Wikileaks releases video showing Apache shooting of Reuters news staff
Wikileaks today released a video depicting the slaying of more than 12 people – including two Reuters news staff – by two Apache helicopters using 30mm cannon fire.
The attack took place on the morning of 12 July 2007 in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad. Two children were also wounded.
Among the dead, were two Reuters news employees, Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen. Chmagh was a 40-year-old Reuters driver and assistant; Noor-Eldeen was a 22-year-old war photographer.
An investigation by the US military concluded that the soldiers acted in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own rules of engagement.
Reuters has been unsuccessfully trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act since the time of the attack.
More information can be found on the Collateral Murder website.
Warning: the following video contains highly disturbing imagery.
Similar posts:
- Wired: Army intelligence analyst arrested over leaked video of Iraq helicopter attack
- CNN: Wikileaks editor on why it posted video of Reuters journalists’ deaths
- Reuters runs safety training course for Gaza journalists
- Leaked US military video boosts donations to Wikileaks
- Reuters ‘dissatisfied’ by investigation into death of Fadel Shana
April 6th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Shocking…..no respect for any life! I can only pray for the people that lost their family members! Shame on you america!
April 6th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
[...] Wikileaks releases video showing Apache shooting of Reuters news staff (blogs.journalism.co.uk) [...]
April 7th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
[...] It shows the two channel’s front online pages, captured on the day Wikileaks released its video showing previously unreleased footage of a US army attack in Iraq. [...]
April 8th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
[...] website Wikileaks has received more than £150,000 in donations since Monday, when it published a leaked US military video of the killing of 12 civilians – including two Reuters… – in Iraq in 2007. According to the Wikileaks site, the project requires $600,000 a year to [...]
April 8th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I will agree that it is horrific but what does everyone think war is? Everyone drinking tea? The pilots acted in defense of the soldiers on the ground – the men had RPG’s and AK47′s and were scoping out the troops. The two photographers were hanging out with them, knowing who they were and what they do. If you put yourself in that position you must accept the consequences. Would people rather wait for a soldier to die before they can defend themselves? Being a veteran and only I know what it’s like in those situations and you will do whatever it takes to survive. Maybe it could have ended better but they did nothing wrong.
April 9th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
you just dont get it do you Eric?
Its not just about the poor photojournalist who was killed and the reporter, its the arrogance and lies that comes out afterwards.
A camera is war is a very powerful and emotive tool.
However, so is an Apache helicopter.
Well is 2010 and the internet is a powerful tool and for once everyone can see the truth, hear the pilots laughing and equally share the truth.
Yes, war is terrible. Reuters are a business rival, but today Im holding hands with them and sincerely hope they get justice.
April 9th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
I must have missed something. What lie were told?
Yes, it was very bad conduct on the pilots part however, given that the men might be getting ready to kill their fellow team mates just like the thousands before them, I would be on the edge of laughing for joy because for once we got them before they got us. Unless you’ve ever been in that position it’s difficult to comprehend. Like I said though, I would refrain from it because taking a life is never to be taken lightly.
I hate war and everything about it because it causes more issues than it resolves. People hide things and others find them and make good and bad assumptions. Now friends are clawing at each others throats over a few peoples conduct who are trying to survive in a war that never should have been.
So yes, I get it Matt. I get that the conduct was wrong and some one should pay but having been a soldier and now a civilian I see it from both angles and understand why they acted that way. There’s one man that should pay dearly for it, the one that put them in that position to begin with.
April 12th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I can only hang my head…nothing to say…
April 19th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
[...] of internet publishing and social networking, can dedicated sites such as Wikileaks – which made a huge impact two weeks ago with the release of a classified military video showing the k… – replace mainstream news organisations as the place to take leaked [...]
April 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
In response to erics posting, thank god that someone actually recognizes the fact that war is about that. All you others are stupid for saying the pilots were in the wrong. The pilots were doing their job. They were threatened with weapons and they acted on it. It’s not our problem that kids were in a vehicle in the middle of war. None of you are over there so you have no idea what it feels like to have a rpg in the hands of someone that wants to kill you. And that’s exactly what they wanted to do. Shoot the helicopter down. All of you should be ashamed that are saying these pilots and America is disgraced by this. You aren’t fighting, you aren defending this nation so don’t criticize the ones that are. They have alot more courage than some people that are writing on a blog saying that they are embarrased at the pilots’ actions. The gunner had every right to shoot them. Especially because of the fact, that most of you are probably disregarding, that the pilots were given permission to fire!! War is bad so face the fact and get over it. Or stop criticizing the people that keep this nation safe.
June 8th, 2010 at 9:36 am
[...] US Army intelligence analyst has been arrested in connection with a leaked video of a US Apache helicopter attack in Iraq in 2007, which killed more than 12 people, including two Reuters news staff, reports [...]
July 8th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
[...] this year, WikiLeaks released a video of a Baghdad air-strike, showing gun-camera footage of the killing of two Reuters correspondents and ten others by the US [...]
December 9th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Makes me want to throw up, I’d be so ashamed to be American. Disgusting.
December 26th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
[...] Wikileaks releases video showing Apache shooting of Reuters news staff [...]
April 4th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
[...] that Qatar had given the US intelligence on the exact whereabouts of the news bureau. When Wikileaks released a video showing US Apache pilots indiscriminately gunning down a group of civilians in Baghdad, it turned [...]