USA executes handcuffed children in Iraq

[Blackburn]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/01/wikileaks-us-troops-execu_n_945279.html


A classified U.S. diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks contains claims that U.S. forces executed ten Iraqi civilians, half of whom were children aged five or younger, in 2006 and then tried to cover it up.

McClatchy reports that questions from a local U.N. investigator in Iraq, and from Philip Alston, the organization's special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to U.S. military were ignored and have still not been addressed, five years later.

Alston's memo noted that the bodies of the dead civilians, who had all been shot in the head, were handcuffed.

Digital Journal notes that at the time the executions took place:

U.S. military officials in Iraq said eyewitness accounts of the incident were likely false, and later said the matter warranted no further investigation. The officials refused to reveal unit identities which might have taken part in the killings.

The Pentagon has not commented on the allegations raised by the new cable.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

And this is in Non-Political why?

[W1N5T0N]

what. the. fuck.

its like US military official snuff

[Dzerzhinsky's Ghost]

It's extremely difficult for me not to want some sort of retaliation for this and say "for every one of ours they execute, we will in turn execute one of theirs." It may seem extreme or silly of me to say so and I fully realize two wrongs don't make a right but God damnt this is just sickening to me, truly and pisses me off beyond belief.

[Ele'ill]

Thread moved here to Politics.

[RedSonRising]

I don't even see the fucking point in doing something like that. Despicable.

[MattShizzle]

If this were any other country doing something like that (other than a key US ally) the US government would be puting out sanctions and demanding a UN trial. Guess when you're powerful enough the rules don't apply to you.

[Dumb]

If this were any other country doing something like that (other than a key US ally) the US government would be puting out sanctions and demanding a UN trial. Guess when you're powerful enough the rules don't apply to you.

Who's there to arrest the international policeman?

[MattShizzle]

These weren't just children, but small children. And they weren't killed in the heat of battle but cuffed and deliberately murdered. That's monstrous and what you'd have expected from the SS.

[MattShizzle]

Also, why hasn't this been in the regular media? Seems those with power and influence are of the opinion "who cares, they're only Muslims/brown people/whatever."

[Red Commissar]

These weren't just children, but small children. And they weren't killed in the heat of battle but cuffed and deliberately murdered. That's monstrous and what you'd have expected from the SS.

Closer to the present and pertinent to Iraq, it would have been something that the Fedayeen was notorious for when it was set up in the 90s- busting in randomly and engaging in 'extrajudicial' killings as it went around fighting 'defending' the state.

Ironic considering the US made a big deal about bringing 'freedom' to the Iraqis, and yet here is an example of some troops just wailing on civilians. And this is one that was reported- there are many more that probably have happened that never saw the light of day.

[MattShizzle]

Did even the Fedayeen purposely kill 4 year olds?

[Weezer]

why

[Susurrus]

There has to be something behind this. I highly doubt even a US soldier would execute a child.

[Column No.4]

I wouldnt put it past any US service member to do anything as cold blooded as this, remember they dont see Arabs as people to be respected. I really need to hear more about this incident before i take it as truth.

[piet11111]

There has to be something behind this. I highly doubt even a US soldier would execute a child.

Maybe its a revenge killing remember that incident where they threw grenades at an unarmed teen and tried to cover it up by placing an AK near his corpse.
The army makes monsters out of their soldiers to make them more reliable killers and often uses racism as a way to dehumanize the enemy making it easier to kill them and murders like these are a logical continuation of this kind of training.

[Zealot]

This makes me physically sick .... I think it is within contexts like these that you might understand a terrorist's mindset, not the narrow view of "they want to take away our freedom", which is obviously absurd. But does this really surprise me? Nope, I've heard about atrocities in the Iraq war way too many times. Will this change anything? Nope, we can forget about it in a week and carry on being good patriots.

[Blackburn]

This makes me physically sick .... I think it is within contexts like these that you might understand a terrorist's mindset, not the narrow view of "they want to take away our freedom", which is obviously absurd. But does this really surprise me? Nope, I've heard about atrocities in the Iraq war way too many times. Will this change anything? Nope, we can forget about it in a week and carry on being good patriots.

Yeah this is getting no attention from the media or internet people.

I think I live in a different world than the majority of people.

In my world this story is number #1 of importance. In this world, we need to vote back in a Republican because dey iz pro life herp a derp.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

Fucking sickening. Still won't stop most Americans thinking 'Why do they hate us?' when their gathered around ground zero next Sunday.

