Collateral Murder is a video released by independent site Wikileaks today.
The video is from Apache helicopters that had been operating in Baghdad in 2007. The video shows the incident where two U.S. journalists were killed by “Friendly Fire”. The whistle-blowers the provided the video did not receive guaranteed payday loans for the video, and are being protected by Wikileaks.
The Collateral Murder incident
The incident the Collateral Murder video shows originally occurred on July 12, 2007. The official U.S. Army story of the event is that the helicopter attack that killed eleven people was predicated with “U.S. Forces coming under fire”. Two Reuters journalists were also killed within the attack. Reuters made an immediate Freedom of Data Act request for the video, but never received copies.
The video of Collateral Murder
The video shows the Army story might have been a cover-up of exactly what really happened. The video had been described in detail in a 2009 book by David Finkel, and Reuters officials were shown the video in a 2007 off-the-record briefing.
Even if something is off the record, officials who are not in need of payday loan companies cannot be stopped from leaking the info. The wide viewing of the video was only available as of today, when Julian Assange presented it at the National Press Club.
Exactly what is shown within the Collateral Murder video
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 the military mistook a telephoto lens for a launcher for rocket-propelled grenades. It also seems that the U.S. troops laugh and joke when two children and a good Samaritan are injured by the gunfire. One solider also requests permission from his commander to open fire on the van that stops to help the wounded.
The fallout from Collateral Murder
The U.S. Army has not yet responded to the Wikileaks video. The Army has earlier stated that they believe all rules of engagement were followed in this event. Rumors of Army cover-ups and inappropriate actions have plagued the Iraqi war.
The Reuters news agency has responded to the video with 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:
Reuters News
The Good Soldiers
WikiLeaks
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