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Gates: Wikileaks 'Irresponsible' for Releasing Video
Laments that Watchdog Will 'Not Be Held Accountable'
by Jason Ditz Posted on April 13, 2010 Categories NewsTags Iraq, Obama, Wikileaks
With growing concerns over the massive number of civilians being killed in America's assorted wars, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates took time out to publicly condemn Wikileaks for its release of a July 12, 2007 video showing US helicopters massacring civilians in Iraq.
Gates insisted it was "irresponsible" of Wikileaks to release the classified video and that it showed only a "soda straw" view of the overall war. He also lamented that Wikileaks "can put out anything they want and not be held accountable."
The video was leaked a week ago and showed the Apache helicopters killing at least a dozen civilians, including two Reuters employees. The military had previously claimed the incident was a result of "combat operations against a hostile force," though the video clearly shows no action taken by any of the people killed.
Gates' comments came as he attempted to shrug off the recent attack on a busload of civilians in Afghanistan and several other US attacks on civilians there, urging people to "face the reality that we are in a war."
Author: Jason Ditz
Jason Ditz is senior editor of Antiwar.com.	View all posts by Jason Ditz
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49 thoughts on "Gates: Wikileaks 'Irresponsible' for Releasing Video"
Chris Lawrence says:
Wow, talk about blaming the messenger. If you want videos showing the US military murdering people to stop showing up on the Internet, there's an easy and effective way to do this: Stop murdering people!
dedreckon says:
Makes sense to me. However these guys in Washington and unfortunately many Americans don't seem to be bothered by this kind of barbarity. They will though when it starts happening here. Can you spell Waco, Tx ?
Or at least delete the damned videos.
The facts says:
I was as shocked as anyone until I found out the short video was actually edited with the intent of causing a stir. You guys should set aside your indignation for a minute and watch Colbert's interview with the editor of wikileaks. I won't trust another thing they put out.
http://www.geekosystem.com/stephen-colbert-wikile…
An excerpt from the interview:
"Let's talk about this footage that has gotten you so much attention recently. This is footage of an Apache helicopter attack in 2007. The army described this as a group that gave resistance at the time, that doesn't seem to be happening. But there are armed men in the group, they did find a rocket propelled grenade among the group, the Reuters photographers who were regrettably killed, were not identified…You have edited this tape, and you have given it a title called 'collateral murder.' That's not leaking, that's a pure editorial."
P Norman says:
Actually, Comrade Gates, we are NOT in a "war" because Congress has declared no "war" ANYWHERE on the planet.
Ahhhh….someone actually gets it.
JDonald says:
It's not just the killing that is scary. It's the way the helicopter personel seemed to enjoy murdering other humans. If our military are being trained to think that war is a video game and that the targets aren't really humans, how can such persons be deprogrammed upon their return and learn again the value of one human life. I don't think this can happen. These valiant military that the public worships have been trained to be inhumane. Bring them home now and try to reprogram them.
I don't normally make Nazi comparisons, but I think the attitude here qualifies for that comparison, if nothing else. These brown people are inferior, we will kill them regardless, but if we can get some enjoyment or even some minor distraction from it, then at least they will have served some purpose in their lives. It's racism extended to the point where the life of the "other" has no value at all, except perhaps the amusement of their murderers.
If there is ever a reckoning, and war crimes are prosecuted, those who gave the orders for the invasion, and the acts that resulted from it, will be executed. Those who carried out the orders will be either imprisoned or executed, depending on the circumstances. Today we still read stories about the few Nazis still alive, who are still occasionally being captured, tried and sentenced for their crimes. I say this to all American soldiers: Do you want to be on the run 30 or 40 or 50 years from now? If not, stop the murders and refuse your illegal orders.
Druthers says:
It's racism extended to the point where the life of the "other" has no value at all, except perhaps the amusement of their murderers.
You don'tt even have to be so "other," just poor. That is the dividing line now in America.
They won the class war.
