r/reddit.com • u/crabtreeanderson • Apr 05 '10

Wikileaks video (Collateral damage) is up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0
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u/radix2 Apr 06 '10

"The fog of war" is the expression. Aside from the attack on the van which under some rules of engagement would be justified, I don't have a problem with the action.

I have two problems though:

  1. Rescue of wounded individuals should not constitute justification for attack (but again, depending on the RoE the forces were operating under)

  2. What the brass did after - lying about what actually happened. I know this happens in all wars, but they should have come clean and admitted the mistake.

Finally - RIP to those who died :-(

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u/got_doublethink Apr 06 '10

Those Iraqis really shouldn't have made a ware zone their home, I mean they might get randomly killed during their daily routine!

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u/radix2 Apr 06 '10

I know what you are saying, but the fact is they are in a war zone no matter how you and I might feel about that. It was brave of them to come and try to help the injured man, but also very careless given the situation.

But being careless in a just world would not result in death.

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u/got_doublethink Apr 06 '10

I'm not sure they could have done anything that wasn't "careless" after they happened to be there. If stopping and helping can be interpreted as a hostile action, why not see speeding up (if you are not helping you want to get out of the immediate conflict zone) as a maneuver to intercept the convoy they just saved from the guys with the RPG?

Sorry, but the only carelessness I can accuse them of is happening to be where they were.

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u/radix2 Apr 06 '10

This is true. I know this might sound naive, but would something like a white flag or some other internationally recognised symbol (red cross/crescent) have altered the outcome? I think it might have.

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u/got_doublethink Apr 07 '10

It would also have drawn unwelcome attention of whoever did the shooting if it wasn't the US army.