Georgian Reporter shot on live TV (VIDEO)

I'm leaning towards a "staged" sniper incident. I don't think there even was a gun fired. The reporting crew probably wanted to get some sensational story out of this is all. If you look closely where she was standing, and where the vehicles and camera's were, the probability of her getting hit on the wrist is highly unlikely in my opinion. Further, I don't care how hardened of a combat reporter you are.......after being hit by a supposed "sniper", and then just pretty much stand around and talk about it ?? Bull#. Most likely they would have run like a bunch of chickens to the cover of the vehicles, and then proceeded to drive to a safer location. I'm speculating that it was setup to look like gunfire, then she goes out of camera range for a few moments, someone cuts her wrist, and then MIRACULOUSLY she reappears on camera to tell the amazing story. That's my two cents at least.

reply to post by cavscout


If you dont lie because your Lord forbids it,why did you join the army where you could kill people?

Or is a lie worse than taken a life?

Dont want to knock you mate,But religion puzzles me.

On topic,this Vid looks pure BS.Like other clips of people shot by russians waiting in hospitals.Some of them look like they have been hit by air gun pellets!One chap was shot in the back by a russian and when talking to the reporter about it ,you couldnt see him in any pain as he sat on his bed moving his torso and smiling at the lense

Very lucky to be alive, indeed, however if Georgia had not initially attacked and killed russian peace keepers and civillians in South Ossetia, Russia would not have retalliated, nor would the reporter have a bullet graze on her arm.

She is very very lucky!

You can debate the use of the term 'sniper' forever but the press tends to call anyone who shoots someone with a rifle , a sniper . There is a part two to this story which may not have been shown by the American media but was just shown by the CBC in Canada .

5 minutes after leaving the area where the reporter was shot on the road from Tiblisi to Gori Canadian reporters were ambushed and got it all on video . The attackers were 3 Russian irregulars , 2 with AK's and one with a pistol . The one with the pistol fired at the cameraman and reporter and then the three of them stole the Toyota Landcruiser that the reporters had been using to get around . These are the Russian irregulars , half dressed in military uniforms who are looting and burning everything .

It was just reported so i went to the CBC website and there isn't a link to the story up yet . Matthew Chance of CNN who is on the ground reported this evening that he has witnessed the looting of Gori by Russian irregulars and the Canadian reporters of the CBC reported that they see and now experienced the same thing .

Well I dunno to be honest it could have been a setup.
Little cut on arm look where her arm was her left arm.
Right in front of her pelvis.
Where did the bullet go?There was no where else for it to go.
Look at the angle on her arm of the graze and look where her arm was.
Watch the video more carefully.
She would've been killed for sure.
Or it could have just been stray AK fire.
Because seriously people come on a Russian sniper?
Would've taken her head right off.

Originally posted by Maxmars

Originally posted by TheRepublic
i bet its a georgian propaganda set up
if she was supposed to be hit her head would have been blown off.
the whole thing looks suspicious to me.

That didn't take long.

Strange how we all care more about how we want to see things than what we see.

Ye, what I saw was freaken fake. I'm not buying any of that, and no - not because "I see all Georgian claims as propoganda". I'll do my best to explain that to you Maxmars.

Remember the claim Georgia made not too long ago about how a Russian plane came to bomb the oil pipe line and missed?
a) Russian pilots are trained well enough to be able to hit stationary targets on the ground.
b) That pipe line is so damn big you would have to be Steve Wonder to miss it anyways.
c) In case of an actual magical miss what would stop the pilot from turning around for another pass? Even if he dropped the whole payload he would still have his cannon, which would be more then enough to set fire to the oil in the pipe.

-My point- The story we have here seems to fit under the same questions/arguments all too easily.

a) Russian snipers are properly trained and would not miss the target. There is no way in hell she was "lucky".

b)We didn't hear the bullet impact one of the cars or the road, which means that the sniper was not shooting down, but was on the ground. There are people walking around the area in the video, so you can guess that if this was in fact a Russian sniper, it was a Spetsnaz sniper (well trained) since he was not spotted, and not some grunt with an SVD.

Bottom line is if they wanted that reporter dead, or any of the TV crew members then they would be dead. Oh, and I don't believe this was an extremely good sniper, it's just hard for me to imagine someone planting that kind of a shot with such a wind blowing about - look at the reporter's hair, plus noise in the camera can be distinguished, just turn up your volume.

c) That shot came more or less at her and not from behind her, or else it would have definately hit someone else or a car. Observe the surrounding area in the video, becuase the camera does capture most of it. She is surrounded by people and cars. On top of having a perfect position and remaining unsees befor and after the shot, the sniper is so damn good that he plants the shot through all the people present near her plus all the cars surrounding her. Any suspicion there?

