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Posted: 5/4/2004 7:14:02 AM EDT

French TV to show images of US helicopter killing Iraqis
Tue May 04 2004 08:59:08 ET

French cable television station Canal Plus on Tuesday will broadcast images, stolen in Iraq, of a US army helicopter killing three Iraqis who do not appear to be posing any threat, one of whom was wounded.

The show "Merci pour l'info" (Thanks for the news) obtained the footage, seen by an AFP correspondent, from a "European working as a subcontractor for the US army" who left Iraq two weeks ago.

The man claims to have hidden the tape, dated December 1, 2003 and filmed at an unidentified location in Iraq, at the US base where he lived and worked.
The three-and-a-half minutes of footage were taken from the helicopter firing at the three individuals, who were considered by the US military to be suspicious.

Conversations between the helicopter pilot, the sharpshooter and their commanding officer -- who had a video link and is giving orders in real time -- can be heard on the tape.

The footage shows how the three men were killed one after the other. After the deaths of his two companions, the third attempted to hide under a truck, but was hit by helicopter gunfire.

"Got the guy right here," says the sharpshooter, as the wounded man is seen crawling on the ground.

"Good. Fire. Hit him," replies the officer.

In March, the rights watchdog group Amnesty International said "scores of civilians have been killed apparently as a result of excessive use of force by US troops, or have been shot dead in disputed circumstances."

The broadcast also comes as the United States confronts mounting anger over the alleged abuse of coalition prisoners in Iraq and the release of photos showing US troops humiliating Iraqi detainees.

Developing...




Wow! he hid the tape all this time when half the computers in America have the video on their hard drive? Stupid French.


Story on Drudge
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:15:40 AM EDT
[#1]
I've got the vid if anyone wants it, its the full one too, the one that shows the guy tossing what looks like a shoulder fired weapon in a field.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:16:37 AM EDT
[#2]
Heck, all this time I could have sold it to them as a "scoop".
Wonder how much they paid for it?
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:16:39 AM EDT
[#3]

Quoted:
I've got the vid if anyone wants it, its the full one too, the one that shows the guy tossing what looks like a shoulder fired weapon in a field.



Yeah, if the french wanted it I coulda sent it to 'em several months ago......Did I mention they were stupid?
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:21:20 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've got the vid if anyone wants it, its the full one too, the one that shows the guy tossing what looks like a shoulder fired weapon in a field.



Yeah, if the french wanted it I coulda sent it to 'em several months ago......Did I mention they were stupid?



You might have mentioned they are stupid, but I cant remember.  HELL, say it again, it needs to be said often and with CONVICTION!
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:22:37 AM EDT
[#5]
Also, I've seen the full length version of said video. The part that hasn't been shown in the video circulating on the Net shows some guy running into the field to the left, carrying and then dropping a tube, about 6 foot long, with some small attachments here and there; and the full-length version also displays _very_ suspicious behaviour by the shootees, i.e. running, skipping from ditch to ditch, hiding, before they are even aware of the gunship. IMO, the full context of the full length video justifies the shooting.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:25:31 AM EDT
[#6]
I am concerned that this will turn French opinion against the US and its operations in Iraq.


DEEPLY CONCERNED

BTW, what I love about that video is that the gunner gets buck fever and starts shooting without compensating his targeting system for range.  Amazingly, the Iraqis on the ground dont react at all to the sound of the cannon.  The Apaches must have been at least a mile away.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:25:53 AM EDT
[#7]

I wonder if they're gonna show the ENTIRE video including these Iraqis "who do not appear to be posing any threat" dropping off a shoulder-launched missile in a field right in front of an oncoming tractor - or are they gonna show the edited version of just a bunch of innocent Iraqis who are plowing a field at night getting atomized by those despicable sadistic Americans.

No actually I don't wonder.

Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:28:08 AM EDT
[#8]
That tape has been floating around here for a long time. I was under the impression it was FLIR footage from Afghanistan.  If I remember correctly the three were retreiving an object that looked like a SA-7 or Stinger from a field and the helo crew lit them up.  


Someone correct  me if I'm wrong.  If not I'll give the Frenchies a big "DUPE TOPIC/IBTL"
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:28:53 AM EDT
[#9]
Isn't that like dog bites man as far as the news goes ???

The French are strange.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:28:58 AM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:
I am concerned that this will turn French opinion against the US and its operations in Iraq.

