classified video created its own firestorm. [Then I] took my children to school one day and I came home and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV with my coffee, and on the news I'm running across the screen with a child. The soldier, Ethan McCord, has since been discharged from the military and has been an outspoken voice against the Iraq War. As the gunner fires the first missile, another man is seen walking along the street in front of the building. I'm guilty of it, too, myself. But this particular eventthis is clearly murder. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Forces Clash With Militias", "Reuters seeks U.S. probe into killing of Iraqi staff", "Return to Ward 17: Making peace with lost comrades", "Bradley Manning's statements during his trial", "U.S. gunfire kills two Reuters employees in Baghdad", "WikiLeaks silent on how it broke encryption", "Twitter / WikiLeaks: Have encrypted videos of U", "WikiLeaks posts video of 'US military killings' in Iraq", "Collateral Murder? "Reading his account," she explained, "one would believe the engagement was somehow justified as 'payback' for an earlier attack that led to the death of a soldier. It was pretty much a shock when we got there to see what had happened, the carnage and everything else. Josh states that these casualties demonstrate the impact of U.S. military policy on both the civilians and the soldiers on the ground. [23] Among the group are two journalists working for Reuters, Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. However, I don't feel that the attack on the [rescue] van was necessary. McCord: My platoon sergeant knew that I was having a hard time with it and that same night he came into the room and he told me, hey, just so you know, both of the children survived, so you can suck it up now. If there's anything I can to do help, I would be more than happy to. There is no bringing back all that was lost. It also states that "The cameras could easily be mistaken for slung AK-47 or AKM rifles, especially since neither cameraman is wearing anything that identifies him as media or press". We were probably there on the roof for another four to five hours. I didn't know if he was telling me that just to get me to shut up and to do my job or if he really found something out. They're like, oh yeah, we're the "collateral murder" company. That classified video created its own firestorm. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Some of them [say] I don't care what anybody says they're not there. An Apache maneuvered around a building to get a clear field of fire and shot all nine men, killing eight. [89], When interviewed by Wired, McCord stated that he supported WikiLeaks in releasing the video, with some qualifications: "When it was first released I don't think it was done in the best manner that it could have been. The Apache crew then alerted the ground troops that they believed that they could see an injured child moving around inside the destroyed van. She draws parallels with soldiers who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder in earlier wars. From our own experiences, and the experiences of other veterans we have talked to, we know that the acts depicted in this video are everyday occurrences of this war: this is the nature of how U.S.-led wars are carried out in this region. Soldier Ethan McCord speaking about the civilian massacre documented in WikiLeaks's April 2010 vid. I know the scene by heart; it's burned into my head. They're trained as soldiers to go into a building and clear a building. You are seeing only a very narrow picture of the events". BACKGROUND ON JOSH STIEBER: Branch of service: United States Army (USA) Unit: 1st ID Rank: Spc. [81] McCord: She had a stomach wound and she had glass in her eyes and in her hair. [91], In May 2010, a 22-year-old American Army intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning, was arrested after telling hacker Adrian Lamo she had leaked the airstrike video, along with a video of another airstrike and around 260,000 diplomatic cables, to WikiLeaks. Tasked to conduct escort, armed reconnaissance patrols, and counter-IED and counter-mortar operations, the two helicopters left Camp Taji at 9:24a.m. She said that she was "aghast" at Finkel's portrayal of the incident. It could be that since he and Amelia (Sigrid Thornton) have quit. He is seen swinging the weapon below his waist while standing next to the man holding the RPG". McCord, who served seven years in the military before leaving in the summer of 2009 due to injuries, recently posted an apologetic letter online with fellow soldier Josh Steiber supporting the release of the video and asking the family's forgiveness. I have a huge place in my heart for children, having some of my own. When he is rescued, suddenly that belief changed. The review was not released in full until 2010, after the video of the incident had been released by WikiLeaks. Ethan McCord had just returned from dropping his children at school earlier this month, when he turned on the TV news to see grainy black-and-white video footage of a soldier running from a bombed-out van with a child in his arms. We've been there for so long now and it seems like nothing is being accomplished whatsoever, except for we're making more people hate us. He later sought help for psychological trauma, but was ridiculed by his NCO and told that if he were to go to the mental health officer, "there would be repercussions". [60] The Pentagon eventually blocked the FOIA request[25] despite several follow-up requests by Reuters. The crew for Crazyhorse 1/8 then located