Leaked Video Shows Civilians Killed in Iraq

Today Wikileaks "has released a classified U.S. 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-sight, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded." For video and further background, see: collateralmurder.com.

BEAU GROSSCUP
Grosscup is author of the book Strategic Terror: The Politics and Ethics of Aerial Bombardment. He is professor of international relations at California State University in Chico.
He said today: "The video demonstrates that, with helicopter gunships flying overhead, the people below (allegedly armed fighters) show no fear nor any attempt to run or hide. This should be strong evidence that they were engaged in normal peaceful activities yet the gunners choose to assume otherwise. If the rules of engagement allow the shooting of wounded recovery efforts as clearly demonstrated here, then those rules need changing. There was a clear intent to attack -- 'engage' -- the recovery vehicle and personnel. The chatter of U.S. military demonstrates ... excessive attitude of lethal intent; anxiousness to shoot while being under no threat whatsoever; blaming Iraqis for wounded children..."

JOSIAH WHITE
White said today: "I served one tour in Iraq in the first battalion seventh Marine regiment from March 2006 to July 18, 2006. I was severely wounded by a suicide bomber, medevaced back to the U.S. and spent two years recovering. My main injuries are total hearing loss in right ear, shrapnel wounds in both legs and left arm, diminished use of left leg, among others. When I was hit and people around me were dying, you could see and hear and smell what was really happening. In this video, these soldiers are totally detached, just looking at a small thing on a video screen -- they are heard hoping that an injured Iraqi grabs a gun so they can finish him off. Then they shoot up the van, which ends up having kids in it, trying to save him -- it's totally illegal." White is now a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

See in The Guardian, "Wikileaks in the Crosshairs: Wikileaks has provided all manner of scoops in its short life aEUR" but why would the U.S. government spend tax dollars spying on it??