Thursday, April 8, 2010

WikiLeaks Exposes Pentagon Video Of Reuters Journalists Killed In Baghdad By U.S. Apache Holicopter Crew In 2007

Top photo shows journalist carrying camera on his side.

The video shows the 2007 airstrike in Iraq that killed (bottom photos) Saeed Chmagh, 40, a Reuters driver, left, and Namir Noor-Eldeen, 22, a Reuters photographer.

In 2007, the Army had told Reuters, they didn't know how 12 civilians including two Reuters employees had been shot

By H. Nelson Goodson
April 8, 2010
Updated: April 11. 2010

Washington D.C. -On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates during the ABC News "This Week" program interview backed the Crazy Horse crew of the Apache holicopter who fired at 12 civilians including two Reuters journalist killing them in 2007. Gates confirmed they were unarmed and that the Apache crew were working on split minute decisions. But, Gates never elaborated why the crew decided to get permission to fire at the civilians when in fact non of them even threaten the crew and seemed not to noticed the Crazy Horse crew hovering over them.
On April 5,  Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor released a classified Pentagon video "Collateral Murder" during a press conference at the National Press Club, showing the crew of an Apache holicopter shooting at civilians believed to be insurgents. The 12 civilians killed included two Iraqi Reuters employees, Saeed Chmagh, 40, a Reuters driver, and Namir Noor-Eldeen, 22, a Reuters photographer. 
The video clearly shows, unarmed people with children in a van who later stop to help the wounded journalist were also shot with the 30 mm guns by the crew of the Apache holicopter. Two children survived the attack.
The Apache holicopter was identified as the "Crazy Horse" crew, who suspected the group of individuals gathered at an open center square at the New Baghdad area were armed with AK-47 assault rifles and Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers (RPGs) on July 12, 2007. The crew mistakenly identified journalist cameras as weapons, but later an investigation confirmed all the civilians were unarmed and had not notified the U.S. armed forces they were in the area.
The U.S. ground soldiers who later arrived at the scene never mentioned that any weapons were found, according to the Pentagon video. An official at the Pentagon confirmed the video's authenticity.
During the video from the Apache holicopter, non of the civilians engaged or provoked any form of attack against the Crazy Horse crew.
In 2007, the Army tried to cover up the incident when Reuters had attempted to get information and the video released, but the Army contended they didn't know how the civilians were shot.
The classified video was turned over anonymously to WikiLeaks, a group engaged in exposing astrosoties by the military.

WikiLeaks full Pentagon video of the Baghdad attack on civilians and two Reuters journalists on July 12, 2007 http://bit.ly/9OZcjp

Updated Reuters article: Defense chief backs troops on 2007 Apache attack killing 12 including 2 Reuters Journalists as seen on Pentagon video http://bit.ly/dopKtk

Interview with Julian Assange concerning the leaked Pentagon video and the killings of 25 civilians including two Reuters journalists http://bit.ly/bfT0cG

Fox News report: "Military Raises Questions About Credibility Of Leaked Iraq Shooting Video" http://bit.ly/cxV3p8

AOL News report: "Video Of Slain Journalists Released By 'Leak' Group" http://bit.ly/9muG3L

WikiLeaks "Collateral Murder" short & full videos of attacks http://bit.ly/bIUOvp

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