Wikileaks Trying to Release Yet More U.S. Military Footage

On April 5, 2010, WikiLeaks released a classified U.S. military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad on July 12, 2007 -- including two Reuters news staff. The video, which became news worldwide, is the product of countless volunteer hours, help from military sources, and monetary donations. As part of a process of its meticulous reporting, Wikileaks sent reporters to the Baghdad neighborhood where the attack took place, tracking down two children who were injured in the gunfight which killed their father. The investigation cost $50,000.

There is more. Sources have also given WikiLeaks an encrypted military video from a May 2009 attack in western Afghanistan which killed over 100 civilians, including many women and children, through bombs. The U.S. Military has said it would release the video, but it has not.

WikiLeaks, which has successfully decrypted the footage, is currently devoting intensive resources to provide context to the footage, including tracking down witnesses and military experts. But this is expensive.

spot.us...

Wow, so it looks like they have more footage from a different attack now but it seems as though obtaining required funding is becoming more and more difficult for them.

They are asking for donations as well as this recent piece of footage was particularly expensive to obtain.

But this also sounds like IMO to be worse than the recent video they released.

Thoughts??

[edit on 6-4-2010 by Rising Against]

Just found this from a different news source as well.

On Monday, Wikileaks plans to show classified video of a 2009 U.S. military air strike in Afghanistan that reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of civilians.

Existence of the video is no secret. In May 2009, Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, told National Public Radio that the military planned to show part of it in a press briefing. The footage, military officials said, would prove that the Taliban deliberately tried to draw U.S. fire onto buildings crowded with innocent civilians.

That video was never shown. Now Wikileaks claims it has “cracked the encryption” of a copy it obtained. And it says the video will show proof of a “Pentagon murder-coverup.”

Read More Here

[edit on 6-4-2010 by Rising Against]

I found the April 5 video extremely disturbing but watched it through because only then could I properly form an opinion on it. These acts are being done in my name as well as every other American. I'm not proud of it and I worry that one day these videos could be of American's in the USA.

If Wikileaks release any more, I will watch those as well and add my voice to the thunderous call to cease and desist the aggression.

Originally posted by Rising Against
Just found this from a different news source as well.

The footage, military officials said, would prove that the Taliban deliberately tried to draw U.S. fire onto buildings crowded with innocent civilians.

Isn't that kind of a "b*tch made me hit her" excuse?

[edit on 6-4-2010 by JohnnyCanuck]

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


You're forgetting........

That video was never shown. Now Wikileaks claims it has “cracked the encryption” of a copy it obtained. And it says the video will show proof of a “Pentagon murder-coverup.”

[edit on 6-4-2010 by Rising Against]

Originally posted by Rising Against
reply to post by JohnnyCanuck

 

You're forgetting........

That video was never shown. Now Wikileaks claims it has “cracked the encryption” of a copy it obtained. And it says the video will show proof of a “Pentagon murder-coverup.”

Given the current discussion, I've no doubt.

reply to post by JohnJasper


I agree, I found it actually quite hard to watch myself as well, especially as the soldiers were practically begging to shoot up the van for example. (Even though it posed absolutely no thread whatsoever)

It's even sadder that I’ve not seen it on the news yet, only on the website when I went looking for it which is better than nothing I guess but it does still deserve at least a say on television for all to see.

The April 5th video was on the front page of www.cnn.com around 7:30 EST. Now it seems to have disappeared? I would both like and hate to see another video. As a youth of America these videos drive me insane, the fact that we actually let this happen. Just thinking about how many videos like these have "never happened" makes me sick.

[edit on 6-4-2010 by sparky8251]

reply to post by JohnJasper

 

It's even sadder that I’ve not seen it on the news yet, only on the website when I went looking for it which is better than nothing I guess but it does still deserve at least a say on television for all to see.

Are you referring to the WikiLeaks video from April 5? Because it has been on CNN, Yahoo, BBC, FoxNews, HuffingtonPost, WashingtonPost and everywhere else in the world yesterday...

Earlier when this was news about being released, someone claimed that on the date the government would find a way to make sure it was not seen as much as it could be. I think the mine blasts did a pretty good job of hiding the video. I would love to see which major news networks showed it.

I did not see anything about it on CNN or Foxnews. I missed it by a day I guess.

I am truly physically sickened by what I have been seeing. I have friends and family in the military deployed to these areas, and now there is more video of the atrocities being conducted by our own troops. My heart goes out to the families of those murdered at the hands of these evil people. How do we stop them?

It still on CNN videos and news

edition.cnn.com...

One of the most popular news!

Originally posted by JohnJasper
These acts are being done in my name as well as every other American. I'm not proud of it and I worry that one day these videos could be of American's in the USA.

I think ur exactly right
when civilians become terrorists
then ALL humanity suffers

the real terrorists are the ones forcing
these young soldiers to commit
these heinous acts.

What have we become?
and how do we stop it???

God help us, please

reply to post by mazmike


Thanks for the link, you can't find it unless you know where to look.

They are hiding it in plain site. You can watch it but you know what you are looking for.

This is deplorable, absolutely disgusting. The horrific aspect isn't what we can see, it's what we haven't seen.

This is murder. Cold, calculated murder.

reply to post by Mythtified


I'm afraid where i am i haven't seen it on the news once.

It's been full of crap like tiger woods and Gordon Brown calling the election today.

reply to post by Pajjikor



It's on the main page, most popular news on the right side, and in the highlighted section in the middle, video from bottom right section

The BBC News site had a link to the story, but I never saw or heard any mention of the story on their TV broadcasts. And by this morning even the link had disappeared. So a very feeble effort to cover it. More concerned about Samcams dress code.

You can find National coverage here in Canada from CBC in english and RDI in french . here the cbc link

www.cbc.ca...

You know, I can't say what winds me up more: the disgusting behaviour of the soldiers (mistaking cameras for weapons and then calling in that they've seen people with "AK-47s" - a ridiculous accuracy level for something they just made up) or Reuters' vile apologia.

From the CNN story linked above:

And Reuters said the deaths of Chmagh and Noor-Eldeen "were tragic and emblematic of the extreme dangers that exist in covering war zones."

"We continue to work for journalist safety and call on all involved parties to recognise the important work that journalists do and the extreme danger that photographers and video journalists face in particular," David Schlesinger, the wire service's editor-in-chief, said in a statement released to CNN.

"The video released today via WikiLeaks is graphic evidence of the dangers involved in war journalism and the tragedies that can result."

I'd say it was graphic evidence that trigger-happy idiots are on the loose in Iraq. I'd say that it was evidence that their chain of command made no effort to do anything other than ensure that US ground forces were out of harm's way (good job there were no other country's troops in the area, or there might have been still more "friendly fire" deaths).

I'd say Reuters' response falls a long way short of what's required to protect their people.