Wikileaks Video Released!!

I don't know if anyone else has already said it, but BBC put something up a little bit ago.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Not exactly a glowing response, but still something.

Just to lighten the mood a bit....but still a witty observation made by Katt Williams, as he discussed "What does an insurgent look like" (Warning for Language).

This makes me sick. I could clearly see they were Canon cameras with white lenses and they had their shoulder straps over their arms.

It's ridiculous. The people in the helicopter need to be executed. All they wanted to do is shoot their guns they probably were just trained to use.

AND THEN THE GUY RAN OVER THE DEAD BODY. And they laughed at that!

Sickening. I hope wikileaks DESTROYS the USA government.

Originally posted by belial259
They're embedded. They're the 4th branch right now they probably can't do anything about it. I doubt they can risk running the story.

They may very well have been the ones that leaked this video to wikileaks. We don't know the source.

If Reuters got their hands on the footage pre-wikileaks then the trail is pretty wide! Had to go from DOD -> Reuters -> wikileaks, and since it was encrypted that means Reuters wouldn't have even known what they really had.

I think if anything it's more weird that they don't discuss the case even if only tentatively, "Purportedly Wikileaks releases footage that may shed new light on death of our esteemed colleagues." Something like that.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by TheMalefactor]

Not going to debate the technicalities of the video.

Am going to quote this

# Article 3 states that even where there is not a conflict of international character the parties must as a minimum adhere to minimal protections described as: noncombatants, members of armed forces who have laid down their arms, and combatants who are hors de combat (out of the fight) due to wounds, detention, or any other cause shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, with the following prohibitions:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

You can paint what happened any way you want to, but opening fire on the van was a clear violation of Article 3 of the Fourth Geneva Convention as no hostile act was undertaken whatsoever by the driver of the van, the people helping him or the person they were helping.

Originally posted by MajinRoshi
reply to post by ExPostFacto

 

Watch the video. He puts it on the ground and its a long tube, he loads it and then starts to pick it up. You're only seeing part of it in that screen cap. Dont let me get in the way of your circle jerk though. Its obviously normal for a photographer to take up defensive positions behind walls.

Here is pointing something at the Apache, after crouching behind a wall. If the guy has a camera hes doing everything he can to look like a suspicious character.

By the way, why the need for 5 tripods? Because each one of those guys has a long thing in his hand.

reply to post by TheMalefactor

 

Which suggest the story might not be what wikileaks claims? Reuters has had no problems attacking American troops in the past, or photo-shopping damage in Lebanon to look worse than it was.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by MajinRoshi]

The distance the Apache was away from the man in question, lets just say that for that man to have shot an unguided rocket propelled grenade and hit, would have been 1 in a million.

The guy is using an SLR camera with a tele-photo lense. Standard equipment for a photographer.

Take this one for example;

Nikon Reflex-Nikkor 2000mm f/11
Aperture: f/11
Angle of view: 1.10°
Construction: 5 elements / 5 groups
Length: 598mm
Weight: 1750g
Filter thread: mm
Minimum focus: 1800mm
Mount: Nikon AI

That lense is over half a metre long, and that is not nearly as long as some others that can be bought.

And what you are stating is academic as Rules of Engagement require soldiers to be fired upon before they can 'defend' themselves.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by Skellon]

[edit on 5-4-2010 by Skellon]

reply to post by andy1972


The reason the wounded kids had to change location/hospital. Is because these two kids would have raised questions in the US field hospital. The field hospital dont listen to the same radio frequencies. And there for this event can be easily explained away as a gunfight.

Wow, this thread has around as many replies as the original Wikileaks thread in less than 5 hours! It's a shame that, despite all the attention it has on ATS, most mainstream outlets will either not cover it or put up a small article and not mention it again. Will any actions actually happen because of this video, or is the American public too apathetic to care?

I am not joining the discussion here since my thoughts are like most ATS members.

But I am informing you that a Dutch Newspaper picked it up too.

sorry, that was the bbc link to the story but have just seen after reading replies further ahead it was a serious repeat post!

[edit on 5-4-2010 by Full_Vision]

reply to post by Brahmanite


If the mainstream media outlets do not touch this story - we will all know once and for all who MSM really works for, and that we are no longer (as people of America or citizens of the world) represented by anyone of any political position left/right - especially the media.

These lives lost and this war is nothing but a political game to them!

I watched the 40 min. video twice. This is not the first helicopter attack video I have ever seen. As a matter of fact they have been common on Youtube for years since the start of the Iraq war.

