Today, independent news website Wikileaks released the video Collateral Murder.
The 15-minute video is the decrypted documenting from two U.S. Military Apache helicopters operating in Baghdad in 2007. The video shows the full incident of when two U.S. civilian journalists were killed. The whistle-blowers the provided the video did not receive guaranteed payday loans for the video, and are being protected by Wikileaks.
The event in Collateral Murder
On July 12, 2007, there was a U.S. Army shooting in Baghdad. The official story of the attack is that “U.S. Forces came under fire”. Two Reuters journalists were also killed in the attack. Reuters made an immediate Freedom of Details Act request for the video, but never received copies.
The video of Collateral Murder
The video leaked by Wikileaks shows that the U.S. Army story of the incident may are a cover-up. A 2009 book described the video and Rueters editors were shown the video off the record.
Off-the-record, however, cannot prevent officials who are not in need of the payday loan companies from leaking the information. The wide viewing of the video was only available as of today, when Julian Assange presented it at the National Press Club.
What the Collateral Murder video shows
A few things are for certain after watching the Collateral Murder video. At the time the U.S. Forces opened fire with Apache helicopters, the army was not being shot at. It also appears that the troops mistook the telephoto lens or video camera as rocket-propelled grenades. It also seems the U.S. troops laugh and joke when two children and a good Samaritan are injured by the gunfire. One solider also asks for permission to open fire on the van that has stopped to help the wounded.
The Collateral Murder fallout
The leaking of this video has not yet prompted an official response from the U.S. Army. The official story of this incident indicates that the Army believes the U.S. Army followed all rules of engagement. Rumors of Army cover-ups and inappropriate actions have plagued the Iraqi war.
Reuters news has responded to the video in a written statement. They call the leaked Collateral Murder video “graphic evidence of the dangers involved in war journalism and the tragedies that can result”.
Sources for the article:
Reuters News
The Good Soldiers
WikiLeaks
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