The poor in the US aren't being murdered. In fact, many of them have joined the military and are responsible for a lot of the death in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are also benefiting from the exploitation of a lot of countries around the world. Remember that the poor in the US are still among the richest people in the world. Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't a growing income divide in the US, and that this isn't a serious problem, but we have to put things in context.
MvGuy says:
So wonderful to get a look at the true character of the commander of our forces….. The whoever the F*#^K they are killing reporters, rescuers, and his concern is the truth. in form of their own contemptible blood lust and joy of killing, leaking out..!!!! Of course it is the lies that show in the video… It is the depraved American Military MURDERS that comes so clear in the clip…. Worse than ANIMALS for the entire WORLD to see…. Good Show… Hey, why don't we do it in the road….no one will be watching us
Sad to say it's true.
kalashnikov says:
More wonderful pontifications from the same demented Yank who said: "European opposition to war is an obstacle to peace."
So Gates urged people to "face the reality that we are in a war", he just doesn't want people to see the reality.
this just in****************they/them changed thai",oo, minds again
Per says:
'Soda Straw' is a phrase I have only heard once before in realations to warfare, and that was a Danish millitary official a week ago, using the phrase on the combat perspective of the drone 'pilots'.
Strange to hear it used about the civil society when it places judgement on the spoils of war.
Gates is well aware that truth is the first victim of war and that it is best to hide the evidence. – but then perhaps Gates is not acquainted with the truth.
sharkbait says:
I can only hope that someday Gates and the rest of the war criminals will be held accountable for murder. I'm betting that they eventually will be.
Unfortunately I fear that you are overly optimistic. They will present a litany like Greenspan who like the three monkeys, saw no evil, heard no evil and spoke no evil, implying the crime is in the eye of the beholder.
I think these are people with conscience.
Montaigne says:
I think sociopath is an apt description. He and his likes are revelling in the SPINNED REALITY of the present "developed" world.
The Age of Spin Surveillance, or ASS for short (in the good American tradition for snappy, manipulative realities.
Jeez. If your toops don't kill unarmed civilians and news reporters, no video is taken and there fore none released. Too bad Mr. Gates and his henchmen (and women) don't live in an even more totalitarian state–then they would never have to worry about these kind of videos being seen by the public.
jojoos says:
Over 138 reporters have been slaughtered by American troops in Iraq. Odd thing about–Ryeters seems to hire Iraqies only,now if they were American reporters, would the USi military orders stand to kill all reporters.
Another oddity, why does Rueters agency have reporters—they rarely report or show any meaning full videos of slaughter.
Cold Wind says:
Gates needs to be reminded he serves the public and the public needs to know how our troops behave in the battlefield. We will not tolerate the pablum from the Pentagon any longer. A good portion of our troops have lost empathy with ordinary people and should not be in a theater of war. What we see on the video is wanton murder. Gates is ultimately responsible. It is a war crime. But, we have President who has signed off on killing American citizens mafia style. What has happened to America?
We are well down the road to being a Banana Republic.
Actually, Americans are becoming more and more like their Israeli pimps. Self righteous terrorists and a threat to world peace.
Sadly true.
wolvedrive says:
super evil "super"power,if this was an aa group the general would be in a state (altered) by what denial,?,,,like I said beta blockers of the psycotropic varieties,OO,really,don't drink the kool aid,really
Eric Siverson says:
Nelson_2008 says:
The "U.S. government" has become an end in itself (a consummately evil one, obviously), to which "the People" are an increasingly annoying obstacle; one that will no doubt need to be dealt with, severely, in the not too distant future.
Nike says:
These particular war criminals will never face prosecution because of the fact that so many millions of Americans gleefully support their war crimes, unlike say, the war crimes committed by wartime Germany and Japan, which Americans have been acting indignant over for the last 6+ decades.
The truth is that Bush's torture chambers and other war crimes were widespread public knowledge BEFORE the American people rewarded Shrub with a second term in power, back in 2004, thereby enabling him and Dick Cheney and the rest of the Amerifascist regime to keep up all that killing shit. So who's really responsible?
