July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike

July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrike controversy
Part of the Post-invasion Iraq
File:SaeedNamir.jpg Driver Saeed Chmagh and photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen, two Reuters employees killed in the incident
Date July 12, 2007 Location Baghdad, Iraq Result Death of ~12 individuals including 2 civilian reporters

On July 12, 2007, two United States Army AH-64 Apache helicopters in the Iraq War opened fire, killing 12 people, including two staff of Reuters news service. On April 5, 2010, the Internet leak website Wikileaks released a classified video of the incident, acquired at an undisclosed time from an undisclosed source. Taken from the gunsights of an attacking helicopter, the video depicts the incident in its entirety. Reuters have cited an anonymous U.S. military official as confirming "that the video and audio were authentic."

Incident

An AH-64D Apache similar to the one involved in the incident

On July 12, 2007, two Reuters news staff, Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor-Eldeen, were killed in the al-Amin al-Thaniyah neighborhood of Baghdad, along with ten other people by gunfire from an Apache helicopter which, based on the fact that rounds from its M230 chain gun took a little over 2 seconds to reach the target area, was flying approximately a mile away. Lieutenant Colonel Scott Bleichwehl, spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad, stated: "There is no question that coalition forces were clearly engaged in combat operations against a hostile force." Reuters subsequently asked the United States military to probe these deaths, and in particular requested answers to the following questions:

• An explanation of why the two cameras were confiscated.
• Access to any cameras on-board the Apache helicopters that were involved in the incident.
• Access to any voice communications between the helicopter crews and U.S. ground forces.
• Access to reports from the unit involved in the incident, in particular a log of any weapons taken from the scene.

Following the 2007 attack, Reuters reported that interviewed witnesses reported seeing no gunmen in the immediate area and that police described the attack as "random American bombardment". The American military reported on the day of the attack that the two journalists were killed along with "nine insurgents" and that the helicopter engagement was related to an American troop raid force that had been attacked by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Release of video

Video showing Namir Noor-Eldeen amongst others. Several minutes into this video, the AH-64 Apache from which the video originates opens fire, killing all 12 persons present. The text beneath the video is a subtitle of the radio transmissions occurring throughout the incident.

In a press conference on April 5, 2010, at the National Press Club, Wikileaks released a video in which it claims to be "showing murder of Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists". Wikileaks, through its special page Collateral Murder, has identified the source of the leak as "a number of military whistleblowers." Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, a U.S. Defense official confirmed the authenticity of the leaked audio and video.

The 38-minute video shot from an Apache helicopter gunsight shows the Apache opening fire with a M230 30mm cannon on a group of civilians, including the two Reuters news staffers. Radio transmissions captured in the video between the Apache gunner and pilot, ground units, and military command reveal that the involved units identified individuals holding AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade. Following the initial attack, an unmarked van pulls up with several apparently unarmed men and two children inside. As the men attempt to assist the wounded Saeed Chmagh into the van, the Apache receives permission to engage and opens fire on the van, killing Chmangh and his would-be rescuers. The two children survived and were evacuated when discovered by a Marine investigating the van several minutes after the attack; however, initial attempts to evacuate the two children to a nearby U.S. military hospital were blocked by U.S. military command, who eventually ordered the children to be evacuated to a local Iraqi hospital.

Wikileaks had first announced possession of the videos on their Twitter account well in advance, on January 8, 2010, and announced the reveal date on March 21. Publicity of the incident ballooned following the release of the video depicting the incident by Wikileaks on April 5, 2010. The release of the video (and by extension, the incident itself) was covered by Al-Jazeera English and Reuters, followed by The Washington Post, the BBC, the New York Times, and CNN, among others.

Release of Army report

On April 6, 2010, cryptome.org, another whistleblower website, posted the Army report on the incident. The report claims that at least two members of the group which were first fired on were armed. The report states that two RPG launchers and one AKM or AK-47 rifle could be seen in the helicopter video and were picked up by the follow-up U.S. ground troops. The report concludes that the Reuters employees were in the company of armed insurgents. The report recommends encouraging journalists in Iraq to wear special vests to identify themselves, and to keep the U.S. military updated about their whereabouts.

Incident according to the report

According to the U.S. Army investigation report released by the United States Central Command, and posted on crytome.org, the engagement started at 10:20 Iraqi local time and ended at 10:41. Bravo Company 2-16 was within 100 meters of the individuals that were fired upon with 30mm AH-64 Apache cannons. The company was charged with clearing their sector from any small armed forces, and had been under fire from small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The company was supported by two Apache helicopters from the 1st Cavalry Division's Aviation Brigade, callsigns "Crazyhorse 18" and "Crazyhorse 19". Two men were identified by Crazyhorse 18 as carrying an RPG launcher and an AKM or AK-47. When the camaraman on the ground aimed his camera in the direction of Bravo Company 2-16, a pilot remarked "He's getting ready to fire". The cameraman appeared to be wearing the type of safari vest and camera sling commonly worn by war reporters. An Apache maneuvered around a building to get a clear shot and shot all nine men, killing eight. A black van then approached the area and attempted to load a wounded man. After getting permission to fire, the Apache shot at the van. When Bravo Company arrived at the scene, they found two RPGs and an AK-47 or AKM. They also found two Canon EOS digital cameras with telephoto lenses. Two children were found in the van, a four year old girl with gunshot wounds and an eight year old male. Both children were evacuated to forward operating base Loyalty.

• 
  "Exhibit A" from the Army report
• 
  "Exhibit B" from the report allegedly showing armed men with AKM and RPG
• 
  "Exhibit C" from the Army report: Namir Noor-Eldeen preparing to take pictures
• 
  "Exhibit O" from the Army report: An AK-47 and a Canon digital camera on the ground

External links

• Collateral Murder
• RT interview with the Wikileaks journalist Julian Assange, from The Alyona Show
• TimesOnline report with complete audio transcript