multiple individuals with weapons about 400 meters east of coalition forces and was given clearance to engage the targets. To all of those who were injured or lost loved ones during the July 2007 Baghdad shootings depicted in the "Collateral Murder" Wikileaks video: We write to you, your family, and your community with awareness that our words and actions can never restore your losses. According to Tom Raju, a reporter at CNN, "the soldiers of Bravo Company, 216 Infantry had been under fire all morning from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms on the first day of Operation Ilaaj in Baghdad". There had been running gun battles. [92], On February 28, 2013, Manning pleaded guilty to 10 of 22 specified charges. From our own experiences, and the experiences of other veterans we have talked to, we know that the acts depicted in this video are everyday occurrences of this war: this is the nature of how U.S.-led wars are carried out in this region. Many soldiers felt threatened just by the fact that you were looking at them, so they fired their weapons on anybody that was looking at them because they (I . Fox News reported in 2010 that the rules of engagement in Iraq had not been changed since the incident occurred. McCord: Yeah. [18] The report recommends encouraging journalists in Iraq to wear special vests to identify themselves, and to keep the U.S. military updated about their whereabouts. Home: Laytonsville, Maryland Served in: Baghdad (Rustamiyah) 07-08 Fort Riley, KS 06-07, 08-09, BACKGROUND ON ETHAN MCCORD: Branch of service: United States Army (USA) Unit: 1st ID Rank: Spc. The company was charged with clearing their sector of any small armed forces, and had been under fire from small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). A school district is mourning the loss of a 13-year-old student who was found dead along with 3 other family members after a "potential murder-suicide" in Clermont County.It happened around 9:41 a . To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. After getting permission to fire, the Apache crew fired on the van. I know the van, I know the faces of everybody that was there that day. Wired.com: At the time you arrived on the scene, you didn't know what had happened, is that right? That stays with you. They also found 10-year-old Sajad Mutashar and his five-year-old sister Doaha covered in blood in a van. I've spoken with other soldiers who were there. Seven men (including Noor-Eldeen) were killed during this first strike; Saeed Chmagh, who was injured, later died in a hospital. When Bravo Company arrived at the scene, they reported finding two RPGs and an AK-47 or AKM. I don't think that people really want to see this, though, because this is war. She wrote that the co-pilot urged a dying, unarmed journalist to pick up a weapon as he tried to crawl to safety and that "the Apache crew open[ed] fire on civilians". We did unto you what we would not want done to us.". The co-pilot/gunner for Crazyhorse 1/9 spotted three individuals near this building get into a red SUV and drive away to the west. The majority of us aren't. On April 5, 2010, the attacks received worldwide coverage and controversy following the release of 39 minutes of gunsight footage by the Internet whistleblower website WikiLeaks. [59], An internal legal review by staff at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in Iraq during July 2007 stated that the helicopters had attacked a number of armed insurgents within the rules of engagement, and that in an apparent case of civilian casualties two reporters working for Reuters had also been killed. Ethan Cord (Horsley) is still a man with a conscience, and kids, but he is also less reluctant to rely on his ability with a gun. That's a violation of the laws of war and of course what the mainstream media have omitted from their stories is this context. [28] Noor-Eldeen has a camera and Chmagh is talking on his mobile phone. The company was supported by two Apache helicopters from the 1st Cavalry Division's Aviation Brigade, call signs "Crazyhorse 1/8" and "Crazyhorse 1/9". The second strike, also using 30mm rounds, was directed at a van whose driver, Saleh Matasher Tomal, appeared to happen to drive by and who proceeded to help the wounded Chmagh. Personally, I believe the first attack on the group standing by the wall was appropriate, was warranted by the rules of engagement. Noor-Eldeen fails to photograph the Apache but three pictures of the U.S. Humvee appear on his camera's memory card when it was recovered by U.S. soldiers. There's also some soldiers who joke about it [as a] coping mechanism. "When I did come up on the scene, there was an RPG as well as AK-47s there," he said. Towards the end of the show, the star actor became an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and after he left "Adam-12." [2][22] Pentagon officials told the Reuters news agency that U.S. military lawyers were reviewing the video and could reopen an investigation into the incident,[67] but a spokesperson later said that there were no plans to reopen the investigation. How is this guy supposed to [decide] should I stop and pick them up, or is the military going to shoot me? "[46] Assange later said "Based upon visual evidence, I suspect there probably were AKs and an RPG, but I'm not sure that means anything". [18][19] The crew estimates the group is twenty men. [18] A long shadow cast on the ground by a telephoto lens on Noor-Eldeen's camera is misidentified by the pilot as an additional RPG aimed at him and a U.S. Army Humvee directly below his aircraft. [17] Julian Assange said "permission