Wikileaks Video Released!!

I like the advert that sets the tone for the video.

Choice. (that is serious sarcasm)

The sad reality of this video is that it can be used to sell and promote more violence, which is exactly what it is doing.

It is a monster that eats itself.

Welcome to HELL!!!

Abandon all hope all ye who enter.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


If this is the case why suppress the video?
Surely if it's as simple and innocuous as what you suggest, or at least as reasonable under the circumstances, it wouldn't have been a problem?
And before you reply I respectfully request that you do no apply the fallacious reasoning "judging by the replies in this thread can you blame them for fighting it's release" for the truth is simply the truth and should always prevail.

And if I may ask on a practical level ... whilst it is true that hindsight can often be 20/20 (though not always so), am I incorrect that the soldiers piloting and firing were seeing the events with their own eyes and not through a video screen? If so, the idea that we have the luxury of hindsight is flawed for they had the best view of all.

Wow, just watched the video, so sad.

Also it annoys the hell out of me why this isn't MAJOR all over the place, instead something like Tiger woods making a comeback is much more important.

Seriously thumbs down to all newstations that ignore this.




[edit on 5-4-2010 by Rising Against]

reply to post by burdman30ott6


I see no reason to defend the troops at all.

Every single one of them volunteered to join the Armed Forces to defend Corporations, not the American people.

I would be pretty upset if someone invaded my Country, killed my Countrymen, and then lied about it so they could steal my resources.

The War in Iraq was never about spreading Democracy, or defending our freedoms, or preserving our rights. In fact, the only group that has ever infringed upon my liberty and unalienable rights is our own Federal Government.

Stop defending mercenaries.

reply to post by Naphariel

what seems interesting to me is how that thing reflects light in one frame... the surface is too reflective to be an RPG, so personally i'd go with an aluminium tripod.

Unless of course, thats the targeting lens.

Look guys, all I'm saying is that in a battlefield environment, these guys are responsible for keep certain areas secure. In a sittuation like this, they have to have a killer instinct and act fast. They requested all of they're engagements and did their jobs. I really don't see how you all can sit back, watching this on youtube and cast judgment on something you know nothing about.

well this news (Al Jazeera) shows the video from wikileaks and speak with the editer

im not sure if it was posted as i had not seen the whole thread as of yet
my apologies if it has been

WATCH: WikiLeaks editor Assange being interviewed by Al Jazeera English:



[edit on 5-4-2010 by Wolfenz]

First off, a previous poster said, "they lied about the weapons". When did they do that? From a low resolution screen like the ones used here, a large camera could be easily mistaken as a weapon.

If I didn't know the pretext to this, I would have guessed they were insurgents too. So don't sit here and be all couch commando, when you have friends constantly dying from IED's, you're put on edge. When there's a big chance you'll die, you're put on edge. And when you see people who look like insurgents carrying what looks like weapons, you're going to want to shoot them to prevent them from acting out whatever they were planning.

It just so happens, that this was friendly fire. It's happened before, in many other conflicts around the world. It's horrible and the people in charge should take responsiblity for what happened here.

But let's not forget, these are soldiers, they're not perfect. We can sit around and hate on them all day, it still doesn't change the fact that they're exactly like you and I put in a very bad situation.

reply to post by fordrew


I do not find that strange. The insurgents in Iraq are the same insurgents that are participating in suicide bombings of crowded public areas in Iraq and, likely, elsewhere. Do you think they carry out those attacks by looking like insurgents and acting like Westerners expect insurgents to act in conflict, or possibly by blending in and appearing completely innocuous.

WASHINGTON -- A senior U.S. military official has confirmed as authentic a gritty war video circulating on the Internet that shows U.S. forces firing repeatedly on a group of men - some of whom were unarmed - as they walk down a Baghdad street.

www.seattlepi.com...

These are the perfect police officers trained unthinking no feelings thugs, to heard the sheeple Coming to a city or town near you soon

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Yes, but only the Americans sold the world a "clean" or "chirurgical" war! War is always disgusting and always kills innocent people.

Originally posted by BeastMaster2012
Ok now the question is will anyone else pick this up? I am guessing none of the big MSM news agencies will pick it up, but will Russia Today?!?

How messed up will that be if it takes Russia Today to release this and no one else will talk about it.

The news has hit the BBC.

news.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by jeanne75018


No my friend blame the lying corrupt poltiticions, NOT the American people.

