Apache Killing Video becomes viral news

Journalism.co.uk ^ | 14 January 2004 | Jemima Kiss

[11th_VA]

A graphic US military video showing the killing of three Iraqi people is being circulated via the web after appearing on US TV news channel ABC News.

The one-minute file, filmed from a US Apache helicopter, shows three apparently unarmed people being shot with 30mm cannon fire. The clip was cut from a longer video obtained by ABC News last week and verified by a senior US army official.

The MPEG format file has been posted to several right-wing US forums, where the main concern seems to be to celebrate the effectiveness of the Apache's firepower.

So far though, in spite of its graphic nature, the film does not seem to have attracted much criticism from the anti-war movement.

Tony Sleep, a freelance photographer in the UK, was one recipient of the file. He was emailed a link to a US academic site that temporarily hosted the MPEG file.

"It's very uncomfortable to watch because it's so calculated," he told dotJournalism. "It's quite pornographic actually."

Video download (WARNING: some viewers may find this material disturbing): http://www.journalism.co.uk/imagesn/apache.mpeg

See also: http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/US/apache_video_040109.html

[11th_VA]

Whew ... they never saw it coming ...

[COEXERJ145]

"killing of three Iraqi people..."

"The MPEG format file has been posted to several right-wing US forums..."

Nah, no bias there. /sarcasm

[SeeRushToldU_So]

We are at war, the pilots are suppose too kill people and break things.

[smith288]

Before they flipped on the video recording, they were tracking these terrorists...also, they were hiding something next to what appeared to be a tractor and when the first guy got pulverized, the 2nd guy ran for the "unknown" object. I think we all know what it probably was (RPG for you Palm Beach voters).

[apillar]

Yes I'm outraged, what a waste of ammo. They should have been able to take them out without wasting so many shots.

[2banana]

Lesson #1. When hiding under a truck with an apache shooting your friends, don't stick you head out and "take a look..."

[martin_fierro]

The MPEG format file has been posted to several right-wing US forums, where the main concern seems to be to celebrate the effectiveness of the Apache's firepower.

The MPEG format file has not been posted to several left-wing US forums, where the main concern seems to be to downplay the effectiveness of the Apache's firepower.

[11th_VA]

[alnitak]

"It's very uncomfortable to watch because it's so calculated," he told dotJournalism. "It's quite pornographic actually."

What a wuss. The video is on Kazaa too, BTW.

[RandallFlagg]

MMMmmmmmm. Thirty millimeter....

I wonder what their range was..

[Constitutional Patriot]

I obtained this video from someone on the "inside" who also had access to the full video. The second "unarmed person" who was killed was seen handling a shoulder fired rocket (the same kind being used to down our choppers). Those three people were not shot for target practice. They were the enemy.

[reagan_fanatic]

"Lesson #1. When hiding under a truck with an apache shooting your friends, don't stick you head out and "take a look..."

I love a good game of Whack-A-Mole ©

[Dead Corpse]

I've seen this. FLIR footage.

As a former Marine, I can't help but think that should have been only three shots fired.

The MPG is quite graphic. The guy caught in the open gets splattered. FLIR picks up heat and the whole area glows from his blood being splashed around.

[Redcloak]

Heh, heh, heh... I just had to back and watch that one again. I'm glad that I saved it to my hard drive; it took forever to download and I've got a DSL line!

They sure did make a mess outta that first guy. Oh well... Jihad happens. (Not that that's anything a Euroweenie would understand.)

[JackRyanCIA]

"It's very uncomfortable to watch because it's so calculated," he told dotJournalism. "It's quite pornographic actually."

I thought it was real cool.

[LiberalSlayer99]

Anyone have a link to the video? As a right-wing extremist I'd like the celebrate the effectiveness of the Apache.

[Constitutional Patriot]

"When hiding under a truck with an apache shooting your friends, don't stick you head out and "take a look...""

It wouldn't have mattered. That 30mm cannon can shoot through truck engines w/ little difficulty. You don't even have to hit a peson directly to blow them to pieces. You can shoot the ground 10 feet away and the intended target will be pulp.

[Constitutional Patriot]

"I wonder what their range was.."

400 meters.

[Timesink]

Bias alert.

This is the Mainstream Media Shenanigans ping list. Please freepmail me to be added or dropped.
Please note this is a medium- to high-volume list.
Please feel free to ping me if you come across a thread you would think worthy of this ping list. I can't catch them all!

[Constitutional Patriot]

"FLIR picks up heat and the whole area glows from his blood being splashed around."

A lot of the heat signature seen on the video is the fragmented 30mm rounds (and a good helping of terrorist chunks).

[Redcloak]

I wonder what their range was.

From the perspective of the dead ragheads, probably "not far enough".

[Darksheare]

"The one minute clip... was cut from a longer video obtained by ABC News last week and verified by a senior US army official."

And the left is making an issue of ONLY one minute of the tape, regardless of whatever is seen in the PREVIOUS sections of video.
Of course, we know that's what they do anyway.

Good call on the part of our guys, and good hunting.

[Naspino]

Lesson #1. When hiding under a truck with an apache shooting your friends, don't stick you head out and "take a look..." LMAO. I'm sure they were just some wayard motorists looking to pick up Sean Penn from the airport.

