The US military has confirmed the authenticity of newly released video showing US forces indiscriminately firing on Iraqi civilians. On Monday, the website WikiLeaks.org posted footage taken from a US military helicopter in July 2007 as it killed twelve people and wounded two children. The dead included two employees of the Reuters news agency, photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh. DN speaks with WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange Source: Democracy Now www.youtube.com
1:20 “well it’s their fault for bringing their kids into a battle”
They don’t have a choice, is it the kids fault that you’re shooting at them? I guess when you kill children, this is what you tell yourself and you’re stupid or evil enough to believe that makes murder ok.
If you want to do something about this, support the Ron Paul revolution so we can end these illegal wars. Give money to the Ron Paul money bomb and change the direction of the world.
@Loudensll This is documentation of a flat out attack and murder of innocent civilians. You don’t think the public should know about that?
@thenorwegian76 You know America used to always support there troops, until they started televising war… Vietnam was the first truly televised war, and you know the support that got. We gotta stop scrutinizing our soldiers every step it’s nit helping. Who would want to be a soldier with this going on…. You cripple their ability to protect them selves with releasing these videos. The military and government should self police this issue not Karen from the vegan shop, or steakhouse Tim.
@Loudensll Like the Vietnam war, I happen to think the Vietnam war was wrong. Both wars were completely unjustified aggression, and with a terrible toll on the civilians in those countries.
Documenting attacks on civilians is always justifiable, because it’s a horrible thing we shold never be doing. And “supporting our troops” under all circumstances is insanity. Support your troops by not sending them to die in senseless wars, and commit atrocities in your name. Get them out!
@thenorwegian76 I understand what you are saying, but that is part of the reason American is slipping down the ranks of countries not to be messed with. There is nothing wrong with a foreign entity doing checks and balances or the other side bring these things to light but for our own people to work against ourselves is insanity. In the one hand we are a nation at war in the other hand we are trying to punish our own people in that war effort.
@thenorwegian76 The vietcong were sending out babies, women, and old people often times innocent villagers strapped with bombs to play on the heartstrings of Americans then when the americans went to help them. boom Human IED… somebody hold them accountable for that. Thats way across the line. If you have a problem with a war take it up with your government, not the soldiers on the ground. And the war in Iraq was no different they use kids, women, and old people there too.
@Loudensll That’s the typical pro-war spin, that the other side is attacking the troops for doing their job.
That’s not the case. I hold the politicians sending the military over responsible, not the troops they order.
I don’t know what ground you defend the engagement in Vietnam or Iraq on. US had no business in either place, and please don’t deny that millions of civilians died in those wars. It’s just plain wrong. 90% of the casualties of modern warfare are civilians.
@thenorwegian76 Not everyone in the world has the morals we do. Morality is a luxury in most countries. We can afford to have morality because most of us are not wondering when or if we are gonna eat again. Its not our troops fault they are there. But they are there. And They are fighting for survival.
@Loudensll But these soldiers that wikileaks expose weren’t fighting for survival. They opened fire on unarmed civilians and reporters, among them children. After the shooting they deny them immediate healthcare.
I can’t understand how you can defend this incident.
Exposed episodes like this give us an important look into grim and outrageous sides of the war the public (in a democracy) deserve to know before they take a stance for/against the engagement.
@thenorwegian76 So if you hold politician responsible why are you advocating the videography of warfare. The putting a soldier in jail accomplishes nothing. These soldiers are following orders. I am only defending the soldiers that were in Vietnam that return to a public that spit in there face. I do deny millions of civilians because no one can nail down the exact amount. its anywhere from 500,000 to 2,000,000 know one knows. Vietnam did not have proper census’s.
@thenorwegian76 I don’t know really why we were involved in the vietnam civil war. I imagine it was the genocide that was going on there. I admit that the US did use questionable tactics to get involved in vietnam. But none the less there was a good reason to be there. And Im sure any Vietnam Concentration Camp members would Agree. Iraq I think its obvious why we are there but there is no way the US can say the real reason. But that doesnt mean I stop desiring the protection of our troops
@Loudensll The documentation is important because it’sTHE TRUTH that the public deserves to know. The politicians are responsible for the war, and the commanders are responsible for their orders.