Things can change a lot in 20 or 30 years. Just ask the Soviets. Remember, too, the third reich was supposed to last 1000 years. US power won't last forever, and if it is weakened, war criminals will no longer have anywhere to hide. This is something the troops need to think about today, there may be consequences to their action decades in the future.
Wolfgang says:
One day, thise guys who left some time ago as pretty healthy country folks will get back to their neighborhoods and act very strangely, maybe just killing afew of their buddies or even their wifes and siblings. And that's when ordinary people in the US will think about Mr Gates and those who have been responsible.
So, if nothing in the video is illegal, as Gates suggests, why did they block it's release ? if there's nothing wrong with it's content, then why didn't they release it to reuters when they requested it ?.
The US is worse than Israhell. The Us right wingers have lowered the US into a disgusting empire. I support all resistance against the US and Israhell and both are running out of fresh bodies. Draft anyone?
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Lead Guitarist says:
"He also lamented that Wikileaks 'can put out anything they want and not be held accountable.'"
The controllers hate it when they can't find and punish the ones who expose them.
Delta says:
It's pretty awesome how this doesn't mention that the 'civilians' here were armed. I read about 4 different accounts of this story and only one mentioned that. It helps our well thought out and perfectly reasonable anti-war agenda a lot more when news like this is distorted to make our cause appear noble.
Our cause is mostly – cause we want that oil.
Iraq, like the US has a gun culture, just because someone has an AK instead of a 1911. doesn't make them a more legitimate target. For Gates to speak of the 'realities of war' is sickening. Those realities are the very reasons why I amongst many opposed the war from the outset. War is a horrible, dehumanising and morally corrupting enterprise, which is why it should be reserved as the action of last resort. For those who care little for the lives of Iraqi civilians at least rationalise the harm done to your own nation, and the tens of thousands of veterans who will carry psychological scars for the rest of their lives.
Gates "also lamented that Wikileaks 'can put out anything they want and not be held accountable.'"
The DOD is treated so unfairly! They can't put anything out! They are always held accountable!
How triste.
Ben Mathis says:
He also lamented that Wikileaks "can put out anything they want and not be held accountable."
Kind of like the reverse, right?
He also lamented that the US Military "can withhold anything they want and not be held accountable."
Urinal Gum says:
It would be terrible if some angry Iraqi civilians decided to kill some soldiers, who are occupying their country illegally, over this.
Dan-o says:
Rather than spend the next 10 minutes writing up my own response, I'll just go ahead and post this link: http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/201889.php
…Oh yeah, and these similar pieces with further info: http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/201916.php http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/201929.php
Read at your own risk.
Sat-elite Son says:
"Wikileaks can put out anything they want and not be held accountable.", well the military can murder anyone they want and not be held accountable. Our nation is plagued by hypocrisy and is driving itself into the ground. It makes me ashamed to be an American when people are so shallow with their actions.
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Y2K-ZORRO says:
So I get down on my knees and pray . . .
We won't be fooled again.
Say Hello to the new boss
Same as the old Boss . . .
Obama is an even bigger Fascist than Bush
He is truly the ideal puppet for the New World Order
There is only ONE political figure in America today who
honestly wants to deliver the kind of change we thought we
were voting for when Obama got elected.
RON PAUL – A True Conservative who has opposed these illegal, fraudulent wars
from before they even started. He has true American spirit and patriotism as his
record. There's no dispute that he was born in America! Do WE have the balls to
get him elected or are we just a bunch of whining douchebags who totally deserve
this corrupt, treasonous leadership?
"He also lamented that Wiki leaks 'can put out anything they want and not be held accountable.'"
They frag a heap of civilians and are not held accountable…….
The guy is tripping!!!!!! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!!!!!!!!
The day they take your guns off yaz is the day yooz gonna be flucked…good luck.
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