[edit on 5-4-2010 by Rising Against]

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
If you have to drastically alter the magnification and play speed on a video to make the reality of the situation visible and plausible to the viewer, then it is completely inappropriate to expect anyone making a snap call in real time to see what you're seeing. Again, IT'S WAR. Would you expect the soldiers jump on a PA system if there's any ambiguity and say "Uhm, we're not sure what you're carrying down there. Mind holding it up so we can see it clearly and then stand there while we analyze what we've seen as if we were browsing the footage on the internet? Thank you!" Another question, would you rather they had erred on the side of caution, made a mistake, and then been killed themselves?

That's exactly the point though.

They weren't sure there was even a threat. There are ROE for a reason.. although it seems not to matter anymore. sadly.

So everyone here is over-analyzing this.. slowing down video etc, and there is STILL skepticism about what they are actually seeing - so how is it even remotely possible the soldiers (in a snap situation as you say) are able to determine a threat exists severe enough to justify blowing away 15 people including 2 kids when they don't even have capability to do so !?

When you hear that one guy say "it looks like he's got an RPG" does that sound definitive to you?

I'm not starting an argument here, just responding to what you're saying.

As for "erring on the side of caution rather than making a mistake and getting blown away" --- where do you get the sense that they were in any danger whatsoever?

NOWHERE in the video do you see any of those people on the ground firing, and it's already been mentioned that the choppers could have been beyond enemy weapon range.

Again:

No enemy fire.

No proof there was any threat.

Just footage of a good 'ol "sweep and kill"

KILL being the operative word. MURDER maybe a better one.

just my .02

You asshats trying to defend this should watch the video , the murdering-liberty-freedom-troops had a damn murder-hard-on.

It´s quite obvious , but of course I know some of you couch warriors will have no problem analyzing this so the liberty-freedom-massacre-killing babies from a safe distance-troops come out on top.

No wonder people hate the US , do this to me or anyone I know and I would hunt you down to the edge of the universe or die trying.

What a sick, perverted, degenerate country the US has turned into.

Disgusting.

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
Alright, the last several pages of this thread are providing a classic example of the ridiculousness of non-soldiers attempting to analyze the actions of soldiers in a theater of battle.

I'm seeing comments like:
"If you slow the video down, you can see..."
"If you magnify the video, it becomes apparent..."
"If you pause the video here, then clearly..."

Where are the guns and weapons in this video then burdman?

Are all cars Weapons for driving down the street?

Where is the confusion in this evidense?



Elf

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
reply to post by burdman30ott6

 

If this is the case why suppress the video?

*SNIP*

And if I may ask on a practical level ... whilst it is true that hindsight can often be 20/20 (though not always so), am I incorrect that the soldiers piloting and firing were seeing the events with their own eyes and not through a video screen? If so, the idea that we have the luxury of hindsight is flawed for they had the best view of all.

This very thread is why you suppress the video. It's troops coming home from Vietnam and having crap thrown on them while being called "babykillers" all over again. There is a growing minority of "Americans" who will take any incident whatsoever and use it as mad bomber ammo against the troops and against the nation as a whole. Why give them the chance without at least attempting to keep it from them?

The human eyeball is still not capable of zooming in, reqinding, slow motion, or pausing. My statement about evidence being worthless in regards to snap warfare decisions if it must be manipulated to be visable still stands proudly and unaltered by me.

reply to post by Frontkjemper


I completely agree that some are a little quick to judge the initial action. It seems like a fairly honest mistake. I sure thought I saw weapons and I'm using a 24 inch monitor. I have no idea what the display in an Apache looks like, and I highly doubt anyone here does either. The main issue I have is that the van was fired upon and that the video was suppressed.

Originally posted by MajinRoshi
I really don't see how you all can sit back, watching this on youtube and cast judgment on something you know nothing about.

The whole war is on the basis of a lie. I can easily sit back here and condemn these guys for their actions. The whole US military and anyone that supports them. Including members of my own countries military and government.

Should not even be there.

The excuse for even being there in the first place was pretty damn flimsy. 1.2 million civilians later and you've got yourself a genocide my friend.

These aren't just any guys that died. This is the press. Clear evidence the US military killed members of the press and then suppressed and denied it. Who cares what the soldiers themselves were thinking? They're just pawns.

But wait, what about the investigation after this event? What about the statements on the video that were certainly not very sincere and seemed false where these soldiers lied about the incident even though they would have known after the fact they have killed journalists.

How many times were these guys questioned?

Finally: