Old Story but I'd never seen this version - Collateral Murder - Commentary

I'd never seen the commentary of the video only the plain thing. Also does anyone know the official response to this? It was a huge deal on the net back when it first came out but I never watched it until very recently. Are we as the American people so blinded?



As they say in the video the first time could just be a mistake, the second time...not so much.

Then the extended clip, there was a pedestrian clearly involved. Sickening.

When the "Good Samaritan" got cut to pieces right in full view of his children I almost hurled.

Winning of the hearts and minds I suppose.

reply to post by Hessling


Very much so. The approval rating is so good you know.

But anyways it is horrible. I probably should have warned about Graphic content. Then again the video does that itself.

Well that's 25 minutes of the most disturbing video footage I've ever seen.

Shame on those service men..I hope they go to prison for life.

Being raised in a military family I know for a fact you can absolutely refuse an order, and absolutely there are consequences for refusing an order. To take so many lifes with such abandonment is inhuman. To cheer your buddies on for committing murder is..well..I guess human nature..truly sad.

And the guy that leaked this footage, a sad story in itself..is being tortured as we speak..because he had a conscience..which is more than I can say for those barbarians that killed those men on the video.

reply to post by Stovokor


I heard the UN was doing a investigation into how the US treated Manning. Apparently we're getting called out on Torture, who knew.

Originally posted by Stovokor
Shame on those service men..I hope they go to prison for life.

Originally posted by Stovokor
Being raised in a military family.....

Being a dependant doesn't mean you know what it's like being in combat.

Originally posted by Stovokor
....I know for a fact you can absolutely refuse an order, and absolutely there are consequences for refusing an order.

Sort of. You can refuse an unlawful order, but do you know the whole story, or just what this video is telling you? The after-action report is (or at least was) online. It tells the whole story about the fighting that was going on a few streets away, and that when troops arrived at the site and found AKs and RPGs.

Originally posted by Stovokor
To cheer your buddies on for committing murder is..well..I guess human nature..truly sad.

You don't murder in combat, you kill. Big difference.

Originally posted by Stovokor
And the guy that leaked this footage, a sad story in itself..is being tortured as we speak..because he had a conscience..which is more than I can say for those barbarians that killed those men on the video.

Tortured? Give me a break.

reply to post by jerico65

The after-action report is (or at least was) online. It tells the whole story about the fighting that was going on a few streets away, and that when troops arrived at the site and found AKs and RPGs.

Do I need to post the testimony from the soldiers on site that they felt horrible about what they are doing? Because it exists.

You don't murder in combat, you kill. Big difference.

No you kill enemy combatants. It is murder or if you want a lighter term manslaughter to kill innocent civilians. I know it happens in war but it shouldn't. It is a blatant disregard for human life and should not be tolerated. It is manslaughter when it's an accident, isn't that how the law looks at it here? How about the extended clip when it was clearly murder. He was walked down the sidewalk ffs.

Tortured? Give me a break.

The official UN investigation (as much as I hate the UN) says that the US may in fact be mistreating Bradly Manning due to the fact that we wouldn't let the investigator see him. It seems very suspicious. He shouldn't be in jail in the first place.

The United Nations chief torture investigator said the United States was violating U.N. rules, after the country denied him unmonitored access to Bradley Manning, the Army private charged with leaking among other things classified diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. Last April, as we reported, the U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendéz expressed similar concerns, saying the United States would only allow a "private" visit rather than an "official" visit and also denied him the chance to visit Manning unsupervised.

Originally posted by drew1749
Do I need to post the testimony from the soldiers on site that they felt horrible about what they are doing? Because it exists.

I'm certain that they did. I'm saying that the AAR said weapons were found at the site afterwards (of course, all the rocket scientists on ATS will say they were planted). The crews in the Apaches weren't out trying to shoot kids in a van.

Originally posted by drew1749
No you kill enemy combatants. It is murder or if you want a lighter term manslaughter to kill innocent civilians. I know it happens in war but it shouldn't. It is a blatant disregard for human life and should not be tolerated. It is manslaughter when it's an accident, isn't that how the law looks at it here? How about the extended clip when it was clearly murder. He was walked down the sidewalk ffs.

Yep, and they saw a crowd with weapons, and they already had troops in contact a few streets over. So, what were they suppose to think that these guys were? I saw guys with AKs and at least one RPG; were the guys in the Apache suppose to wait until they were fired upon, or maybe after some US troops were killed?