I have not, and will not, advocate prosecuting the troops at the end of the chain, that’s not why these reveals are important, but because it’s documentation of atrocities that the government is trying to undemocratically surpress.
@thenorwegian76 I don’t defend it I just Don’t agree with videoing it. WAR in itself is grim and outrageous. There is no such thing as a nice friendly War. You can decide what your stance is without seeing this video. I imagine that your stance was secured well before this video. I know this video did not shift you from being for the war, to against it. All this does is disparage our troop turn public opinion away from supporting them..
@thenorwegian76 Do you really believe that any politician is gonna take reponsibility for this. They are gonna distance themselves a 10000 miles from this.. And what ends up happening is we have soldiers being prosecuted for war Crime and the guy who gave the order is spearheading the investigation. So that he can say he thinks it was wrong and they handled it wrong and get elected again for having done something about this. The only one who ends up suffering is the troops and there families
@Loudensll There is no reason to support the troops about indefensible atrocities such as this.
What if that was your family that was killed by an apache helicopter for NO reason? How would you feel about that?
@thenorwegian76 There is no reason to video it. Someone can make a complaint down there chain of command. What someone ended up doing is circumventing that and leaking a video to the media. Once a war is declared, its gonna get ugly. If that were my family I would be devastated, but the video does not change anything, and nothing you can say or do will make up for it, or bring anyone back. Common Civilians don’t know anything about war. So why televise it to them.
@Loudensll Understand me right. I was against the war before it started, it’s illegal and unjustified. But the main reason I’m against it is I knew what civilian toll it would create. This is one of the MANY incidents that confirm that, and that the government try to supress. That’s why it’s important it’s exposed.
I wholy agree with your concern about going after the troops at the end of the chain, and letting elected officials go scott free, but that’s no reason to supress information.
I love where you are coming from its obviously a place of love. But the people in the helicopter didn’t know there were kids there, only after the incident did they find out when the medic told them. And they were initially upset. But what are they supposed to do Cry and land the helicopter. They gotta carry on. in war you gotta have that attitude. Trust me when its finally over and they are home, it haunts many of them.
@thenorwegian76 Idk we may have to just agree to disagree. Cause you are not going to change your way of thinking and Im not changing mine. Wrong, but the video is not helping. Believe it or not this kind of think can be handle within the chain of command. And usually more appropriately
@Loudensll We’re not going to reach agreement, so I’ll let this be my last comment.
US. is engaged in the war. The civilian public should know what happens there, not just what mis-information the government chooses to convey. How else can they have an informed opinion?
Truthful war-reporting is immensly important
@Mariana1viana too bad everyone else are sheep to it all.
@Mariana1viana perhaps the people aren’t to blame for what there government is doing. But in the end we all need to take our responsibility.
Once the people understand that there government is taking the wrong course, it is our duty to correct that.
If the government isn’t listening to us we need to demonstrate. If demonstrations aren’t working we need to start a revolution.
Up until now the majority of American citizens remain quiet because of the fear of prosecution.
SILENCE IS ACCEPTENCE
@fubyou As long as U keep voting for those terrorists, we will think most people in US r terrorists! U also create N support terror! If U talk truth in US, they take it as “conspiracy theory” or they say U crazy!
Remember, father Bush talked about “new world order” which means controlling N dominating the world. He told that far long before 9/11. He accidentally told he is the biggest terrorist in the world! btw I’m in US.
Hey the best thing every motherfucking humain should just stop voting, cuz voting wont change shit, just think for a second if not a single person is voting..what will happen? this day people will have the power. Because anyways lets be honest, vote is just a illusion a you having a power, of you that you can change thing by your vote.. anyway if i hear one day im about to die, its gonna be me in the fucking plane flying directly trought the white house.