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Collateral Murder – Classified US Military Video of Indiscriminate Shooting

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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.

Source: WikiLeaks

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Muslim American born in Brooklyn, NY with Guyanese parents currently living in Virginia working full-time as a web developer.

14 Comments

14 Comments

  1. Arif Kabir

    April 5, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    Not only did they kill innocent civilians and harm children, but they also killed ‘Western’ Reuters reporters…I don’t think this type of act can ever be justified, no matter what ever “Rules” that they may guise it under.

    Reply

  2. suhail

    April 5, 2010 at 2:27 PM

    Absolutely horrible. May Allah punish these criminals in this life and hereafter. For them it looks like that is a Video Game. Kill this, kill that, shoot this, shoot that. Are they freaking playing a video game with human beings.

    Reply

    • Yaqeen needed

      April 9, 2010 at 7:35 AM

      paid for by ‘halal’ tax payers money

      Reply

  3. suhail

    April 5, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    By the way this is only one video that was leaked. What about other countless video when they leveled Fallujah.

    Reply

  4. anon

    April 6, 2010 at 4:35 PM

    Why is this piece not on the front page slider? It’s almost impossible to find on the site even though it’s new, unless you look under MR’s post list or carefully for the small link on the front page under “News & Views”

    Reply

    • Yaqeen needed

      April 9, 2010 at 6:57 AM

      Why

      Reply

  5. Umm Bilqis

    April 7, 2010 at 3:22 AM

    Assalamu alikum,
    I was really disgusted with this footage.and the one about the palestinian child prisoners in the news!
    Ya Allah please wake this Ummah up.
    Please help us understand that running after the material comforts of this world and the false desires that we pursue should not be at the expense of helping the oppressed
    Really sad ,I hope Muslims and non Muslims realize the actions of those within their ranks who aid and collaborate with barbarism.
    This is the end result from an education that has sought to break down important principles such as ethics and morality. When morality is relative and ethics is situational, this is the result.
    Allah protect us from awliya , (the helpers or those who aid) alshaytan.

    Reply

  6. Amad

    April 7, 2010 at 3:39 AM

    The fact that the US military would not release this video despite repeated attempts by Reuters, and it took a courageous (American) whistle-blower to expose it, shows that the military had something to hide.

    The way these guys were acting seemed like they were playing a video-game and this sort of psyche is not abnormal among servicemen as has been seen in so many other videos. Something needs to be done to tackle this video-game psychology otherwise many more innocents will die. Those responsible for this obviously grave violation of all military codes and international laws that require great caution in avoiding civilian casualties, need to be brought to justice and made an example out of.

    May Allah exact justice upon the perpetrators of this crime and forgive the deceased and reward them with jannah.

    Reply

  7. alpha sierra sierra

    April 10, 2010 at 9:42 PM

    First of all don’t walk down a street with AK-47’s and RPG’s where US troops are going to enter and not expect to get lit up like a Christmas Tree. Also what kind of Westernized reporters hang out with that kind of motley crew? I mean don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of the rough and tumble guys from West Side Story, but as memory recalls they don’t have rocket propelled grenades in that production.

    Reply

    • grammernazi

      April 11, 2010 at 1:46 AM

      Also what kind of Westernized reporters hang“s” out with that kind of motley crew?

      Reply

      • grammernazi

        April 11, 2010 at 1:52 AM

        jk

        Reply

    • DrM

      February 7, 2011 at 3:32 PM

      Except that they aren’t Ak-47s but cameras. You’re a liar making excuses for the terrorists who invaded iraq.

      Reply

  8. Hassan

    April 18, 2010 at 10:37 PM

    Read the confessions of soldeirs and appology

    http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2010/04/16/collateral-murder-veterans-apologize-to-iraqi-families/

    Reply

    • alpha sierra sierra

      April 20, 2010 at 10:51 PM

      Its called PR. When you’re inevitably going to get in trouble, despite the fact you may be in the right, you apologize in order to just end the confrontation. Had the soldiers attempted to defend themselves against the inevitable collateral damage of war they would have opened up a storm of media frenzy attacking them. Better to make a apology for the reality that is war than get eaten alive.

      Reply

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