Collateral Murder

Collateral Murder. This term refers to a classified United States Army gunship video from the Iraq War, leaked in 2010, which depicts the July 2007 killing of several individuals in New Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff. The 39-minute footage, released by the organization WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, sparked intense global debate about military rules of engagement, collateral damage, and freedom of the press in conflict zones. The incident and its aftermath became a pivotal moment in public perception of the Iraq War and the ethics of war journalism.

Background and context

The incident occurred during the Iraq War, a protracted conflict following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the United States. The area of New Baghdad was a known hotspot for insurgency in Iraq, with frequent engagements involving Mahdi Army militia and U.S. forces. On July 12, 2007, a team from the Reuters news agency, including photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh, was operating in the district. They were part of a larger group of individuals that an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, operating as part of Task Force Marne, perceived as a potential threat. The rules of engagement at the time, under the broader framework of Operation Iraqi Freedom, permitted preemptive engagement against suspected combatants.

The video and its contents

The video is a 39-minute recording from the Apache's gun-sight camera, containing both visual and audio feeds of the crew's communications. It opens with the crew observing a group of men on a street, some of whom are carrying what are identified as AK-47 rifles and possibly an RPG-launcher. The crew requests and receives permission to engage from their higher command. The initial engagement kills several individuals, including Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh. Later, a van arrives to assist the wounded, and the crew, misidentifying the activity as retrieving weapons, opens fire again, wounding two children inside. The audio includes the crew's dialogue, which later became a focal point of controversy for its perceived casual tone.

Release and public reaction

On April 5, 2010, the organization WikiLeaks, under the direction of Julian Assange, published the encrypted video on its website, titling it "Collateral Murder." A 17-minute edited version, with explanatory graphics, was simultaneously released to media outlets like The Guardian and Democracy Now!. The global reaction was immediate and polarizing. Major news organizations, including The New York Times, CNN, and the BBC, extensively covered the leak, leading to widespread public outrage and protests from groups like Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders. The video was seen as visual confirmation of long-held criticisms of the Iraq War and significantly damaged the public image of the U.S. military and the administration of President George W. Bush.

Investigations and official responses

Following the incident in 2007, the United States Army conducted an internal investigation, which concluded that the actions of the Apache crew were in accordance with the laws of war and the applicable rules of engagement, and thus did not constitute a war crime. After the video's public release in 2010, the Pentagon and the State Department, under Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, condemned the leak as a threat to national security. Reuters, which had unsuccessfully filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the video in 2007, stated the release answered long-standing questions. No criminal charges were ever filed against the soldiers involved.

Impact and legacy

The release of the video had profound and lasting consequences. It served as a major catalyst for the rise of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange to global prominence, setting the stage for later massive leaks like the Iraq War logs and Cablegate. The event intensified debates over government transparency, whistleblowing, and led to the eventual arrest and prosecution of the source, Chelsea Manning, under the Espionage Act of 1917. In media and military circles, it forced a reevaluation of embedded journalism and the dangers faced by war correspondents. The phrase "Collateral Murder" itself entered the lexicon as a critical shorthand for incidents of civilian casualties in modern warfare, influencing public discourse on subsequent conflicts in Afghanistan and Syria.

Category:Iraq War Category:WikiLeaks Category:2007 in Iraq Category:2010 controversies