WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord's Eyewitness Story

This video features U.S. soldier Ethan McCord speaking about a 2007 civilian massacre in New Baghdad, documented with Apache helicopter footage of the attack allegedly disclosed by PFC Brad Manning via WikiLeaks in April 2010. McCord's story was delivered to attendees of the United National Peace Conference, which took place in Albany NY the weekend of July 23-25, 2010. Produced by the United National Peace Conference Media Project, powered by The Sanctuary for Independent Media and the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center.
Also see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xKGGHUUAy0
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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. It was a scene that had played repeatedly in his mind the last three years, and he knew exactly who the soldier was.

In July 2007, McCord, a 33-year-old Army specialist, was engaged in a firefight with insurgents in an Iraqi suburb when his platoon, part of Bravo Company, 2-16 Infantry, got orders to investigate a nearby street. When they arrived, they found a scene of fresh carnage -- the scattered remains of a group of men, believed to be armed, who had just been gunned down by Apache attack helicopters. They also found 10-year-old Sajad Mutashar and his five-year-old sister Doaha covered in blood in a van. Their 43-year-old father, Saleh, had been driving them to a class when he spotted one of the wounded men moving in the street and drove over to help him, only to become a victim of the Apache guns.

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. That classified video created its own firestorm when the whistleblower site Wikileaks posted it April 5 on a website titled "Collateral Murder" and asserted that the attack was unprovoked. More than a dozen people were killed in three attacks captured in the video, including two Reuters journalists, one carrying a camera that was apparently mistaken for a weapon.

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. McCord is the father of three children.


For more information:
http://collateralmurder.com/en/index.html
http://www.MediaSanctuary.org
http://www.NationalPeaceConference.org
http://highstrangeness.blogspot.com/2010/08/wikileaks-collateral-murder-us-so...
http://www.BradleyManning.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• wiskyl
• irak
• afganistan
• world war
• science
• bbc
• cnn
• duty
• opening
• warfare
• war
• masacre
• reporter
• journalist

[Soulflydreamzz]

Ya its a real tragedy but really his children should have been at home especially not pullng mangled bodies into the van with the kids.....This is war!....Either stop fighting and fight your own government....or quit whining and deal with the carnage.Make your choice.I hate the war but its Becuz of the war ive grown to hate Muslims.....And shit Im Canadian just sittin back and watchin the news and youtube to get information....I use my eyes and my heart follows......Use better Intel next time.

[Adriaticon]

Ethan you are a testament to mankind...if only more soldiers would tell their stories...so that this murder can stop

[wind4watts]

please see WikiLeaks 'Collateral Murder' video: Iraq vet Ethan McCord he dragged kids out of the vehicles!

[nedeljko18]

This footage's are a good "fuel" ,Iraqi will show to their kids never to forget and forgive american occupant and to fight, fight and fight till the liberation of country !!! 

[LoLvlOfear]

and this is all result of your virtually non existent educational system (for gen pop) and also your culture of tv and sick twisted social behavior at home and in the hood, with your own ppl. there's no such general division of ppl as winners and losers, stop watching retarded tv shows and hollywood movies, teaching you nothing else than to be agressively cool, or girls to be virtually hoes and attract and sleep with as many ppl as they can(till they marry).ur culture makes u ppl adolescent 4evr

[LoLvlOfear]

look up to british soldiers who try to communicate with local people over there. theyre trying to blend in, to understand ppl and their language, not to 'kill every mofo around when you feel need to after your comrad has fallen'. this is emotional burdain which you aren't able to carry in general and which makes you so dangerous. just like with animals, fear and nervousness plus frustration makes agression. just like with dogs, watch cesar millan's dog therapy. you act more like dogs than ppl.

[LoLvlOfear]

but this all means you arent mature, your soldiers arent mature persons (with exceptions to ppl like the guy in this video), your officers arent mature ppl and your generals and politicians have their own hidden agendas and reasons why they dont care about all this and want to cover it up. that's the brain of 'american evil' which must be taken care of.

[LoLvlOfear]

i understand where your fear comes from which made those officers to order their troops to 'engage every motherfucker near ied explosion' or every person they feel threatened of. those mofoing ragheads made you terrified with their fearlessness and bite and flight tactics. how do you fight enemy you cant see or differ from its background? well yeah its a problem and a solution is you dont. outsmart in their own game by winning over ppls trust and gatering intel on them. then surgical strike...

[LoLvlOfear]

you americans are just making people hate you more and more because youre doing more damage than good, wherever you set your foot to. that's because of your gross attitude of thinking youre the best nation in the world which couldnt be further from truth. current events are showing that. china, india, brasil and every other forgotten shithole in the world will make you bite the dust. every scandinavian country in europe is educational and social paradise compared to your 'land of the free'.

[LoLvlOfear]

@DenStac also, in the firstplace, it was completely wrong to invade that country and thats the criminal act by itself. your government leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes - in fucking Iraq. Well whats done is done, you had your good roll until you overthroned saddam, after that, you just kept losing your point and purpose there. .there shouldve been immediate withdrawl with only training camps left in certain parts of country (under green zones) and leave the rest to iraqis.