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The Michigan Socialist | News |
World News
War, crimes and
videotape:
'He's wounded; hit 'em!'
By L. MEYERS
The Michigan Socialist
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A war crime caught on
videotape. To see this video in full, please click on the image
above. |
IT IS NOT EVERY day that a small piece of
videotape footage can so outrage you that you are moved beyond
words.
But, that is exactly the way this writer felt
after reviewing a video that has been circulating around the
Internet for over a month.
The video is the night-vision camera from a U.S.
Apache helicopter crew currently operating as part of the occupation
of Iraq.
On the video, you can clearly see the Apache
helicopter crew engage and kill a number of Iraqi people, and
destroy a few vehicles in the process.
At one point on the tape, after killing two of the
Iraqis and blowing up their vehicles, the camera pans to the right.
After a brief moment of talk about whether anyone
else is still alive, they see a slight motion and open fire on a man
hiding behind a large delivery truck.
The truck bursts into flames, seemingly killing
the cowering man.
After a few more seconds of watching the
situation, the man who had been hiding falls over and into the view
of the Apache crew’s camera.
In a clear and distinct voice, one of the crew
says, “roger, he’s wounded.” The word comes back: “Hit ’em!” The
Apache opens fire, killing the wounded man.
CERTAINLY, stories of war crimes coming out of
Iraq are becoming more common — except in the “free” American media.
Reports of U.S. and British soldiers firing on
unarmed civilians, forcing Iraqis to risk their lives for the
pleasure of the occupiers, torturing Iraqi “suspects,” raping and
humiliating Iraqi women, etc., are circulating around the world.
But this videotape footage takes the issue to
another level. It is one thing to hear reports cannot be immediately
substantiated; it is another thing to watch a war crime take place
live.
Article Three of the IV Geneva Convention (adopted
in 1949) prohibits a military force from knowingly firing on wounded
combatants, whether they are actual soldiers of a government, or
guerrillas operating as irregular troops.
By international treaty, wounded combatants “shall
in all circumstances be treated humanely,” and “the wounded and sick
shall be collected and cared for,” either by the military itself or
by a third party, like the International Committee of the Red Cross.
As this videotape shows, however, the U.S.
occupation forces are being told to violate the Geneva Conventions —
which is considered to be a war crime.
While we cannot necessarily hold the individual
soldier accountable for the commission of such crimes, we also
cannot excuse them.
The Nuremburg Trials after the Second World War
made clear that saying “we were just following orders” is not a
legitimate defense when charged with war crimes.
We can only hope that this Apache crew, and their
fellow Army air cavalrymen serving in Iraq and other places, has
plenty of time to study and better understand what happened at
Nuremburg ... as they await court martial for violating the Geneva
Convention. |
