In a few days it will be July 12th, marking the 11-year memorial or "anniversary" of the "Collateral Murder" massacre that occurred in Iraq on July 12, 2007. A US airstrike from Apache helicopters murdered a dozen people in the streets of Baghdad.
Source
The US claimed those killed were anti-Iraqi forces or insurgents, but this wasn't the case. Why did they attack in the first place? A weapon was allegedly seen. The reality is that there was no weapon. This was the justification for this massacre of Iraqi civilians.
The weapon that was allegedly "seen" was a rocket-launcher. They mistook a camera for a rocket-launcher:
Source1, Source2
A Reuters journalist named Namir Noor-Eldeen, one of the most respected Reuters employees in Baghdad, was among those attacked. Along with his driver, Saeed Chmagh, and several others. Saleh Matasher Tomal, a driver who was trying to help those unjustly attacked and injured, was also attacked by the helicopter. His van was bombarded with bullets, and his two children who were in the van were also injured.
This is what the van looked like after the attack:
Source
After the attack, a military investigation found no wrongdoing on the part of the soldiers. Obviously. It was all above board and within the law of armed conflict, they said. It followed the "Rules of Engagement".
Before Wikileaks released the "Collateral Murder" video, Reuters had tried but failed to get the video through the Freedom of Information Act. The video shows the slaying of civilians, and the continual attack upon them even after they were injured.
We wouldn't even know about any of this if it weren't for whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, now know as Chelsea Manning. Manning leaked the footage of the attack to WikiLeaks who published it for the world to see in 2010. Manning was charged as a traitor for exposing government and military wrongdoings. He was sent to 35 years in prison under the Espionage Act. In 2017, President Obama commuted the sentence and Manning was released from prison in May 2017.
Videos
Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq (short version, 17m)
Wikileaks leaked video of Civilians killed in Baghdad - Full video (39m)
WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord
If you've never watched the video, you should. It's pretty horrible, and you get to hear the mindset of these murderous soldiers, with jovial and laughing comments from those doing the murdering of innocent civilians.
Here are some transcripts of the event:
Source
03:23 All right, hahaha, I hit [shot] 'em...
The area is caked in dust after the 30-mm machine gun attack from the Apache helicopter. These are huge bullets.
30 mm rounds being loaded into an AH-64D Longbow Apache
This is the size relative to someone's hand:
A 30mm round
When a van comes along to help people, they don't want that to happen, those people that are helping others must be evil too! They claim that there were weapons, and beg to be allowed to engage and shoot the van that is helping people they just shot up.
07:18 Bushmaster; Crazyhorse. We have individuals going to the scene, looks like possibly uh picking up bodies and weapons.
07:25 Let me engage.
07:28 Can I shoot?
07:31 Roger. Break. Uh Crazyhorse One-Eight request permission to uh engage.
07:36 Picking up the wounded?
07:38 Yeah, we're trying to get permission to engage.
07:41 Come on, let us shoot!
The military had this video, and knew what happened. But when Reuters asked how their staff members were killed, the military did not tell them. THe military even said they didn't know how the children were injured. Seriously? It seems pretty clear to anyone who watches the video that a helicopter was firing bullets at a van that was helping innocent people.
Even the transcripts show that they knew there were children involved at the time. Of course, these pathetic men blamed the innocent people were shooting at.
17:46 Well it's their fault for bringing their kids into a battle.
17:48 That's right.
Yes, that's right, how dare parents be allowed to transport their children in a van and help others who are being attacked and murdered by the invading military force of the US? How dare they...
One more transcript of these "good boys" enjoying the carnage they unleashed on innocent Iraqis:
36:53 There it goes! Look at that bitch go!
36:56 Patoosh!
37:03 Ah, sweet.
37:07 Need a little more room.
37:09 Nice missile.
37:11 Does it look good?
37:12 Sweet!
They sound like great bunch of guys, right? Freedom is great, isn't it? Let's keep supporting the demented governments and the military-industrial-pharma-banking complex. We're going to make a fucking great world this way!
We only know of this one incident, on this one day. Crimes like this are plenty, according to U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord who said about the "Collateral Murder" video:
"If this video disgusts you, it should. It happens daily in Iraq. The rules of engagement in Iraq are a joke."
We're being lied to, constantly. They try to deny or justify their crimes until they get exposed with facts, like the "Collateral Murder" video has done.
Source
The US has gone on to invade and occupy other areas of the Middle-East. Some posed a threat to US hegemony, like Libya's Qaddafi who wanted to get onto a gold-standard monetary system. Others are just obstacles to a globalist-socialist New World Order. In 11 years, things have kept crawling along towards this plan, and innocent people like those in Syria fall prey to the tyranny of the new conquistador global domination agenda.
References:
- Collateral Murder - wikileaks
- July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike
- Wikileaks reveals video showing US air crew shooting down Iraqi civilians
- Collateral Murder Stills
- Collateral Murder Transcript
- Collateral Murder Resources
- Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq
- Wikileaks leaked video of Civilians killed in Baghdad - Full video
- WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord
Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.
If you appreciate and value the content, please consider: Upvoting, Sharing or Reblogging below.
me for more content to come!
