On July 12th 2007, a US airstrike from Apache helicopters murdered a dozen people in the streets of Baghdad.
The US claimed those killed were anti-Iraqi forces or insurgents.
Why were they killed? Because someone had a camera that was thought to be a weapon. Even though no one was using the alleged weapons to attack anyone. Reuters journalist Namir Noor-Eldeen, driver Saeed Chmagh, and several others were shot to death. Saleh Matasher Tomal, a driver who was trying to help those unjustly attacked and injured, was also attacked by the helicopter along with his vehicle and his two children who were also injured.
Short video (1min)
Long video (17m)
Coming as no surprise, the 2007 military investigation found no wrongdoing on their part, and claimed they didn't know how the two children got hurt. It's a mystery...
Reuters asked for the video in a Freedom of Information Act request, but was denied.
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. The government and military don't like truth of their wrongdoings coming out, and Manning was charged as a traitor under the Espionage Act, sentenced to 35 years in military prison. But this sentence was commuted by President Obama in 2017, as Manning walked out of prison in May 2017.
If you have never watched he video and listened tot he commentary of those attacking, it's chilling to hear them speak so jovially and laughingly and they murder innocent people.
Then when a van comes along to help people, they don't want that to happen, those threatening people helping others, they must be evil too!
Freedom is great isn't it? Let's keep supporting demented governments and the military-industrial-pharma-banking complex. We're going to make a better world this way. You betcha :\
Related links:
• Collateral Murder
• ‘Collateral Murder’: 10th anniversary of infamous airstrike that exposed US cover-up
• Murder, Imprisonment, Isolation, War Crimes: 'Collateral Murder' Ten Years On