There are actually two helicopters involved circling the position. It seems to me that they are maintaining a circular rotation so that one of the choppers is in visual contact during the event.

If you watch the video carefully you will notice this easily. As far as weapons or no weapons controversy @ 19:25min in video, a ground troop radios to helicopter or other supporting ground unit, " Six, this is four. I got one individual looks like he's got an RPG round laying under him".

I would say that is absolute proof that the group were armed with a weapon that could hit one of the helicopters. That is cause and justification for engagement.

As to the issue of killing innocent reporters. It is well known that "journalists" were embedding themselves with troops. It is easy to believe that these "journalists" were trying to get the Iraqi perspective close up and personal by accompanying their assets. They got the close up first hand view for sure. That is called an idiot who folllows around a guy carrying an RPG in the presence of Attack Helicopters.

As for the people in the van, it is well known throughout war history that some countries use children as shields. It was not an ambulance. It was grown adults who took children into a very obvious and very deadly live firefight. Some folks have probably never seen what happens when a U.S. attack helicopter opens fire. As my Marine buddy said, "It looks like the floor of the desert is lifted into the sky".

Now, is that the kind of scenario you would rush your little girls into?

When the ground troops were ordered in, the first order was get pictures. And just after 19:25 you can see a marine taking photos and walking around with a camera. One more thing, an Ak was identified, an RPG was identified, but nobody on the ground radioed in tripods, camerabags, or Nikon camera's.

Deny ignorance. There is just as much disinfo and propaganda being used by Iraq and others with vested interests as well.

War is crap. We shouldn't even be there. But, what you saw is war, period. It is what it looks like. As for ATS, there are just as many spooks on this site as there are cowboys, get it?

What bothers me the most is that this isn't being covered by US media... but it is everywhere else...

news.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by MajinRoshi


I feel silly having to prove it was a camera. Your capture is a split second after mine. He takes the camera and points it around the corner. The large cylinder thing is what a telephoto lens looks like when pointed in your direction. I'll enhance the photo further if you care to be open to it being a camera...if you have already made up your mind then I cannot help.

Originally posted by belial259

Originally posted by TheMalefactor
I just did a search on Reuters and strangely enough they're not covering it. I would have imagined out of all the agencies they'd be the first to want in on this action.

Strange, don't you guys think?

They're embedded. They're the 4th branch right now they probably can't do anything about it. I doubt they can risk running the story.

They may very well have been the ones that leaked this video to wikileaks. We don't know the source.


[edit on 5-4-2010 by belial259]

And that is something yet to be mentioned or spoken to in this thread.

Where did this video come from? Who provided it?

Therein be a story all on it's own methinks.

reply to post by Skellon


I was suspicious about the long objects draped along their bodies too, but here's the thing. If the guy had an RPG he had time to fire. So why didn't he?
Also why didn't the DOD release news clips saying they found an RPG?

Anyone know what the rules are for reporters going around with security forces? Aren't private security officers allowed AK's?

With no clear objective other than to enagage when granted, and an extended stay in theater, operating under a police action with varying targets, how can anything other than this be possible?
The threat assessment was made without fire and engagement, and follow up fire was again made against non confirmed targets and arms.
This classifies as more than a mistake, and provides more than enough reason for the responses leveled at the US from that region.
Damn sloppy.

Originally posted by TheMalefactor
If Reuters got their hands on the footage pre-wikileaks then the trail is pretty wide! Had to go from DOD -> Reuters -> wikileaks, and since it was encrypted that means Reuters wouldn't have even known what they really had.

The video said Reuters filed a FOI request in 2007 for that footage. Maybe they got it and had it in an encrypted file on the server. Got hit with a gag order or the government said they'd scrub some people if they opened their mouths.

But friends of the reporters that wanted justice found a way to get the information to wikileaks. Don't forget wikileaks has been under CIA investigation/attack over this for some time leading up to the release of the video.

I looked on Reuters when this hit and saw nothing but silence. And that says it all. The free press silent on the deaths of their own reporters? Not likely.

They aren't free and they're probably too frightened to say anything.

Want to get the word out...share the youtube video on FB if you have an account...email...just get it around.

reply to post by Damian-007


I agree!

If you watch close, the guy hiding around the corner, when he leans out you can see the end of the battery pack and then nothing, indicating that it is actually a short object, not an RPG.

This is so messed up
............................................................................................................
Man armed with modified snub nose RPG, can I fire - can I fire! Please can I kill him?


[edit on 5-4-2010 by arizonascott]