DEEPLY CONCERNED


I'm flippin' out over it.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:33:33 AM EDT
[#11]
I saw it. It was good shooting. Lets me know my tax dollars were well spent on functional goods.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:35:28 AM EDT
[#12]
I just saw the round counter.  It took 100 rounds to remove thoes scumbags

Good shootin
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:37:58 AM EDT
[#13]
At the start of the video, the individual is running with a weapon in a cloth case similar to a gun rug.  Later in the video you can see one guy standing by the tractor trying to pull the weapon out of the case after one of his friends have been engaged by the helicopter and just before he gets whacked.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:44:53 AM EDT
[#14]
Oh jeez, I'm distraught. Please send help.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 7:59:16 AM EDT
[#15]
Well maybe the frenchies need to send over some of their white flags...
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:00:20 AM EDT
[#16]

Quoted:
Well maybe the frenchies need to send over some of their white flags...




No dice; they used 'em all.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:02:00 AM EDT
[#17]
God help me, I'm falling apart over this.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:06:33 AM EDT
[#18]
All your video are belong to them.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:06:48 AM EDT
[#19]
The french intelligence service has scooped us again,we surrender.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:10:56 AM EDT
[#20]
Um. Video link? I cant find the long version. I was trying to show it to my friend but couldnt find it. I knew I should have saved it to my hd.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:11:45 AM EDT
[#21]
If anybody can host it I have the 12mb version.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:12:29 AM EDT
[#22]
In other news, another french guy says he has proof that the US invaded Iraq in 1991 and killed many Iraqis fighting to retain their independance over a nation they had recently invaded called Kuwait. Citing a video tape he reieceved by hooking up a sophisticated device he calls a "VCR" to his television, he then manipulated the signal on his television so that it could tune in to an encrypted broadcast called "CNN" and used this VCR device to aquire the footage.  

Pepe could not be reached fo comment as he is currently serving time for stealing cable.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:12:47 AM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:
I've got the vid if anyone wants it, its the full one too, the one that shows the guy tossing what looks like a shoulder fired weapon in a field.



Man, I need that to go along with the video of the Spectre gunship in Afghanistan hosing down terrorists......uh, I mean innocent worshipers.....at a mosque.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:13:41 AM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've got the vid if anyone wants it, its the full one too, the one that shows the guy tossing what looks like a shoulder fired weapon in a field.



Man, I need that to go along with the video of the Spectre gunship in Afghanistan hosing down terrorists......uh, I mean innocent worshipers.....at a mosque.


That video was unreal.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:15:37 AM EDT
[#25]
got 'em both. who's got a host?
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:38:35 AM EDT
[#26]
I only wish there were more of those videos, I could watch them all day long!

I liked the one with the Apache going between the trees "ye of little faith"



eta.... spelling was terrible
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:40:50 AM EDT
[#27]
The first I time I saw this vid was when my buddy (recently returned from Iraq) showed it to me and gave the background info. According to him, a mounted patrol near the city of Talafar was shot at by some men in a pickup truck. Casualties were taken so they did not pursue, merely shot from the road until they were out of sight. Upon hearing of the event, the Apache who was loitering in a nearby area rushed in to see what he could scrounge up. Lo and behold there are two guys in a pickup with identifiable weapons. One more comes up in a tractor. Pilot gets clearance to shoot and that he does. The next morning my friends company, who the patrol was from go out to search the field and finds an AK and RPG launcher or two along with body pieces strewn about.

It's easy to see the action as a stand alone event when that is all you have footage of, but there was action before the Apache arrived on station, and unfortunately we took casualties from it.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 8:45:37 AM EDT
[#28]
I hope it frightens the hell out of the French, they work aginst us it's good to have them fear us.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 9:12:10 AM EDT
[#29]
I guess it's only fair.  After all, History Channel constantly shows French surrendering.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 9:17:14 AM EDT
[#30]
I'm glad he hid that one!
Just in case we lose (Loose?) the 15 posts of it we have here!
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 10:12:49 AM EDT
[#32]

If the video does not work try downloading the updated codec (4MB) at
download.divx.com/divx/DivX511.exe

You don't have to install the player that comes with it. Just deselect it during the install.
Link Posted: 5/4/2004 3:01:23 PM EDT
[#33]
BTT for evening video fans
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