Furthermore. Merely suspicion

d) This is merely my opinion, but her reaction just doesn't seem to fit getting grazed by a bullet. Although if the wound was real she was barely touched and there isn't much heroism to her keeping going.

e) Neither does that really sound like an SVD or an SVU gunshot sound but again - I'm not one to make that call. I do imagine it would carry a bit more. If that is in fact a gunshot, that is a silenced gun fired by the mic at most...but certainly doesn't resemble a rifle shot to my ears.

Oh and here's one for you guys:

REPORTER RUNNING FROM GEORGIAN GUNFIRE aug 14, 2008.
www.youtube.com...

Regards,
Maestro

EDIT/PS: Oh and lets not forget my main reason for doubting this - the fact that 90% of all Georgian claims so far have been utter BS (I will list them should you ask), and the fact that Georgia has been waging a mass propaganda war since the start of the conflict to make Russia look like the agressor.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by maestro46]

Originally posted by lingk007
I'm leaning towards a "staged" sniper incident. I don't think there even was a gun fired. The reporting crew probably wanted to get some sensational story out of this is all. If you look closely where she was standing, and where the vehicles and camera's were, the probability of her getting hit on the wrist is highly unlikely in my opinion. Further, I don't care how hardened of a combat reporter you are.......after being hit by a supposed "sniper", and then just pretty much stand around and talk about it ?? Bull#. Most likely they would have run like a bunch of chickens to the cover of the vehicles, and then proceeded to drive to a safer location. I'm speculating that it was setup to look like gunfire, then she goes out of camera range for a few moments, someone cuts her wrist, and then MIRACULOUSLY she reappears on camera to tell the amazing story. That's my two cents at least.

Stared. Exactly what happened I think.

Regards,
Maestro

A sniper starts shooting at a reporter multiple times

the reporter herself says it was a sniper while in the van as she bravely finished her report

this was a very bad sniper if so as there were only minor injuries after multiple shots

most snipers rifles are bolt action which make it hard to fire multiple shots without time to re-set

yet during and after shots are fired no one leaves the area nor tries to find adequate shelter to hide from from this sniper when I saw plenty of places to take cover, they stay in the van as if they feel they are now safe

even the camera man moves erratically in the SAME area the shots connected, running away from the van, and then back to it, making himself an easy target

no one seems to be very concerned that they are being fired upon by snipers in the first place

this does not seem to be the reaction to people being fired upon by superior forces

the wound on her arm, and the angle of her arm when it hit during her report (or seem to) indicates that there would also have to be another entry point, or that the shot would have to be shot from behind and up to the left from her about 30 degrees (from camera perspective), or from in front of her, and down about 30 degrees...impossible unless someone was shooting her from a hole in the ground

it just seems to me that all these guys, although acting somewhat erratically, were not afraid and no yelling or screaming were heard and they all acted as though staying in the area was safe for them as they finishing filming the interview in a van?

something smells here, but I reserve my right to not make any firm conclusions at this time

When a girl of russian origins comes along with her russian aunt to thank the heroic russians for rescuing her from the mean georgian troops, it's not russian propaganda.

When a georgian reporter gets shot by a russian sniper live on tv, then it's georgian propaganda.

Oh well. I guess that shows how much the "truth" you perceive depends on what you want to perceive.

Edit: spelling...

[edit on 15-8-2008 by Wallachian]

It's speculation. Your saying it as fact that it was a russian sniper. People are speculating on this fact as it cannot be proved.

This is a board for opinions, get over it.

Hi guys,just joined up as a member to this nice website,been lurking for a while.As a sniper in swe recon forces i have to tell the video of the reporter is total bogus,there was no shot as no shot was heard to start with.Our procedure for shooting a target.

1.The position of the sniper is important as he must see 100% of the targets upperbody,or no shot can be fired.

2.Range,adjustments on the scope

3.The wind has to be accounted for,adjustments on the scope.

4.Always (100%) aim at the center mass,headshots and such belong to hollywood.

5.Take a halfdeep breath,dont exhale,fire within 5 sec

If the sniper is not 100% sure it will be a fatal blow he can`t shoot and has to wait for a better oppurtunity.Snipers life depends on how good shot he makes.If we say the sniper missed the hand by up to 15cm the hand/arm (depending on what kind of ammo is used) would have been sliced off and she also would have burnmarks but she doesn`t.The bullet you can see on this page www.soldf.com... is made for picking targets at great distances,this bullet is not very bothered by the wind,air tempreature,gunpowder and other ballistic calculations.To wrap it up,1 shot 1 kill or you dont shoot until 100% sure.

