US Army liberating Iraqis...

US Army liberating Iraqis...

Just had this video brought to my attention.

It shows two American Apache helicopters firing on a group of Iraqis gathered in the street. Fascinating, but be warned, not easy viewing.el grapadura2010-04-07 17:12:10

Communist.

No surprises there from the Worldwide Peace keepers!

Team America - World Police.

Long lens SLR = RPG  - oh yeah?

Don't understand why they thought there was a threat from a minivan taking the wounded of the street.

But youtube is full of videos of air strikes from afar in Iraq. I like to see the detailed defence of their actions, as they claim were acceptable, under their rules of engagement.

Interesting to see how well conditioned US military personel are in dehumanising their opposition, as throughout the soundtrack they are more concerned about actually getting to pull the trigger than they are in confirmining their targets are hostile.

If you listen to the commentary just before they open fire, the pilot/gunner is saying we can't confirm whether they have weapons, tthe view is then blocked by the buildings but confirmation comes through from command they can open fire - once they have them in view, they are no longer concerned whether there are weapons and open fire.

The even more concerning incident is 'willing' the injured to pull a weapon so they could kill him off. They weren't willing to open fire on him - until the van comes to pick up the wounded, then they open up with the guns.

There was absolutely no reasoning as to why the mini-van was a target - and why it presented a further threat.
ginger_eejit2010-04-07 20:51:52

Even I can tell that that was a camera and not an RPG.
There was no reason to shoot that van.
I hate americans.

Anyone remember what this war was really about?Stefan2010-04-07 20:56:32

There was an American stand up comedian who said a few years ago: "What I can't understand is how OUR oil got under THEIR land"

Tbh, there was one moment where one of them looked like the had an RPG.

Have any of you seen the program on Nat Geo called 'Carrier'? Follows an aircraft carrier on its way to Iraq and back. They spend months and months practising everything, missing their families, and when they get the not a single jet even fires a weapon.

The second someone gets a chance to fire, with this kind of pressure (I understand Carriers don't have anything to do with Apaches btw...) I can see why they take the first chance to fire.

Not condoning what they did, just some food for though.

Americans also seem to have a penchant for "blue on blue" as well.

you guys all realise this latest footage is from an incident in 2007 when everyone frm the ground up had a slightly diff viewpoint of shoot first ask questions later. I'm anti the war and have been frm the start but the basic grunts were being manged back then by officials all full of righteous confidence

being manged?

 Gung ho US forces.. playing it fast and loose with rules of engagement, cocooned in hi-tech Apaches, firing on these civilians from the best part of a kilometre away... far removed from the reality of the destruction they have wrought and the responsibility for needless lives lost that hangs over their heads.
Tragic but all-too-frequent occurence.

Not quite mate, they're only a nicely placed RPG away.Michael2010-04-07 22:05:18

Possible, but unlikely, Michael. I think you'll find RPGs have a max effective range of about 1000m.
You can hear the Apache's chain gun cannon firing and see on the display the shells striking quite a bit later. In fact, the cannon's effective range is about 1500m, but can target up to 4000m. You will see they seldom hover but circle from a safe distance away.
The weapons aiming system makes it look close but they are quite a long way away.

If they are , say 1km away, (which I agree they can be...) surely they're circling the men on the ground too quickly? (To be that far away)Michael2010-04-07 23:07:58

The weapons guidance system, once locked on and targets acquired, maintains the civilians in the crosshairs, even though the helicopter's moving fast and possibly not even toward them.

Perhaps the thread should more accurately be called  "US Army Securing Oil Reserves ...and Don't Get in the Way"

Watching the video was like watching some war themed FPS, can easily see why they have no empathy as it just seems like a game to them.

i read something about this. werent they journalists/cameramen working for reuters?

i imagine there are countless videos like this

Yes two of the men shot were. This one is very graphic, as it is such good quality and so close up and personal.

You hate over 300m people?

Damn right. Nobody should be that tall.

The Apaches were 1.3km away - you can see that on the HUD.

Yep, two of the killed worked for Reuters.

In fact it was Reuters lobbying for the public release of the video, which is why we've only seen it now although all this took place in 2007.

Cheers EG.Thanks for the..heads up.

Oh ok. Point taken.

In the Wikileaks video it says the US Military denied knowing what killed the journalists and others in this incident.

It is now plain to all the world who and what killed them.

Will the US be held responsible? Perhaps Reuters will take a case against the US Military on behalf of its slain workers and their families.

Not just the ones living in the US

Lots of great people come from the USA, it's just the ones who stay there who give it a bad name.

I should really have narrowed it down to Supporters of the war and politicians.

You do know who developed that little thing called the internet, don't you?........

Tim Berners-Lee ~ British, working at CERN.

=)

Anyway, when an Arab country does in fact create nuclear missiles, we'll see how many anti military dick heads face up to reality.

I hope it doesn't come to that.

 Diplomacy is always preferrable.
At the end of the day though if the US doesn't stop them, Israel will.
Because the Israelis know where they'll do their first live test...

I hope it doesn't come to that.

Diplomacy doesn't work. Look at Iran. Look at North Korea.

Look at Amercia.

no diplomacy or rule of law. Overwhelming force before 'negotiations/bribery' every time. Diplomacy won't work whilst our side refuses to enter into it.

Elaborate?

No Arab country is anywhere near developing that kind of technology.