[2banana]

It wouldn't have mattered. That 30mm cannon can shoot through truck engines w/ little difficulty. You don't even have to hit a peson directly to blow them to pieces. You can shoot the ground 10 feet away and the intended target will be pulp.

I agree - but the thermal sights can see through a truck and the crew did not know someone was under the truck until he poked his head out...

[2banana]

It wouldn't have mattered. That 30mm cannon can shoot through truck engines w/ little difficulty. You don't even have to hit a peson directly to blow them to pieces. You can shoot the ground 10 feet away and the intended target will be pulp.

I agree - but the thermal sights can see through a truck and the crew did not know someone was under the truck until he poked his head out...

[GOP_Proud]

bump

[mikegi]

So far though, in spite of its graphic nature, the film does not seem to have attracted much criticism from the anti-war movement.

Translation: "I had hoped that my commie friends would have raised a stink and I'd get to report on that to help them. How disappointing. Get busy people!"

Exactly what is "pornographic" about it? It is "calculated" because our military trains to do it. I guess some people are so stupid that they think our military trains to hand out candy bars and soccer balls.

Our military is heavily armed, well trained, and seriously pissed off because Islamic terrorists killed thousands of our own people. Get used to it.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Morons also ignore some basic fact about this video.

1) The view we see is only through one piece of night vision equipment onboard the chopper. There are others also in use at the time.

2) Seeing this live in combat through that piece of equipment is much clearer than on a third generation low resolution tape online. A trained experienced operator can see twice as much as we do, even off of that tape.

[mvpel]

And the left is making an issue of ONLY one minute of the tape, regardless of whatever is seen in the PREVIOUS sections of video.

Call it the "Rodney King Effect."

[Naspino]

It wouldn't have mattered. That 30mm cannon can shoot through truck engines w/ little difficulty.

You have to see the video though -- it appears they weren't going to shoot at the semi until they saw movement and were in fact panning away when then numbskull poked his head out and they said "Oh -- we have movement..." :)

[KarlInOhio]

The one-minute file, filmed from a US Apache helicopter, shows three apparently unarmed people being shot with 30mm cannon fire. The clip was cut from a longer video obtained by ABC News last week and verified by a senior US army official.

So the video was Dowdized to make the Iraqis appear to be unarmed. Nice. Thanks ABC.

[Arrowhead1952]

My understanding of the video was the three were trying to set a roadside bomb. I got that video several times.

[Darksheare]

True, true.
They love to edit out things that do not conform to their idea of what happened.
And the press wonders why I hate them so.

[RandallFlagg]

And I continue...


MMMmmmm. Military firepower....

[Daus]

Lesson #1. When hiding under a truck with an apache shooting your friends, don't stick you head out and "take a look..."

:) Exactly. Wouldn't you at least wait like a whole minute before sticking your noggin out? How impatient must you be to only wait 4 seconds?

[Darksheare]

There were four, but the one minute edit only shows three.
The fourth guy jumped into the pickup truck and layed down on the seats.
At the end when the wounded goober is crawling along, look at the driver's side of the back window.
You'll see a head poke up over the seatback.

[Dead Corpse]

Yep. He then tried rolling away towards the pickup truck.

"Aim just ahead of the pickup and FIRE."

No more truck. No more terrorist.

[Deguello]

Nice hunting video.

[spodefly]

As the video starts, the person running over to the tractor hears the Apache fire (before they had ranging, so the shots did not land in the field of view of the FLIR.) He picks up his pace to get to the tractor, where apparently they had a shoulder fire missle stashed. The driver of the tractor decides to head for the truck as person #1 unsheaths the shoulder-fired missle. At this pioint the Apache has ranging, and its all over after that.

[FFIGHTER]

Great Video. The arseh*le didn't have the slightest clue as to the context of the engagement, yet put his spin on it.

[FourtySeven]

Bump............I thought it was cool........

And until I see the whole video, I'll wait to criticise them for "shooting at unarmed men".

[OneTimeLurker]

bump

[xsrdx]

M230 Chain Gun and Ammo....

"The 30mm M230 automatic cannon is an area weapon carried on the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache aircraft to provide effective suppressive fire. Firing dual purpose, linkless ammunition at 625 SPM, it is capable of destroying targets out to 4000 m. This makes the M230 a deadly threat to light vehicles and deployed infantry.

ATK

[xsrdx]

30MM HEDP BANG!

[Darksheare]

I'm waiting for the whole thing to come out somewhere, either 'underground' or at some discussion group.

I also suspect that when it does, we'll hear an increase in the Left's bloviation, and a rise in the tonal pitch of their whine.
*chuckle*
Thanks, I'll be waiting for it myself.

[Recovering_Democrat]

ping to show later.

[BJungNan]

GoGov.com still had a link to the video up is anyone wnat to see it. Not sure of the exact link to the video but can find Video Link Here.

Scroll down just a bit when you get to the page.

[Dead Corpse]

I'll take two. They'd look great mounted in the bed of my truck.

[Bikers4Bush]

I've seen it, it rocks.

[pepsionice]

I saw the video too...and you have to watch carefully to see the shoulder-rocket. These guys weren't eating ice cream and watching Judge Wopner....they did have bad intentions and the Apache crew did what had to be done. What I have a problem about...is the tape got from a military source, to a open-market public forum. This should not have happened. I would discipline the NCO or officer involved who released the 1-minute shot.