Look at the facts people look at the evidence look where her hand was.
It was right in front of her hip and abdomen there is no way the bullet would have gone anywhere else but into her.
Look where the graze on the wrist is and look where her hand was when it happened.
This is not a fight about pro Russia pro Georgia just simple logic.
There is no way that was a bullet that did that because it would have gone straight into her.
Regardless if it was a monkey with a ww2 pistol if it made that graze on her wrist it would have kept going into her.

Originally posted by Hamlin

This is a board for opinions, get over it.

Get over what? The fact that i have an opinion that i'm expressing on a "board for opinions"?

I guess you're the one who has to get over the fact that not everyone on a forum agrees with you?

Thanks for the input though.

Originally posted by Maxmars
That didn't take long.

Strange how we all care more about how we want to see things than what we see.

Very true. Kinda like how I noticed your earlier comment...

Originally posted by Maxmars
So much for the Russian end of the deal.

Who's to say what side the bullet came from, yet you automatically care more about how you want to see things.

Personally, I'd need a bit of proof before assuming either side over the other.

[edit on 8/15/08 by redmage]

reply to post by redmage


The phrase was intended to reflect the video piece which clearly was meant to imply that the Russians were shooting. Perhaps I should have been more clear on that.

As for the exercise of questioning the conviction that this was Georgian propaganda, I make no apologies. This and many other threads are strewn with comments that take much for granted. I want background and analysis.

I want to see more than just "The Georgians started it." which I still think hasn't been correctly put into perspective. These regional clashes have been occurring since the day of the Tartars and the Caucasians... this is not new.

What is new are our circumstantial interests, self-serving though they may be.

The generally accepted consensus here is that this was a staged wounding, an argument that I find no fault with. The single counterpoint to the scenario is that the report, as delivered to the 'consumers' carries an implicit condemnation of Russia, as should be expected from a Georgian reporter (presumably.) However, the method of describing the 'reality' behind the video is chock full of bias and some very real arrogance about the conflict.

The truth is that this is happening thousands of miles away from us, and we are getting information from sources that time and again have proven they can't be trusted. This is not merely about the region, OUR sources are also very capable of, and have repeatedly lied to us about MANY such things.

You may feel automatically challenged personally if I play Devil's advocate with you, but how you choose to respond is your own affair. I am not among those who will preface my statements with conciliatory verbiage to assuage your patriotic knee-jerk reaction. I am not interested in anything other than a) what you know, b) what you think, and c) what is the truth or fact in the op.

It's clear that the scenario of staged event cannot be ruled out. And yes, a professional soldier trained to use a sniper rifle would be ashamed if the intention had been to kill anyone in that crowd. As a 6-time decorated small arms expert I can tell you, there are too many elements here that point to a 'sniper' being 'identified' by the reporter out of ignorance.

Soldiers do engage in reckless shootings, and that happens more than many might suppose. As to the nationality of the shooter, if any, who could actually say? There is not enough evidence here to make a solid case either way.

For those of you inclined to judge my participation on this thread in terms of loyalty, patriotism, ideology, or opinion, I have bad news. No one has asked me my opinion, and I haven't given it. Everything I did was aimed at encouraging the exchange and soliciting feedback. I would point out to all those who like to come on thee threads and bear their ideology on their sleeve, I am not doing that here.

Were I to do so, you would see it clearly indicated in the text.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by Maxmars]

[edit on 15-8-2008 by Maxmars]

What the hell! Something is wrong here. There was a video on my national TV an hour ago about this reporter being shot and it was totally different. There were shots in the background, then something hit the ground and everyone was asking "what was this?" Seconds later the reporter has blood on the arm, runs to the Van and puts a bullet proof vest and restarts the interview.
Question: When you get shot do you actually sit around waiting to be shot again along with all your crew? Those people should have been diving into the ground or running for their lives into the vans.

Originally posted by xEphon
I wonder if he was a really GOOD sniper or a really BAD one.
I'd like to know if I should laugh or sigh...I guess a sigh will do.

That's what I was thinking...

It would be extremely hard to graze a target but more easier to hit it in a critical zone.

6 shots for a graze - it's still a miracle she's alive...

[edit on 15-8-2008 by Jinni]

Originally posted by TheRepublic
i bet its a georgian propaganda set up
if she was supposed to be hit her head would have been blown off.
the whole thing looks suspicious to me.

Georgian EH?Thats funny since Russia started the propaganda war July20

reply to post by Vehemens



If you can find a linkable video to post of this it would go far to examining this event and the circumstances around it. I suspect if there was post-editing done, it would cry out as verification of propaganda.

Here is a video.
See the angle of the so called bullet and where her hand was.
She would have been seriously injured if not killed.
www.youtube.com...
There is no way that bullet bounced off her wrist.


[edit on 15-8-2008 by Interestinggg]