Originally posted by drew1749
The official UN investigation (as much as I hate the UN) says that the US may in fact be mistreating Bradly Manning due to the fact that we wouldn't let the investigator see him. It seems very suspicious. He shouldn't be in jail in the first place.

So, not seeing his lawyer unmonitored is considered torture? What about him not getting Dove bars for breakfast; is that torture, too?

And yes, this guy should be in jail. He leaked info after being trusted by the US Military to protect classified information.

reply to post by jerico65

I'm certain that they did. I'm saying that the AAR said weapons were found at the site afterwards (of course, all the rocket scientists on ATS will say they were planted). The crews in the Apaches weren't out trying to shoot kids in a van.

Where did they find these weapons? Also the rocket scientists on ATS are actually pretty smart. It saddens me that you would insult their intelligence but that's unrelated. No they weren't trying to but they did. They killed two kids and two journalists. How do you justify that?

Yep, and they saw a crowd with weapons, and they already had troops in contact a few streets over. So, what were they suppose to think that these guys were? I saw guys with AKs and at least one RPG; were the guys in the Apache suppose to wait until they were fired upon, or maybe after some US troops were killed?

It is noted in the video that nobody was clearly identified as a combatant. They made a educated guess to blow some kids and some journalists away. Not very educated if you ask me. You saw an RPG? Really because it was clearly a camera.

So, not seeing his lawyer unmonitored is considered torture? What about him not getting Dove bars for breakfast; is that torture, too? And yes, this guy should be in jail. He leaked info after being trusted by the US Military to protect classified information.

It is according to UN law. It just seems suspicious. Very likely he is being tortured. You know our policy don't you? As for him deserving to be in jail. I disagree but that is highly up to debate.

"YOU WERE TOLD SECRETS THAT YOU FOUND MORALLY WRONG YOU HAVE TO KEEP THEM" I don't feel like it should work that way man. God forbid we have some good troops speak out about the horrible things we do and cover up. Do you think this would be as big of a deal if the pentagon hadn't hushed this up? They didn't want us to see the clip. How many clips similar to this do you think we have?

Originally posted by drew1749
Where did they find these weapons? Also the rocket scientists on ATS are actually pretty smart. It saddens me that you would insult their intelligence but that's unrelated. No they weren't trying to but they did. They killed two kids and two journalists. How do you justify that?

The weapons were found at the site where the journalists were schwacked.

Insult their intelligence? Hmmm....pot, meet kettle. Anytime on ATS when a vet that's actually been in combat brings up fighting, the basement dwelling rocket scientists try to shout them down.To sum it up: I've actually been in combat, but I don't know anything compared to them.

How do you justify it? Well, the journalists were running with the wrong crowd, and someone else decided it was "Bring your kids to war day" at school. Doesn't make it any easier, but mistakes happened on both sides.

Originally posted by drew1749
It is noted in the video that nobody was clearly identified as a combatant. They made a educated guess to blow some kids and some journalists away. Not very educated if you ask me. You saw an RPG? Really because it was clearly a camera.

Dudes walking around in the open with AKs. All in civilian clothing, which is what the insurgents love to wear. Doesn't take a really big educated guess to think they were the enemy. And yes, I saw one guy with an RPG, and the AAR states they were found at the site.

Originally posted by drew1749
It is according to UN law. It just seems suspicious.

Tragedy. He can't see his lawyer unsupervised and it's "torture". Whatever.

Originally posted by drew1749
Very likely he is being tortured. You know our policy don't you?

Got proof he's being tortured, or is it just an "educated guess"?

Originally posted by drew1749
"YOU WERE TOLD SECRETS THAT YOU FOUND MORALLY WRONG YOU HAVE TO KEEP THEM" I don't feel like it should work that way man. God forbid we have some good troops speak out about the horrible things we do and cover up. Do you think this would be as big of a deal if the pentagon hadn't hushed this up? They didn't want us to see the clip. How many clips similar to this do you think we have?

Sorry, sport, that doesn't cut it. If Manning was getting his panties in a bunch over things, he could have gone to the JAG, Base Legal, the IG or a bunch of other organizations in the military that would do an investigation. Contrary to what you read on ATS, the military doesn't take a suspected criminal act lightly and it would be looked into.

Instead, Manning decided to leak this video and countless other bits of information to wiki-leaks. And now, he's in prison whining about why he's not being treated as a hero.