Soldiers Discuss Using "Drop Weapons" To Cover Up Killing Innocent Iraqi Civilians

Several soldiers who have returned from combat zones talk with the American News Project about what they say is the widespread practice of using "drop weapons" to cover up the killing of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. We feature five veterans and current members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, plus retired Lieutenant Colonel Gary Solis, a Vietnam War veteran and legal scholar who taught "Law of War" at West Point. Watch the video from ANP below:

Read and watch more from ANP here.

Comments

[BadChristian]

Something tells me that the conduct of our soldiers is far better than the conduct of the contractors. People care about our troops, most of them actually WANT to go back to regular life. They are not just invisible people, immune from all laws, who go from conflict to conflict making a living of this kind of thing.
Anyone know what the count on the mercs is these days?

[zacher2005]

LOL this reeks of that same loser who tried saying he was a Ranger in the army, made all of those youtube videos, and spoke at all these anti war rallies for anti war groups, and in the end, it turne dout he was a fraud, got kicked out of the army after 2 weeks, and went to jail for collecting disbailty checks with made up paperwork.


Seriously, this coming form a Barrack supporter, some of you people blindly believe anything that is said that goes along with what you want to hear.

[InfoGiant]

Keep your head in the sand, that will probably make 1000 years of Sunni vs. Shia violence go away, gas prices go down, and McCain to come up with ideas different than Bush.

Soldiers have already been indicted for what this story suggests, but I'm sure your head was too deep in the sand to pay attention. Wake up to reality...­the Earth isn't flat!!

[Strywever]

You apparently did not bother to (a) read the story or (b) watch the full video clip. It was produced by the American News Project, which is led by highly reputable journalists. More info about the ANP is available here: http://newsproject.org/page/32. If you had watched the full video clip, you would have seen that several people were providing testimony in addition to the soldier featured in this clip.

I agree it is wise to be skeptical. On the other hand, it also is wise not to choose to disbelieve things only because they make us uncomfortable.

[Bluejay00234]

Hmm, a Repub questioning whether someone blindly believes? LOL you must have voted for Bush.

[JoshD]

These guys are real veterans, members of Iraq Veterans Against The War. IVAW checks DD-214's since that idiot pretended to be a ranger.

[esquire07]

Dead Innocent Iraqi civilians do not matter.

All that matters is maximizing profits for the Oil Companies, Arms dealers, and War Profitieiring criminals.

Americans could not care less about their own troops dying to fill Bush pockets, why would they care about Innocent Dead Iraqis ?

[Forester]

War should never, ever, be the first choice of a nation. The lead up to Bush's wars was no different than the insane blood lust in Europe prior to WWI. War is not a football game, it changes things forever. Bush has really broken something in our national psyche, and healing will require that all Americans accept the truth about what has happened. What some of our soldiers did on the field of battle in WWII were just as heinous as this report - but that really was a necessary war, and those incidents were easily forgotten by the public. But it is the soldiers who always pay the price with those wicked memories back here in the surreal world of suburbia. It is a sad thing how we discard these soldiers as if they aren't even human.

[zitlight73]

Helen Thomas said of all the presidents she covered Bush was the only one eager to go to war. Now we know where that disappeared shipload of AK 47s meant for Iraqi police went.

[obamagal]

Excellent message!

[Miket53]

1 Our soldiers are heros.
2 Going to war was not even close to the "first choice". The entire UN agreed Iraq had WMD and they wrote 14 resolutions demanding the wjereabouts. The UN was ignored. So some country with the ____ to stand up to them had to act. And we did thank God.

A little forgotten fact is those WMD were there AND used. So where are they now? They are still out there in some terrorists hands and we must continue the fight. We will not surrender as Obama would like to see because we are a proud nation.
Mike

[shothot]

Mike , Black Water needs you. I have a feeling you landed in the wrong planet. six years and we can't find those WMD's. Even Bush found that hilariuos. jokingly, then laughing, he said, "I know those WMD's are there somewhere". And his audience laughed too.

[elbzee]

Mike, back away from the pipe, K? Put it down slowly and back away from it. Smoking that stuff is really bad for your brain function. So put it down, K?

[Harinama]

wow what dream world do you live on?

our soldiers are only heroes when they are protecting this country. They are NOT protecting this country presently, and instead are participating in warcrimes and destabilizing the entire world.

Soldiers are humans first, then military. They have an obligation NOT to be involved in warcrimes, and should be held fully accountable if they do.

Presently the US military's only function is to support fascist militaristic imperialism of our multinational corporations, and militaristic oligarchs. They are basically fodder to those warcriminals in power.

Going to war WAS Bush's first choice, and he had been planning it prior to 9/11. The entire world knew that Iraq did NOT have wmd's and that the entire "war" was false and purely to keep control of Iraq's oil fields and keep oil flowing in US DOLLARS.