to engage was given before the word 'RPG' was ever used". And where the soldier said [in the video], "Well, you shouldn't take your kids to battle." McCord: I have never seen anybody being shot by a 30-millimeter round before. It's very disturbing. Our hearts are open to hearing how we can take any steps to support you through the pain that we have caused. [115], While the Air Weapons Team was providing support at the first engagement area they were informed by ground troops that they were receiving small arms fire from the south/southwest. The video makes plain that in this incident, as in almost all military encounters in both Iraq and Afghanistan, our soldiers are up against forces that do not wear uniformsa violation of international law precisely because it places innocent civilians in jeopardy. However, the long version of the video shows that this van had already been targeted by one Apache (Crazyhorse 1/8), prior to the second strike, as it traveled south toward the Reuters employees who were simultaneously targeted by the other Apache (Crazyhorse 1/9) as they walked with the group of men north on the same road toward the van. There were some people taking pot shots, sniper shots, at us on the rooftop. After attending to the girl's wounds and handing her to a medic, McCord was ordered to take position on the roof but he returned to the van to find the boy moving his hand. [56] U.S. forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Scott Bleichwehl later stated: "There is no question that coalition forces were clearly engaged in combat operations against a hostile force". [18][25][31] As the U.S. soldiers moved towards the site of the attack, a van stopped near Chmagh. There's houses behind where the van was. He added, "I think what this video shows is really a case that challenges whether the laws of war are strict enough. The ground controller responds, "If you've [positively identified] the individuals in the building with weapons, go ahead and engage the building". Assange responded: Yes, absolutely Our promise to the public is that we will release the full source material. She continued, "the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are inflicting huge psychological damage on combatants". We took her in there and we're checking to see if there were any other wounds. "These people can put out anything they want, and they're never held accountable for it. There's no before and there's no after". He was shot and killed. [117], In June 2011 the Federation of German Scientists (VDW) awarded the "Whistleblower Award" to the person who made the video Collateral Murder public via WikiLeaks. They wrote that:[71][72][73][74]. The missile hits the building, and the man is caught in the explosion. ", "Hudson Institute > Warfare Through 'a Soda Straw', "Gates assails Internet group over attack video", "WikiLeaks releases video depicting US forces killing of two Reuters journalists in Iraq", "Leaked Video Depicts Civilian Deaths In Iraq", "Video shows death of 2 Reuters employees in Baghdad attack", "WaPo denies allegation it sat on WikiLeaks video", "Two members of the company in the WikiLeaks video speak out", "US soldier in WikiLeaks massacre video: 'I relive this every day', "Former US soldier speaks (interview transcript)", "US intelligence analyst arrested over security leaks", "U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in WikiLeaks Video Probe", "Report: Soldier arrested for allegedly leaking 'Collateral Murder' helicopter video to WikiLeaks", "Bradley Manning pleads guilty to some Wikileaks charges", "Bradley Manning Found Guilty of 19 Counts, Not Guilty of Aiding The Enemy", "Bradley Manning Found Not Guilty of Aiding the Enemy", "Army Pfc. Soldier on 2007 Apache Attack: What I Saw, Ethan McCord had just returned from dropping his children at school earlier this month, when he turned on the TV news to see grainy black-and-white video footage of a soldier running from a bombed-out van with a child in his arms. [59] Reuters requested a copy of the full video under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on the same day. [17] Politifact stated: "When Assange points out in the context of justifying the title 'Collateral Murder' that the word 'RPG' was not used until after permission to engage was given, he leaves the impression that the soldiers were given the okay to open fire on a group of unarmed men, or men believed to be unarmed. [96] Her trial on the remaining charges began on June 3, 2013. Give us a picture of what happened that day. [19], The team observed several individuals from this group, some possibly wounded, run into a large multistory building. And cracking jokes is a way of pushing that stuff down. The footage was portrayed as classified,[7] but the individual who leaked it, U.S. Army soldier Chelsea Manning,[a] testified in 2013 that the video was not classified. The film received an Oscar nomination in January. He opened his eyes when I was carrying him. Their age, their weapons, and the fact that they were within the distance of the forces that had been engaged made it apparent these guys were potentially a threat. This is his account of what he saw. In an interview on NPR on April 6, the day after the Collateral Murder video release, David Finkel said that the Reuters reporters were not embedded with anyone, but working independently. [20] According to a military review, soldiers in that company "had been under sporadic small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire since" the operationdescribed as "clearing their sector and looking for weapons caches"began. Among the group