[CommieTroll]

Yeah, it was necessary to handcuff them first, you never know, children could have overpowered grown men.:rolleyes: I wouldn't even call those monsters men. I was in a really good mood today but this'll be in my head all day. And those bastards get paid to do that. Its horrendous what some people will do for money. And those pigs wonder why we hate Capitalism

[Red Commissar]

The reason why I think this hasn't gotten as much attention as it should is probably because we don't have much to go off beyond the information gathered by the UN rep, and unfortunately the media routinely makes it appear that Iraqi people make up things to "make us look bad", as I've heard war apologists say before.

One issue with these wikileaks cables, I've found at least, is they really haven't 'convinced' anyone so much as they have confirmed the views of those of us who have an interest in the topic. I've shown this (the actual cable, actually, rather than the news sources so people don't think it's a spin or some nonsense), and I've generally noticed unfortunately they think that what ever source the UN official got his 'info' from must've been fake. They can't fathom that stuff like this could actually happen in a war- much less be done by the good ol' red, white, and blue under the pretext of fighting 'terrorism' and spreading 'freedom'.


Did even the Fedayeen purposely kill 4 year olds?

As far as I know, there haven't been killings of children in this manner, though sometimes times kids would get caught in the 'crossfire' when they would go after a particular person who had crossed the state in some form.

This doesn't sound much different from kids who also got got in the 'crossfire' when they were in the wrong neighborhood when US military rolls around though.

[RadioRaheem84]

They're going to pull the whole "few bad apples" line if this were to get out in the mainstream.

As you can see nothing is systemic, it's all isolated incidences according to the government.

[Red Commissar]

As you can see nothing is systemic, it's all isolated incidences according to the government.

The government and the populace unfortunately. Though when another country does it, especially one in the "bad" list, it's of course a bad thing that should be condemned and is representative of the regime as a whole (ex Qaddafi's forces and Viagra fueled rapes).

Got to love it when the pot calls the kettle black.

[¿Que?]

Horrible. I think part of the problem is since recruitment is down, the army is getting more lax in who they let in, plus not to mention the repeated tours of duty that military people are put through, it's easy to see how some of them could just snap. I mean, sometimes they kill themselves, sometimes they do shit like this. It's the system that's really at fault.

[Mark V.]

Why the fuck would you do this. I mean even a heartless asshole would rationalize that the kids weren't worth the bullets, it takes a real hateful, bigoted, psychopath to kill children under the age of 5.

[Klaatu]

Can we water-board Dick Cheney now to find out what he knows about this?

[brigadista]

shame of the UK from 2008

1xvqwUytcQc

[Invader Zim]

It's extremely difficult for me not to want some sort of retaliation for this and say "for every one of ours they execute, we will in turn execute one of theirs." It may seem extreme or silly of me to say so and I fully realize two wrongs don't make a right but God damnt this is just sickening to me, truly and pisses me off beyond belief.

You're right, it is an incredibly fucking stupid desire. Because US troops committ an atrocity children in the US should die? What are you on?

[Susurrus]

There needs to be an investigation into this.

[Kornilios Sunshine]

Fuckin' assasins.DIE!

[Red Commissar]

There needs to be an investigation into this.

Well, its nearly five years ago and what ever internal 'investigation' they did passed the blame off to insurgents or something.

There's not enough public outcry over these things anymore as it goes back to the authority issue, same thing with police brutality. Whose word do you trust more, the US soldier or the civilian/victim?

Seems a good chunk of the populace would take the former, unfortunately.

[Blackburn]

There's not enough public outcry over these things anymore as it goes back to the authority issue, same thing with police brutality.

It annoys when they get outraged over stupid crap... like "Obama is a secret Muslim Terrorist" or some delusion.... or all the secret Conspiracy theories...

But when it's an actual real think that a Government is doing... they could care less.

Of course I think maybe their would be an outcry if Obama was president back the.

Repubs just get a free ride.

[Misanthrope]

No surprise that depression, suicide, and post traumatic stress disorders are so high in soldiers... Sick bastards, no justification for this.

[Blackburn]

No surprise that depression, suicide, and post traumatic stress disorders are so high in soldiers... Sick bastards, no justification for this.

You'd have to think it would some sort hand picked Dick Cheney Death Squad guys or something right?

Surely the wouldn't order to regular Joe to do executions?