statement from the two probes said the air crew had acted appropriately and followed the rules of engagement.
According to Pentagon investigations into the affair, the air crew had reason to believe the people seen in the video were anti-government fighters.
'Case for war crimes'
But Mark Taylor an international law expert and a director at the Fafo Institute for International Studies in Norway, told Al Jazeera the evidence so far "indicated that there's a case to be made that a war crime may have been committed".
"It's the American authorities, the US military that has to take a closer look at this investigation.
"There are questions about the way the investigation was conducted and whether or not it was done in a proper manner," he said.
Taylor added the Iraqi families may be able to get monetary compensation, but that there could be a much larger case to be had.
"There are precedents of US soldiers being prosecuted for crimes in Iraq, for crimes of murder, rape and manslaughter. So it's not unprecedented that this could go forward both in military courts as well as in civilian criminal courts in the US.
"The case also raises larger questions about the laws of war. I think what this video shows is really a case that challenges whether the laws of war are strict enough."
WikiLeaks said it obtained the video from a number of "military whistleblowers".
Families of Iraqi civilians, seen being shot and killed by US forces in a leaked video, are seeking justice for their deaths.
Earlier this week Wikileaks, a whistleblower website that publishes anonymously sourced documents, released a video showing the US military firing at a group of civilians in Baghdad three years ago.
The shooting left 12 people dead, including two employees of the Reuters news agency.
The Pentagon said it had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the tape, but that two investigations into the incident cleared the air crew of any wrongdoing.
But victims' relatives have told Al Jazeera they want the military personnel responsible to be taken to court.
Two young children whose father was killed in the attack could not understand why they were targeted.
"We were coming back and we saw an injured man. My father said lets take him to hospital. Then I heard only the bullets ... why did they shoots us? Didn't they see we were children?" Sajad Mutashar, who was injured along with his sister, said.
His uncle, Satar, demanded the pilot be taken to court.
"Nobody gave the children anything, their rights are gone and the American's didn't even compensate for the destroyed car. I sold it for $500 to spend the money treating them," he told Al Jazeera.
The US army says it has authorised payments to the family.
'Monster pilot'
The family of Saeed Chamgh, one of the Reuters employee killed in the attack, are also demanding justice for his death.
"The pilot is not human, he's a monster. What did my brother do? What did his children do? Does the pilot accept his kids to be orphans?" Safa Chmagh, Saeed's brother, told Al Jazeera.
"Inshallah we won't leave his rights".
Salwan Saeed, Saeed's son, added: "The American has broken my back by killing my father. I will not let the Americans get away with it. I will follow the path of my father and will hold another camera."
A statement from the two probes said the air crew had acted appropriately and followed the rules of engagement.
According to Pentagon investigations into the affair, the air crew had reason to believe the people seen in the video were anti-government fighters.
'Case for war crimes'
But Mark Taylor an international law expert and a director at the Fafo Institute for International Studies in Norway, told Al Jazeera the evidence so far "indicated that there's a case to be made that a war crime may have been committed".
"It's the American authorities, the US military that has to take a closer look at this investigation.
"There are questions about the way the investigation was conducted and whether or not it was done in a proper manner," he said.
Taylor added the Iraqi families may be able to get monetary compensation, but that there could be a much larger case to be had.
"There are precedents of US soldiers being prosecuted for crimes in Iraq, for crimes of murder, rape and manslaughter. So it's not unprecedented that this could go forward both in military courts as well as in civilian criminal courts in the US.
"The case also raises larger questions about the laws of war. I think what this video shows is really a case that challenges whether the laws of war are strict enough."
WikiLeaks said it obtained the video from a number of "military whistleblowers".
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy