Leaked Video Shows Civilians Killed in Iraq 4/5

Institute for Public Accuracy
980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
___________________________________________________

Today Wikileaks "has released a classified U.S. military video depicting
the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of
New Baghdad -- including two Reuters news staff. Reuters has been trying
to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without
success since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache
helicopter gun-sight, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded
Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the
rescue were also seriously wounded." For video and further background,
see: http://www.collateralmurder.com.

BEAU GROSSCUP, http://www.zedbooks.co.uk/book.asp?bookdetail=3721
     Grosscup is author of the book "Strategic Terror: The Politics and
Ethics of Aerial Bombardment." He is professor of international
relations at California State University in Chico.
     He said today: "The video demonstrates that, with helicopter
gunships flying overhead, the people below (allegedly armed fighters)
show no fear nor any attempt to run or hide. This should be strong
evidence that they were engaged in normal peaceful activities yet the
gunners choose to assume otherwise. If the rules of engagement allow the
shooting of wounded recovery efforts as clearly demonstrated here, then
those rules need changing. There was a clear intent to attack --
'engage' -- the recovery vehicle and personnel. The chatter of U.S.
military demonstrates ... excessive attitude of lethal intent;
anxiousness to shoot while being under no threat whatsoever; blaming
Iraqis for wounded children..."

JOSIAH WHITE, http://ivaw.org
    White said today: "I served one tour in Iraq in the first battalion
seventh Marine regiment from March 2006 to July 18, 2006. I was severely
wounded by a suicide bomber, medevaced back to the U.S. and spent two
years recovering. My main injuries are total hearing loss in right ear,
shrapnel wounds in both legs and left arm, diminished use of left leg,
among others. When I was hit and people around me were dying, you could
see and hear and smell what was really happening. In this video, these
soldiers are totally detached, just looking at a small thing on a video
screen -- they are heard hoping that an injured Iraqi grabs a gun so
they can finish him off. Then they shoot up the van, which ends up
having kids in it, trying to save him -- it's totally illegal." White is
now a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

See in The Guardian, "Wikileaks in the Crosshairs: Wikileaks has
provided all manner of scoops in its short life – but why would the U.S.
government spend tax dollars spying on it?"
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/31-10

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020, (202) 421-6858; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167



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