ABC Nightline Story on Michigan Missionary Family's Plane Shootdown

[chickenzrck]

ASSHOLES 

[tresaq11]

I am from Chile and I had the opportunity to watch the entire video on PBS (1 hr). I can say with all certainty that the full responsibility falls on the CIA. The only one who acted professionally at all times was the Peruvian Pilot, who asked at least 4 times for confirmation to fire (Phase 3). The informality on the CIA plane was pathetic and was the cause of the tragedy. Here you only see parts of the full video which makes it look like it was the responsibility of the Peruvians.

[tresaq11]

In the video you can hear four voices. Three on the CIA plane (the commander, the pilot, and a Peruvian contractor), and the fourth is the Peruvian fighter. Even though the main instigator is the Peruvian contractor (he wanted to see blood), the CIA commander has the final word. He had doubts, but was weak and will live the rest of his life regretting it. The Peruvian fighter could not hear the conversation inside the CIA plane. The CIA paid some $10M in a settlement.

[tresaq11]

In the video you can hear four voices. Three on the CIA plane (the commander, the pilot, and a Peruvian contractor), and the fourth is the Peruvian fighter. Even though the main instigator is the Peruvian contractor (he wanted to see blood), the CIA commander has the final word. He had doubts, but was weak and will live the rest of his life regretting it. The Peruvian fighter could not hear the conversation inside the CIA plane. The CIA paid some $10M in a settlemen

[Crossova21286]

this is sad

[carvinemup]

The Husband should be paid $50 000000 in compensation, then he could hire someone to kill everyone involved in this pathetic display of American/Peruvian brutality.

[xxxToomy07]

You'd have to be a sucker to believe half of what the CIA say

[ninjanerd8]

If you actually watch the raw video you can hear the CIA guys telling the Peruvian airforce not to shoot before checking but if they were clearly innocent of the killing (the don't have the authority to stop the Peruvians) in the video tape, why would they try to cover it up for so long... Makes you wonder if the tape is real...

[spyletu]

lol, what a weak sounding "don't shoot". i bet they're more worried about their liability for this and they were only saying "don't shoot" "for the record".

[SavvyLiberty]

Plain and simple truth: The government hates competition. End the Fraudulent War on Drugs and this would never have happened. My condolences to the family, let's get behind this family and end the war on drugs, war on terror. Let's end this corrupt system.

[essaysoftware]

The CIA idiots need to be punished !!!

TODAY !

[ddstar]

War on drugs has FAILED.

[carpavel]

bastards!

[Freeride8011]

PARANOID NATION!!

[Freeride8011]

PARANOID NATION!!!

[galenrichards1972]

CIA are drug dealers themselves,,google cia drug dealing. They were even under investigation in the 90's for drug dealing. They shot these people down because thats how they deal with competition. They thought these were other drug dealers cutting into their profits so they shot them down.

[commanderNSO]

The CIA is VERY good...so good that you never hear about the things that were done right...the downside to that is..whe the screw up...its HUGE..bay of pigs for example..

The CIA tries to cover up failures to block access to sensitive information and to protect themselves from analysis, a valid point...does that make the cover up morally right? No not at all...the real culprits here are the peruvian operatives..geez I dont think they understood anything at all...

[Maxwedge12000]

Mistakes happen I don't fault them for that but covering up for 9 years is criminal, Someone in the CIA should be in prison.

[ImYourDrillerMan]

Why shoot down smuggler planes at all? Planes can crash into houses, and even if the plane crashes into the water, the carefully packaged drugs can easily float back to mainland. A plane can easily be tracked with modern technology. You'd only have to warn local authorities about the incoming plane. This is an absurd policy.

[PjPjPaul]

The worst about this is.........They hid it from the public for NINE YEARS!!! This is appalling. And please tell me this. How can the accused be the judge and jury of his own trail? Disgusting

[est909]

why did cia do this? :S

[brokijb]

CIA is good, BUT THIS is very very BAD!!!

[trinisouljah]

CIA is far from good...

[ceomeye]

The CIA was running all the operations...

[bigdogsdontbark]

Peruvians need to be brought up on war crimes.

[delirapidfrog]

it was obvious from all the CIA pilots but they didnt do anything to verify the plane and stop the Peruvians...i would punish CIA not for this regretful action but for lying 9 years to everybody...

[delirapidfrog]

From my point there were plenty of mistakes on both sides...total lack of language education between CIA and Peruvians!!!...bandito or amigo???what the hell is that??? total lack of precise communication at such level and positions!!!..."before bbbb"...this is unbelievable...from seeing this video many times I feel Peruvians were too concentrated on shooting down a possible drug smuggler that they didnt take all the measures to manage the situation peacefully. CIA didnt want to shoot it down

[mastercali]

If your country is going to operate in a Spanish speaking country at least get the basics learn.

[SexyBack887]

bandidos. hehe.. idiots

[mimepelj]

unbelivable

[Rino1707]

CIA can do that when they're bored...

[scienceexpert2007]

@trenchang no they were - according to the video, the CIA was following PERU's orders to shoot. PERU wanted to shoot. The CIA didn't want to shoot and said they were making a mistake.

[Riyun72]

Cant see how it could be blamed on CIA, it's the Peruvian country it's their call. The agents obviously said they didnt think it was bandits. Blame the Peruvians for taking that decision.

[gio31brasil]

"before bbbbbbb" lol what a joke!!!

[nokiadtd]

just can t belive how they comunicate...

[gio31brasil]

god bless the USA!!  lol

[ryanspeed]

(Cont.)

and strayed into then Soviet airspace only to get shot down killing 269 people!

[newworldman123]

i meant the us killing its own people.......we know how good they are at friendly fire.

[colombusa2002]

Can anyone say "Spanglish"? Is this the level of communication we have with international officials? Good people are dead because our government had incompetent people in the field in a position of power - control of a gunship's movements.

[colombusa2002]

Also the CIA pilots repeated that it wasn't their call, but they were the ones who called the Peruvian Air Force, it was the CIA who identified the plane to them, it is the CIA who's hands are dirty... no cocaine on that plane, only God loving missionaries doing the work of the church.

[colombusa2002]

Incredible!!! How come it is more important to not risk being seen than to follow established rules of identification! The CIA shot down that plane, it was the CIA who alerted the Peruvians...and then the CIA obviously had limited Spanish language ability - the communication between the CIA and the Peruvians was poor - the thoughts were not being transmitted completely from the CIA operatives to the Peruvian pilots.

[brausys]

I could not agree more with you. The nature of this aliancewas to combine electronic intelligence gathering by the CIA and the military enforcement by the Peruvian Air Force. The lack of communication played a huge role but the intelligence gathering piece stepped first into the chain of failures. I wonder if there were other episodes with innocent peruvian people killed by this kind of mistakes and didn't get the news attention.

[newworldman123]

typical.........

[juskadog]

thats really anything but typical.