My goal is to share knowledge, truth and moral understanding in order to help change the world for the better. If you appreciate and value what I do, please consider supporting me as a Steem Witness by voting for me at the bottom of the Witness page.
Real heroes look like Bradley Manning, not like G.I Joe.
Thanks for another great entry @krnel, and this event is what put Wikileaks on the map for many people. The timing of this post and the anniversary is impeccable, most people have only seen the edited versions, I recently watched the full 30 minute video and realized that I had never seen the footage of the missiles shot at the building and the pedestrian walking by at the same time.
The Orwell quote should resonate with a lot of people as it's true, we're constantly being lied to and tptb are constantly shaping how we see the world around us.
V
You're welcome, glad to shed some light on this issue that is still a hidden reality of our modern history. The timing lined up well for me to post it for the #deepdives entry ;)
I’ve seen the videos before and can’t bring myself to watch them again. However, I think it is important that we never forget. That we never forget how circumstances can turn perfectly decent human beings into hardened and heartless executioners and that we must make it our mission to denounce these circumstances and to prevent them from unfolding in the first place. That we never forget the price Manning had to pay for what was an act of integrity and courage. That we never forget the toll on Assange for acting according to his convictions. That we never forget how whistleblowers are prosecuted and persecuted. That we never forget the self-sacrifice of these men and women for the higher good. Thanks @krnel for reminding us.
Yes, don't forget the evil that's committed in the false name or "good" :/
By all means!
Yet another tragedy already forgotten. Actually, how many tragic events can we commit to memory? We have witnessed far too many over the past decades. Those in power thrive on our limited collective memory. We wouldn't have Syria and Yemen today if every single person remembered and was outraged of every single atrocity perpetrated in the name of national interests, security, democracy.
Indeed, because most are ignorant of the reality, it can't be stopped. Knowledge empowers understanding and the need to make things change.
This is a perfect example of why I can't thank soldiers for "fighting" for my freedom. I can't think of where this has been the case in most of their operations, and the few that might have are also questionable as possible retaliation for false flag events.
Yeah, it's such a lame excuse to support them "they fight for our freedom"... no not really... they are disposable pawns in a chess board and fighting to establish certain agendas ...
Had seen these around 2010 and almost forgotten. So sad to watch. Its like a computer game for the people not on the ground. They have completely removed the humanity of their victims in their minds.
We need to end war, but as long as there are governments there will be wars, so we really need to end government.
Absolutely, it looks like a shooter and they act like it's all a game for fun :/ War is only good for making some people richer :/
i cannot watch the video. the purport of it should shock me but the cynic tells me otherwise. i can only feel for the people who died such a horrific death. i cannot imagine sitting in a van and waiting for those hammering bullets to take our lives. governments are heedlessly cruel and ambitious governments are the worst of all. in today's world, conflicts are orchestrated and the casualty is always an innocent human being.
The romans killed millions in the name of bringing peace to savage lands. Even today there are countries with territorial ambitions, invest in economic terrorism and create internal chaos. when will it end?
When ppl want to know and act as one to stop supporting this on behalf of our nations...
Saw that transcripted video a long time ago...made me think of those video games that kids and adults alike love so much. That's how manipulated we are of their shit.
Any healthy individual should be able to separate video games from reality though.
Ideally.
The psyche of those healthy indiduals will be hard to qualify, esp when already are addicted to video games from childhood. One of those videos in this post made me think of those video games. And the people involved, are they even remorseful?
This is the society the world is in. And i don't see it abating. Do you?
Despite the worldwide violence of governments, overall violent crime is trending down, wealth is trending up, and technological progress out[aces governmental ability to regulate or co-opt it. Things are looking up in the long run.
People have been blaming video games for the ills of society for years, but people literally firebombed civilian population centers, lobbed rockets willy-nilly, and dropped two nukes before the invention of Pong. Drone bombings, helicopter gunship assaults, and the like are tragedies, but don't make them out to be bigger than they really are in scale.
Yes, it's like a video game shooter for them, exactly.
Exactly my point.
After going through this post i am not in an mood to describe because it's just merciless and people whom we think as protectors and great people they are the real cruelty actors and they kill people just like someone is playing games and this will happen because we all are slaves and we don't want to rise. After watching this post i can say one thing as good luck world and want to appeal the nature to take our the whole world because we don't deserve on this beautiful planet.
Yes, we';re failing to live up to a higher moral potential as a species :/
Very true.
This is totally informative and at the same time sad...
The world needs nothing but peace
Thanks for sharing; much love @joyart
Yes it's sad, but should be known by all :/
Curated for #informationwar (by @openparadigm)
Our purpose is to encourage posts discussing Information War, Propaganda, Disinformation and other false narratives. We currently have over 7,500 Steem Power and 20+ people following the curation trail to support our mission.
Join our discord and chat with 150+ fellow Informationwar Activists.
Connect with fellow Informationwar writers in our Roll Call! InformationWar - Contributing Writers/Supporters: Roll Call Pt 8
Ways you can help the @informationwar
There are many things to know about your blog
Whether it will be forever cruel politics ?
Makes us wonder how often events like this take place that we never hear about. We support our soldiers expecting them to act like soldiers, not like maniacal killers. I still support our troops, but there must be justice for our military committing murder like this. @ironshield