The only WMD's saddam ever used were provided to him by the US! Obama is not a militaristic imperialist like Bush and Cheney. How the f-ck does that make him an appeaser?

get your head out of your faux ass. Since it's so easy now to get the real information about world news, i can only guess that you choose to be selfish, ignorant and myopic.

You've obviously taken the propaganda hook line and sinker!

[rudeboycyle]

HuffPost's Pick

Mike

The ENTIRE UN did not agree that Iraq had WMD's, that's just ridiculous because Iraq is a UN member. And did you know that Israel has ignored or defied over 80 UN resolutions going all the way back to 1948. Too bad no country has the ____ to stand up to them. Some of the Iraq resolutions demanded that weapon inspectors be allowed inside the country and they were permitted entry. UN weapon inspector Hans Blix believed that there were no weapons to be found but he asked for more time to finish his work. King George wouldn't allow this and stepped up the propaganda campaign and UN members caved. A doctrine of pre-emption is certainly not a afterthought. Ending an illegal military campaign is not surrender.

[lornejl]

So, you are a big U.N. fan now are you ? You, are a hypocrite.

[myturnnow]

Wars do not solve any problems. They create multiple repercussions. If all leaders have to physically, and personally lead the charge and be on the ground with the troops, there may be no wars. The cowardly chiefs stay behind while sounding the charge and sending others to die in their stead. Our "Commander­-in-Chief"­" was such a leader. Lead by example???

[Berettasskeeter]

War certainly solved the problem of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, didn't it!
Of course wars change things. That's the point. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. They certainly change things for the aggressor and for the defendor!
You're point is silly.
Semper fi

[research]

Maybe that's why 70% of Iraqi say it's ok to kill America soldiers.

End the Iraq War Crime NOW!

Impeach!

[Alethea]

Omg, that's it! Get them out of there now!

This stupid war is not worth turning our young people into criminals!

No wonder there is still an insurgency. And with this in mind, how much of it is fabricated?

Good lord. This is truly terrible on every level.

[JoeBlough]

So was directed by the Commander in Chief? It sounds like something he would recommend.

[AnnArky]

Hey, kids, let's have a WAR. It's the NEW 1984
WAR is FUN
PEACE is BORING
BUSH is LOVE
ARMED INVADERS are PEACE-LOVING AMERICANS
GUNS are for PLANTING
CLUSTER BOMBS are A BREAKFAST CEREAL
AMERICAN TROOPS are REALLY NICE PEOPLE
C'mon, everyone, and sing along . . .
"All we are asking
is give WAR a chance"

War is:
Good for the economy
A great venue to test new weapons on children and other collaterals
Keeping the population down
Gives young Americans something to do with all their free time
That which gives the rest of us something to talk about over a beer
A good way to see some Great American History in the making
That which brings our greatest leaders to the fore
"FUN, fun, fun 'til her daddy took her Bradley away"

This war is getting boring, though and the ratings are starting to fall. It's time for a NEW WAR. Hey, let's invade Belize or Panama again.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"This war is getting boring, though and the ratings are starting to fall. It's time for a NEW WAR. Hey, let's invade Belize or Panama again."

Ok, I'll start. Belize was behind 911! Panama is loaded with WMD's! Go with it, Fox. Don't forget the flag graphics.

[Klip]

American soldiers killing innocents?­...and then covering it up?...
(deja vu)

[DerekRC]

Did John Kerry organize this group of "soldiers"? When will Democrats, who claim to support the troops, acually prove it and stop slandering them at every single turn.

Unbelievable.

Disgusting.

Expected from the Left.

[Strywever]

This is not slander. It appears to be factual testimony from people who are in the best position to provide it. And it looks to me that these soldiers are providing this testimony to make the point that the war is being conducted in a way that does not honor American values or principles. If all proves true, they are indeed heroes and patriots (flag-pin wearing or not).

We need to be careful *not* to blame the soldiers, but to place the blame where it belongs -- on the leaders who planned this war so poorly that soldiers are placed in untenable positions, with choices that range between bad and less (or more) bad. Using our soldiers to fight a "war on terror," and leaving them in the middle of a civil war that we have no business being involved in and they are not tactically trained or equipped to "win" demonstrates new heights of disregard for our troops. Shame on us all if we don't pay attention to the realities we're asking our soldiers to deal with, and don't do everything we can to shape a reality that it is *possible* for them to manage honorably.

[Bjorny818]

Strywever- RE: Our own American soldiers using drop weapons when killing innocent people in Iraq-
I understand that war corrupts. And I have also known since the beginning of this stupid 'pre-emptive strike' of ours that we were the corrupters. But I have to say this- if I were in this kind of situation, I would have to go AWOL or kill myself. AWOL with a cause would be the first choice. Making it to a base or TV station and exposing these crimes is brave. Cowardly shooting innocent people and keeping it to yourself is a suicide waiting to happen upon homecoming.

