Collateral Murder

The title alludes to a 40-minute video that shows the horrifying execution of more than 15 Iraqi civilians by a U.S. military helicopter in Baghdad. Those who search on YouTube will be able to see them on the WikiLeaks page in two versions, shortened and full. When I received the video three months ago, I was horrified by the images. Today, with the winds of time in the Obama era blowing the ashes of the Pax Americana of former President George W. Bush, to watch an example of savageness, indifference, and brutality such as this makes an impression.

As does the decision by those in command of the U.S. Army to punish those responsible for the leaks instead of the officials who practiced such acts. In the evaluation of the officers, those who commanded the slaughter did nothing wrong, merely followed the so-called rules of engagement. They acted with the authorization of a superior — and this is proved in the images. What is most shocking, besides the impunity of the killings, is the proof that, even in a government that is, in theory, more democratic and less hegemonic than that of Bush, the esprit de corps of the military prevailed over the life of Iraqi citizens.

Two of the dead were Iraqi journalists working for Reuters. I think I even commented about the case here. Badly trained or obsessed with an enemy — where, like in Vietnam, the enemy blends in with civilians — the commander of the helicopter and the gunman identifies as insurgents a group of civilians talking with the reporters. A camera is mistaken for a weapon. After some insistence, the commander gives an order and the killing begins. The Reuters photographer tries to escape, but is hunted by the gunman until he falls dead. The reporter, after some time without moving, wakes and tries at all costs to stand. A van approaches and tries to rescue them. This time, there is no confusion, two children are in the back seat of the vehicle. Again, the commander gives the order to fire and all are gunned down.

Guided by the helicopter, jeeps with marines arrive at the location to examine the dead. One of the soldiers discovers that a child inside the car is still alive and asks that the child quickly be taken to a hospital in the Green Zone. While walking to the vehicle, the officer on the radio orders that the girl be taken to an Iraqi hospital, the precariousness of which is well known. Of course. At a U.S. base an investigation of the case would be opened immediately.

This decision made by head officials of the U.S. Army is bad for the image of Obama’s United States. It would have been a better fit for the surly Dick Cheney, Bush’s vice president, the most sinister creature ever to be seen on earth.

The thought that such crimes are not worthy of punishment is worse of the act of counting those 15 dead as enemy combatants. The rules of engagement in combat were not followed in a civilian area where not one of the targets threatened the helicopter. The Reuters journalist was hit while talking on a cell phone. If he were any threat to the soldier, it would only have been through words.

Cases such as this call for comparisons to Vietnam. [Whatever the] mission in Iraq, spurious from the beginning, it was terminated when the squadron executed innocent people without any real notion of who was a combatant. This is a sign that, like in Southeast Asia, American troops continue to be unable to find rebels infiltrated among civilians. Thus, all are transformed into potential enemies and are condemned for it. In the [Vietnam] conflict that ended in the 1970s, America left that region with a taste of its first military defeat.

Decisions such as the this to prosecute only those who leaked the information prove that, despite the less belligerent discourse [about this war], Obama remains hostage to the military.