Wikileaks releases video of US soldiers killing Iraqi civilians, journalists

[Sisyphus]

Nah, I've been keeping up with ya.

 

It's just that in the case of them using children, I'm not comfortable concluding that therefore we must err on the side of terror kiddies. I think it better that we accept their cruel advantage and be better - it's harder, and complicates everything and will cost us blood as well, but as the invader and occupier announcing and intending a better life for their country, we must demonstrate a moral reverence for them. That's part of the cost in my mind.

 

You make great points and I do appreciate taking up for the soldiers. I think Phi makes the best, if not depressing, point of focus really about the whole mess in general.

 

I agree. It's not that I don't have concern for the people risking their lives, but it is a necessary part of the job. Sure, not worrying about ROE would be safer. Carpet bombing would be even safer. But that isn't why they're there.

[Tridimity]

Well, I've only just seen the Collateral Murder video, don't know how or why it took so long, but there you go. As shown in 'Wikilieaks: Secrets and Lies', first broadcast at 10pm on Tuesday 29th November 2011 on Channel 4: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/wikileaks-secrets-and-lies/4od @ 05:44 and at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20LkYvEZOZs and at the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/07wikileaks.html

 

Two innocent Reuters employees, Namir and Saeed, carrying cameras not weapons, shot by US soldiers from an Apache helicopter in Baghdad. One of the injured men is then seen to be crawling along the curb, before being carried to a van by two rescuers, taking their children to school. Without hesitation, the US soldiers shoot the van multiple times - shooting the children also.

 

ParanoiA

I don't think we are being intellectually impressive at all by not putting ourselves in their shoes, or admitting that we actually can't. How thoughtful and deep are we that we can't imagine how these people, young men and women, adapt to a hostile based lifestyle for months and months on end? We can't imagine they would talk and operate like that? We can't fathom any adaption technique that might be callous in appearance?

 

 

Murderers on the street also practice dehumanising techniques and are thoroughly callous. I see no distinction here.

 

ParanoiA

My concern is more about us turning a sincere wrong into a nefarious orgy of flippant murder.

 

 

Soldier commentary: "Oh yeah look at those dead bastards." "Nice." [...] "I think they just drove over a body." Laughs, "Really?" "Yeah" (@10:33 in the second video)

 

If that's not flippant, I don't know what is.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Tridimity