Yesterday when I reported on the leak of the video footage, for some reason I attached the edited video rather than the full one. The edited video is more of a “highlights reel”.
Here is the full 40 minute unedited video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is9sxRfU-ik[/youtube]
I stayed out of the discussion on the previous post, and I’m going to do the same on this one. I have no experience flying Apache helicopters, and no experience as a soldier, so anything I would write about this incident would be useless, and purely opinion based on my impression watching the video from a comfortable leather chair while sipping in iced tea.
Some documents released yesterday under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) relating to the incident:
- Action By Appointing Authority
- Sworn Statements
- Attack Mission Request
- Photographs
- 1st Air Calvary Brigade AR 15-6 Investigation
- 2nd Brigade Combat Team 15-6 Investigation
Some pictures emailed to me which some of you might find humorous:
JUMP DOWN ↓ TO ADD ANOTHER
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing
http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/04/06/supporting-the-decision-of-the-soldiers-in-the-wikileaks-video/
When bad things happen to “reuter” reporters, I really struggle to have any sympathy. Does that make me a bad person??
I think they did great. Thank God for those boys and girls over there.
I have no judgment one way or the other on the actions of those involved. I definitely don’t like what I see, but that doesn’t mean anyone is to blame. This just is a good look at war, and war is widely reported to (still) be hell.
This blog should be applauded for posting this to be considered – especially considering most other media won’t have the time or guts for it. I think to those who have modern combat experience, this video is no surprise. For the rest of us, it strikes me as a little sad that we are so shocked by it. I suppose that conceptually we know what our soldiers are doing overseas, and how it is supposed to go. We know it is not perfect (who ever heard of a perfect war?), but the mistakes hard to visualize. This is an unusual opportunity to see what Americans are really doing over there and the risks it entails. I view this as a reminder of the price of war, both for the killed and wounded, as well as those who will live on to remember it.
It’s war, it’s nasty, it’s sad, but it’s a reality that some people are willing to face, and others are not. Good job of protecting OUR boys on the ground.