Nice Symmetry, Or... How Conveeeeeeenient !!! - Two Wikileak Video Stories From Democracy Now

[WillyT]

Admin Refuses to Call for Probe of US Killing of Iraqis

The Obama administration is refusing to call for a new probe into the US military’s killing of twelve Iraqis despite the public release of video footage capturing the attack on tape. Earlier this week, the watchdog website Wilek's released a classified US military video showing a US helicopter gunship indiscriminately firing on Iraqi civilians in 2007. The victims included two employees of the Reuters news agency, photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh. Two children were also badly wounded. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he’s unsure if President Obama even saw the tape.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “I do not know whether the President has seen the video that was released on the internet. Obviously it is very graphic in nature, and it’s extremely tragic. For details of the investigation that the Defense Department, the Pentagon, did on that, around that incident, obviously I would point you over to the Department of Defense.”

Reporter: "Do you think that this warrants some additional investigation, though?

Robert Gibbs: “Glenn, I don’t, in all honesty, know enough about what was done previous, which is why I would point you over to the Department of Defense.”

Family members of the victims have urged the US to launch a new investigation and bring the US servicemembers involved to trial. An initial military probe shortly after the killings cleared the attackers of any wrongdoing.

Link: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/7/headlines/admin_refuses_to_call_for_probe_of_us_killing_of_iraqis

*****************************************************************************************
Pentagon Claims It Can’t Locate Tape of Iraq Attack

The Pentagon, meanwhile, is claiming it can no longer find its copy of the video footage. Military officials say they’re trying to track it down from the unit that investigated the attack. The video was never publicly released and only came to light after at least one source inside the military released WikiLeaks.

Link: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/7/headlines/pentagon_claims_it_cant_locate_tape_of_iraq_attack

Wow... color me shocked.

:evilfrown:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. The Ole Shuffle Off To Buffalo....

[MagCynic]

2. Did I watch the same video?

"a classified US military video showing a US helicopter gunship indiscriminately firing on Iraqi civilians in 2007"

I saw a video showing a group of people carrying what appears to be multiple AK-47's and at least one RPG within a mile of an approaching U.S. element. I heard the spotter requesting permission to engage. I heard permission given. I saw the gunner open fire.

Did they have to open fire on the van that pulled up? Perhaps an investigation should be opened up in that regards, but the initial engagement was justified.

[Bragi]

5. Apparently we watched different videos

I saw a group of men dressed as civilians mostly carrying nothing who didn't look or act at all like an insurgent group poised to attack.

I'd suggest you look at the video we're talking about.

- B

[slampoet]

7. Where did you SEE an RPG? I think you just heard someone say it.

Post a screen shot and circle the RPG or AK47

I'd be eager to see it.

[unblock]

3. can't locate the tape -- because it was handed over to wikileaks :)

:eyes:

[Echo In Light]

4. k/r

[Bragi]

6. That's quite shocking

Sorry, but this will not go away. The Gibbs and DoD's stance here reflects how Dick Cheney would handle this.

Speaking of Vice-Presidents, a London Times article today shows that VP Biden has good judgment on this whole war-making part of Obama's foreign policy.

“Nobody in the Administration had any illusions about Karzai,” Bruce Riedel, a former adviser to Mr Obama on Afghanistan, told The Times. “They’ve always recognised that he is not an ideal partner but they really don’t have a viable alternative. They are stuck with Karzai whether they like it or not.”

That is why Joe Biden, the Vice-President, argued against the surge ordered by Mr Obama last year, because of his misgivings about Mr Karzai. He was backed by Karl Eikenberry, the US Ambassador to Kabul, who wrote to Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, that “President Karzai is not an adequate strategic partner”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7091082.ece



I hope it is becoming increasingly obvious that Obama's war strategy is failing. He really has to end his useless war soon if he wants to keep his administration on track to do anything for the next few years other than crisis-manage sequential, debilitating cover-up operations, while studiously ignoring the anti-war protesters who will increasingly show up everywhere he goes.

- B