were two Iraqi war correspondents working for Reuters, Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen. But for Army veteran Ethan McCord, it was just another day on duty. Gates said that the video provides the public with a view of warfare "as seen through a soda straw". That's not leaking, that's a pure editorial." They're smoking you, they're making you tired. The promise we make to our sources is that not only will we defend them through every means that we have available technologically, legally and politically but we will try and get the maximum possible political impact for the material that they give to us. Wired.com: Did you try to get information about the two children after the shooting? The first real serious doubt, where I could no longer justify to myself being in Iraq or serving in the Army, was on that day in July 2007. [42] According to the internal legal review, the helicopters engaged a group of armed insurgents, and that some were seen entering a nearby building. Describing doubts over his initial enthusiasm in Iraq, McCord said that "I didnt understand why people were throwing rocks at us, why I was being shot at and why we're being blown up, when I have it in my head that I was here to help these people. McCord was captured in a video shot from one helicopter as he ran frantically to a military vehicle with Sajad in his arms seeking medical care. However, personally I don't feel that the attack on the van was warranted. Though we have acted with cold hearts far too many times, we have not forgotten our actions towards you. She had a stomach wound? This is urban combat and we're taking the war to children and women and innocents. [18][19][25] Once the group is eliminated, the Apache pilots direct the ground troops to move up to the position of the attack to clear the area. Please accept our apology, our sorrow, our care, and our dedication to change from the inside out. Ukraine Suffered More Wiper Malware in 2022 Than Anywhere, Ever. [108][109], In a June 7, 2010, article in The New Yorker, Raffi Khatchadourian addressed several issues involved in determining the legality of the attacks, including "proportionality", "positive identification" ("reasonable certainty" that the target has hostile intent), and "the treatment of casualties during an ongoing military operation". And that in turn is what helped me and Josh write the letter, hoping that it would find its way to them to let them know that we're sorry. She was crying. I had blood all down the front of me from the children. She concluded that command structures need to be in place to identify "combatants with serious psychological problems". I went back outside to the van, and that's when the boy took, like, a labored, breath. Wired.com: But you had been in combat before. There is no bringing back all that was lost. Advertisement. Ethan McCord who says he scooped up the children and at least one of his comrades say the incident revealed the bankrupt brutality of the war. Just from looking into the van, and the amount of blood that was on the boy and the father, I immediately figured they were dead. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [113], The report states that at least two members of the group which were first fired on were armed, that two RPGs and one AKM or AK-47 rifle could be seen in the helicopter video, and that these weapons were picked up by the follow-up U.S. ground troops. [86], Ethan McCord, the soldier seen in the video carrying the injured boy, recalled in an interview on The Marc Steiner Show that on arrival at the scene, "The first thing I did was run up to the van". Bradley Manning acquitted of aiding the enemy, convicted of six counts of espionage", "Bradley Manning acquitted of aiding the enemy for giving secrets to WikiLeaks", "BBC News Bradley Manning guilty of espionage in Wikileaks case", "Manning Gets 35 years for wikileaks disclosures", "Bradley Manning Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison For WikiLeaks Disclosures", "Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in prison live updates", "Judge sentences Bradley Manning to 35 years", "Obama commutes Chelsea Manning's prison sentence", "Obama's final press conference: Chelsea Manning commutation is 'appropriate', "The WikiLeaks Video and the Rules of Engagement", "Exclusive: Reuters Chief Spikes Story on Killing of His Own Staffers In Baghdad", "US 'reviewing' Iraq killing video posted on WikiLeaks", "Ingi Ingason Ragnar and Kristinn Hrafnsson awarded International Journalism and Human Rights Award at Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival", "Verleihung des Whistleblower-Preises 2011", Whistleblower-Preis 2011 geht an Kernforscher, Collateral Murder: U.S. [16] The military reported that it could not find its copy of the video. FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. McCord states he was yelled at for not "pulling security". WikiLeaks stated that the footage shows the "murder of Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists". [45][114], "Cameramen and armed insurgents" (all captions from the Army report), "Cameraman peering around corner of wall", "Pictures taken by ground forces after reaching the site". We're sorry for the system that we were involved in that took their father's life and injured them. Wired.com: Wikileaks presented the incident as though there was no engagement from insurgents. Wired.com: Civilians are supposed to know that they're not supposed to pick up a wounded person crawling in the road? [43] He walks into a building which has been identified as the source of fire at U.S. ground troops.