WikiLeaks on 5th April 2010 10:44 EST has obtained and decrypted a Classified US Military Video Footage depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people -- including two Reuters news staff Namir Noor-Eldeen, driver Saeed Chmagh, and several others civilians in a public square in Eastern Baghdad.
After the initial shooting, a group of adults and children in a minivan arrives on the scene and attempts to transport the wounded. They are fired upon as well. The official statement on this incident initially listed all adults as insurgents and claimed the US military did not know how the deaths ocurred. Wikileaks released this video with transcripts and a package of supporting documents on Collateral Murder
VIDEO:Collateral Murder - Wikileaks - Iraq
Alternative Link:
WikiLeaks Collateral Murder 1 of 2
WikiLeaks Collateral Murder 2 of 2
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Overview
Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success since the time of the attack. The video clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded. The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured. After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own Rules of Engagement. Consequently, WikiLeaks has released the classified Rules of Engagement for 2006, 2007 and 2008, revealing these rules before, during, and after the killings.
WikiLeaks has released both the original 38 minutes video and a shorter version with an initial analysis. Subtitles have been added to both versions from the radio transmissions. WikiLeaks obtained this video as well as supporting documents from a number of military whistleblowers. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to verify the authenticity of the information it receives. We have analyzed the information about this incident from a variety of source material. We have spoken to witnesses and journalists directly involved in the incident. WikiLeaks wants to ensure that all the leaked information it receives gets the attention it deserves.
News Related
1. Wikileaks reveals video showing US air crew shooting down Iraqi civilians | World news | The Guardian
2. Leaked video footage shows Iraq journalists killed by US gunships - Times Online
3. BBC News - WikiLeaks posts video of 'US military killings' in Iraq
Articles and Blogs
1. Reuters blog article on Nameer Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh
2. Reuters Memorial Article
3. Reuters seeks U.S. probe into killing of Iraqi staff | Reuters
4. Deadly Stories 2007: Killings of Journalists Touch Record Level
5. Photograph of memorial billboard in front of Reuters headquarters | Facebook
6. End The War in Iraq - Some photos of Namirs
7. Iraq War Grief Daily Witness - Some photos of Namirs
8. Iraq: The Forgotten Victims - Press Gazette
9. Committee to Protect Journalists: Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh
10. British Journal of Photography - Photographer killed in Iraq
11. Thoughts on the Middle East, Politics and the Media: A Tribute to Namir Noor Eldeen
Extra Source Material
1. US Rules of Engagement
2. US Rules of Engagement Flowchart
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