[Harinama]

When will our soldiers ACTUALLY PROTECT THIS COUNTRY, instead of being killing machines for our mulitnational corporations?

Ignorant, xenophobic, myopic, imperialist and militarist­ic....expe­cted from the Right...

[rudeboycyle]

Maybe you heard about Senator Webb's new GI Bill, the one John McCain doesn't support? The one that King George said he will veto. There's your republican support.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"Did John Kerry organize this group of "soldiers"?"

Oh, you mean the John Kerry who actually served in combat for our country? The one we could have elected to turn things around prior to the Second Wave of Republican Disaster? The decorated veteran who disgusting Chickenhawk neocons slandered just to fool people into voting for Bush? We expect disaster from neocons in government, based on the results.

[HBeachbum]

The guy who didn''t even last 4 months of his first tour because of "injuries" such as a splinter? Yeah, that guy.

[landmine]

Hey Partner,
It's easy to tell you are not military or law enforcement.
Why not join up and get some perspective?
You are in for a rude awakening, Cherry.

[Yellowbird]

Sounds to me like these guys are practicing the fine art of being cops.

They drop weapons and drugs on people all the time to have "evidence" to get rid of people they don't like.

Nice.

Training people to be criminal cops. And you KNOW they will get hired back home; either as a mercenary killer at Blackwater, or as a cop in your local town.

[Strywever]

Let us stop for a moment and think about the reality these soldiers face. It is impossible for them to tell whether citizens are friend or foe. They are not mind-readers, and there are few clues. So we're asking them to make split-second decisions in situations in which the *wrong* decision could cost a life -- theirs or the other guy's. They're erring on the side of staying alive themselves, and who can blame them? Then, if they own up to their error (which their leaders clearly don''t want them to do, and perhaps even actively discourage them from doing), they face months of investigation and potential court-martial, only because they are trying to stay alive the best way they know how in a situation that is far beyond their ability to control.

They are not "cops" in a nation of laws. They are soldiers who have been placed in an untenable situation in a country where there is no law as Americans know it. The siutations are not remotely comparable.

[HumeSkeptic]

The real criminals are in our White House - Bush and Cheney who put our soldiers in this situation.

The real victims are innocent Iraqis, people who never did us any harm.

What shame these sons of bitches Republicans have brought to our country!

[SmellyOne]

I agree whole-heartedly.

I hope there's more McClellens out there to make any future prosecution easier.

I also think Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted for voting for war, then turning her back on it. You don't send troops into combat, then abandon them when they are in the field.

Even though we were completely wrong to invade, I am glad we didn't leave when the Iraqi Civil War broke out. My belief is that our occupation actually saved lives, and is giving the Iraqis their best chance for stability.

[bluestatelib]

Why are so many commenters here expressing sympathy for American soldiers who admittedly planted weapons on innocent Iraqi civilians that they killed while others are criticizing American police officers who allegedly do the same thing to American civilians?

[andvoodoo2]

Because American police officers go home to their families every night in their own country from a job they can leave any time they want that they willingly went to at the beginning of their shift.

[DHC]

Because we live in America. And we are occupying Iraq so we can bring Democracy to the country. Yeah, right! We're not a very good example, are we? That is the difference in the opinions of people discussing the police and the soldiers.

[Chrys]

The time is now!!!!! Its a shame!!! Americans have to make a hard decision..­... Elect a President that would bring back this 20yrs Olds back home and honorably.

Not with PTSD and not having any future, because of the atrocities they committed in Iraq. It will always haunt them. Americans should look at this young men....

Its really a pity

[photobearcmh]

I take some exception to the man at the end of the interview who says "Noboody cares what is going on over there." I know that is not true. I care, and I know many many other people with no personal attachment to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who care deeply about what is going on.

It saddens me to see our young men put in a place where such horrifc behaviour is endorsed and encouraged by their superior officers.

This has to end.

[esquire07]

It has not even started my friend. Watch how many more are going to die to fill the pockets of the Oilmen, Arms dealers, and other War Profitiers.

As a collective, Americans do not care. For the most part it is other peoples kids doing the dying - while the Bushies and Cheney's fill their bank accounts with the profits. Americans are to busy getting fat and watching American Idol to care about innocent lives being taken for Corporate profit.

[fanchon1288]

Americans do care about what is going on. And most of us do know someone that has lost a loved one and we do have family members fighting in this war. In some way we all try and help. I have another bag to donate a cell phone. This will be my fourth cell phone donation. It may be a small donation but I send them to help and to say we have not forgotten them.