Wikileaks Releases Video of Journalist Killings
 

This video is probably not work safe (language and violence), and not for the faint of heart:



Today Wikileaks released a video of the US military firing large caliber weapons into a crowd that included a photojournalist and a driver for Reuters, and at a van containing two children who were involved in a rescue. Wikileaks maintains that this video was covered up by the US military when Reuters asked for an official investigation. This is the same video that has supposedly made the editors of Wikileaks a target of the State Department and/or the CIA.

Heard about this earlier, it's pretty nuts. I haven't watched the video yet (been at work, I'll be watching it tonight.)

Here's a little bit more on the story:




This is why slogans about 'Support the Troops' and 'Support the Military' need to be said and promoted carefully, and with realization of what's actually going on. Not only have these poor innocent souls died, but there are numbers anywhere from 150,000-over a million killed since this war has begun. And for what? Weapons of Mass Destruction. That's right.

A nice article about the American media (well, not solely American - the BBC and Aljazeera are there for comparison) and their coverage of today's stories:

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/05...media-ign.html

My favourite part is the bit about search results being censored. :)

Wow, that's a wonderful article Lenny. I was thinking the same thing. This is a big deal. I was thinking about forwarding to as many people as I can think of on my 'social network' sites, but most people I know back in reality are dull and uninterested with the reality of things going on in the world, only a select handful of people would give it the time of day. Maybe that's what the problem is?

Atleast http://www.reuters.com/ still exists.

Skimmed a bit about it. Terribly frightening stuff.

After watching the full video of the incident, I've got to say I honestly don't see a HUGE problem. You guys know me well enough to know I'm not a big fan of the war or killing in general, but if this was in a battle zone of some sort (which I assume it was, as there were men who obviously had guns on the ground, tanks, and the Apache in the sky raining hell. It didn't sound like they KNEW that the reporters and children were in the van. They should never have been near the site in the first place. But it isn't like this was just senseless slaying of children, at least from what I understand. And maybe I'm missing something. Or I'm assuming too much.

On the other hand, I do think it's a bit wrong that at times these guys sound like a bunch of redneck teenagers playing Halo or something. Maybe that's how they deal with what is, admittedly, a rough experience I'm sure. I think it's kind of wrong for someone to have fun killing someone else. But I can also see how having to kill people would be really hard for me, and I might try to find some way to make myself enjoy it to cope with it. I do think it's pretty hard for any of us to put ourselves in their shoes.

On a less serious note, that was a pretty cool video (all moral shit aside.) Iraqis sure do seem to be good at the duck and scatter routine. I swear I saw some of them jumping before the dust was even flying. And really, how badass were those hellfire missiles?

Well, I can understand where you are coming from.

From what I could tell, they mistaked a tripod for an 'rpg' and the reporter's camera for another weapon, at which point they opened fire on the entire group. This is one of those situations that can be argued by both sides forever and nobody is going to actually be at fault because it was in the 'heat' of the moment, whatever. However, the van that arrived to assist the wounded had not done anything threatening as far as I could tell, maybe i'm like you and I missed something, but from what I could tell by watching that video they were just looking to help those that were gunned down.

Regardless of the situation, this is one of the thousands of reasons why the middle-eastern countries we're invading hate us. I'm sure stuff like this happens on a weekly/monthly basis and goes unreported, atleast to our media.

It was pretty cool video, good quality too. I did notice the tuck and roll by one of the guys in the group that was getting fired on. If it were me out there and there was a blackhawk circling around and I was standing with a bunch of guys in robes I wouldn't be hanging around. Especially in a high-warfare area. Still no excuses for both sides. They killed innocent people, who 'appeared' threatening to them. Maybe this is why we shouldn't be sending our soldiers on 3rd and 4th tours and exposing them to the highest levels of PTSD ever recorded in our military's history.

What do you mean by that? Alot of people can't see it... I mean, people who are oblivious to the war, at least. But then, I guess I'm just being a smart ass.

I'm still too scared to watch the video. ;o I'll probably do it tomorrow, if I can remember, but from what you guys say, it's not completely horrible. So, some idiots opened fire on people who didn't need to be shot? Or... do I need to watch the video right now?

You don't have to watch it at all. It's a group of Iraqis and one of them apparently had an AK47 but was just walking with it at his side. The others had cameras and other instruments that were not weapons, but were mistaken for weapons. The chopper circles around a few times and waits to get permission to engage the targets, and then opens fire on the group. A few minutes after they're slain by the chopper a van of good samaritans comes by and tries to get the wounded in the van, and they are also killed. Towards the end of the video, the ground troops find out there were children in the vehicle and ask for permission to take them to the United States triage, and they were denied access.

I am glad to say the CNN has finally picked up the story.

Leaked video reveals chaos of Baghdad attack

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/...ex.html?hpt=C1

edit: and LESS THAN 30 MINUTES after the story was posted on the front website, the link and story are comletely gone off of the front page on CNN. Ridiculous. The video link is down near the editor's choice section, but there is no text underneath the video.. oddly enough. I guess negative press against the Military slaughtering innocent people isn't good enough to report to the American people.

http://i40.tinypic.com/nqd9fo.jpg

Thanks free-media. Thanks democracy. Thanks capitalism. Thanks CNN. Thanks a lot.

Of course not. We're supposed to be the "Good Guys" to the public, remember? Can't make us look bad, or they're will be chaos.

I'm sure that's the only reasoning behind it.