Like someone said earlier this happens all the time. Which is why these wars need to end.

I feel like all hope is lost. Give up. This country is full of idiots just like you and I. We let this happen. What did we think was going on? These are a bunch of kids playing a video game, running over dead bodies, and laughing it off. Why are the citizens of Iraq not allowed to have guns? It is a war zone right? This is not our country, what the hell are we still doing there? Do we think that the more we blow the hell out of them the more likely they will not attack us???? where did this train of thought come from. and let me off at the next stop!

This is war.......

Indeed it is. Hopefully more people will realize that military is not police and that military has duty to quickly "neutralize" anyone they deem suspicious. Military staff is not trained to read people's rights. I hope this video helps in such realization, so that less people see war as peace, crime as justice and murder as liberation. Purpose of war is not peace...

Also, in most wars, and probably in Iraq one - killing 10 enemy civilians to save 1 soldier is pretty acceptable. People that "risk their lives" in war aren't all that innocent as propagized in Holywood... not by far. Basically, if you're going to be effective in war, you must not think about this and that, casualties, collateral damage and what not. Geneva conventions are just there to boost some morale, so you don't think you're some kind of murdering criminal. All that "we don't kill civilians" BS that's sold by the military is also a nice way to raise troop morale.

According to official military statement, apache was called in by a nearby raiding group. It sees some suspicious group getting out of a car and based on decisions from several people, they clear them all out. A suspicious looking van comes in with suspicious guys attempting to resque a man on which apache have just spent your tax money to blow up. Staff decides to save your tax money AND have some fun by taking the whole thing out, two flies in one hit. People in this movie got award points, lots of them too. However apathical this may sound, it is a fact that these guys are paid by you to secure the area - they have definitely secured the area, for now.

As for me, I am in disgust of the fact that we, so called "innocent civilians" are funding and creating this army of non-thinking blood-thirsty psychopats in order to unleash them upon a [fictional] enemy terrotory in pursuit of a greater good... and sometimes, not even for the greater good, but just to feel badass.

Just watched the long version. No doubt the press association viewing will include experienced war correspondents, (those that have survived that is) and it will be interesting to hear what they have to say. There is no doubt that the firing was a blanket attack on open ground and innocent people died. There is no way that a positive ID was possible from the helicopter, they relied on ID from people on the ground, but shot everybody anyway, and who were not firing weapons at the time. The RPG was not positively identified in the aftermath, only that "it looks like an RPG under a body" and near the end of the video a ground man refers to "the RPG or whatever it was" When they fire the Hellcat missiles,(3) into the building, also near the end of the video, one man who was walking on the pavement is blasted away, although he had not taken a step into the building...or should I say, he did not get the chance to. I think Wikileaks is right to show this video, and more, to let more people see the reality of what goes on.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by smurfy]

Originally posted by cjcord

And think me evil or not, but I agree with the voice on the tape- they SHOULD know better than to bring kids into a shooting spree!! What kind of parent does that? "Oh, these men just got shot, let's pack up the kids and go see what it looks like"...

And yes, it IS kill or be killed there- I have no issue with these soldiers actions.

Yeah, silly them, bringing their children who live in this town with them on a shooting spree.

A photo shooting spree.

The ones on the gun shooting spree were unfortunately our own soldiers. The ones shot were unfortunate to be born in a land the US is bound and determined to conquer. reasons unclear, or nonexsistant.

Nice to see you have ni issues with this.

I do.

Even in the grainy gun video, I could clearly see the children. And clearly tell they were kids.

Like I said this is but an average day for these American soldiers, who eventual find their way into police sheriff deputy jailer judge prosecutor positions. Authority positions that require little more than loyalty to a system, even corrupt system. It is what they were trained to do.

Why were the American soldiers in that helicopter in the first place?

To this day I have no idea why we are over there officially. None.

Other than being completely disgusted, I have nothing pertinent to add to this discussion.

I can't stand it anymore. I want to have pride in my country. I want to believe there is hope for all humanity everywhere. My hopes get a little more dashed everyday.

Where do we go from here as ordinary citizens? We all know this will fall through the cracks and brushed under the rug.

I know not all soldiers are monsters, I have defended our men and women in uniform on this site. I can't help but feel tainted now.

How can I change it? Who can be counted on here?

I usually don't lose it like this but. . . .

# you big brother. I hate your disdain for humanity. I hate your invasive behavior. Karma is a bitch big brother. As much as it pains me to say it I will enjoy watching your fall. You will reap what you've sewn. You are all the monsters that shuld have been laid to rest in this video. The time has come for you to disappear into the night.

I would never hurt anyone, or fly a plane into an office builind or bomb a parking garage or shopping mall. I will however align against you. I will be a mouthpiece for change. No one will go without seeing and hearing what you've done here ( and no doubt many times before). This time we have evidence that we will not let die.

Please ATS'ers I implore you all to not let this go away show it to everyone you know. This is a huge piece in our chess match for victory. In our fight for peace and freedom and love and humanity, we have never gotten such a great weapon. Don't waste it.

500 flags is excellent. If you all show it to 2 people thats 1500 people who could share. This could explode exponentialy fast if we don't let it peter out.

Regardless of the circumstances in the video, lets not forget the wider context...the government LIED about what happened there. Also did anyone catch the story regarding the killing of 5 afghan's and possible subsequent cover up?

Originally posted by hotbakedtater

Yeah, silly them, bringing their children who live in this town with them on a shooting spree.

A photo shooting spree.

Well, one thing we can do to make sure this mess is one day resolved is to not twist the facts as you've blatantly done here. There is never a single shred of anything in the video that points to the children having any relation to the news team. Their parents, for whatever reason, wrong or right, put their children in a situation where multiple people were being liquidated by an Apache war machine. Again, people with no interest in uncovering the truth because they can't see past their own stupid political agendas are doing nothing to help figure this situation out.

And you're glad for the "hype"? So you would use the death of the children as a means to an end for your own personal convictions? The hypocrisy in this thread is unbelievably overwhelming. Good day ladies and gentlemen.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by hungrydirt]

Originally posted by hungrydirt

Originally posted by hotbakedtater

Yeah, silly them, bringing their children who live in this town with them on a shooting spree.

A photo shooting spree.

Well, one thing we can do to make sure this mess is one day resolved is to not twist the facts as you've blatantly done here. There is never a single shred of anything in the video that points to the children having any relation to the news team. Their parents, for whatever reason, wrong or right, put their children in a situation where multiple people were being liquidated by an Apache war machine. Again, people with no interest in uncovering the truth because they can't see past their own stupid political agendas are doing nothing to help figure this situation out.

And you're glad for the "hype"? So you would use the death of the children as a means to an end for your own personal convictions? The hypocrisy in this thread is unbelievably overwhelming. Good day ladies and gentlemen.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by hungrydirt]

Is it not just possible that those in the minivan, (not SUV) might have thought that the shooting was over. There was a wounded man moving around on the ground, and you don't see anyone else rushing to his aid, and in any case we don't know the circumstance for that vehicle being there, or its origin, and more importantly, neither did the soldiers, other than it was picking up body/s. The military did not shoot at the wounded man while he was lying there, (although one military observer did say just lift up a gun) presumably enough reason to finish him off, but in any case there was no gun, since the wounded man was the Reuters reporter. But as soon as he was lifted, that was another excuse to fire. A curious military strategy that the "enemy" can't take away the dead and dying. No need for intelligence capture either obviously, these are just a bunch of guys in shirts sleeves who are only cannon fodder for the mighty Apache, which was flying pretty high and at a distance, most of its video is in zoom.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by smurfy]

This was clearly a breach in the Geneva convention and thus the pilots (and the officer giving the order to engage) must be punished, a dishonorable discharge and jail time should do the trick.

That video disgusts me!
How could they treat killing people as such a casual issue?- I understand the moral and ethical difficulty they must face since that is their job in fact- but really?!!!
The one guy was so trigger happy he couldn't wait for the order to be able to shoot- And for what? He was in no real danger because, well foremost, they didn't have any weapons.

Things like this make me feel this indescribable feeling of sorrow for those poor people. My god man, those guys were innocent, and had families of their own! They were not firing at anything, much less the helicopter! I just do not understand how people in the military are allowed to commit such blatant acts of MURDER. I saw ONE guy with an ak, and he wasn't even holding his weapon in an offensive posture. Seriously, WTF? Whoever pulled the trigger should be thrown in solitary confinement for the rest of his natural life. the thing is, I know that not all of our guys out there are like this, but I just cannot understand it. It boggles my ****ing mind that anyone would do such things.

My heart goes out to the families. S*it man, all they did was try to run from the incoming fire...