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From MetaFilter:
Yesterday, Mazen al-Tomasi, a reporter for Al-Arabiya, was broadcasting live from the scene of a carbombed Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which had attracted a crowd of locals. While making his report, a sudden noise came from behind Mazen.

Two Apache helicopters flew in overhead, and one of them started attacking the crowd, with their guns. The crowd, which included several small children, tried to run away. A helicopter launched a missile...

Mazen al-Tomasi was struck by shrapnel from the blast on live television. His cameraman, Seif Fouad, fell down from the force of the explosion. Mazen's blood spattered across the camera's lens and the screams of the dying and injured were heard. Mazen screamed to Seif for help: "Seif, Seif! I'm going to die. I'm going to die."

Seif grabbed Mazen and started to pull him out of harm's way. Suddenly, another missile was launched, and Seif was hit by shrapnel in the leg and abdomen. Seif, seriously wounded, watched his friend Mazen die soon afterwards. Twelve were killed, 61 wounded in the attack.

A US military spokesman said the helicopters opened fire after coming under attack from the crowd, and that they fired to prevent looters from stripping the vehicle. That said, the vehicle was burning too badly to be stripped, and the television footage showed no evidence of any shooting from the ground, or indeed, any armed Iraqis whatsoever. The full video of this is was seen by millions of Arabs and is apparently something that Reuters has the rights to -- Saif works for Reuters -- but something tells me that it will never make the evening news.

Comments (Page 1)
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on Sep 13, 2004
It was shown on ABC TV here in Australia as well. It was a fairly terrible video, and the blood on the camera lens didn't make it any better. A sad indictment on the men and women crewing that helicopter.
on Sep 13, 2004
Video Link


on Sep 13, 2004
I have not seen the vid yet, but I did see the pictures from the “filter” website. I have a few questions:

How long between the time the Bradley was immobilized to the Apache appearance?

How long was the Bradley burning? Why was the Bradley burning?

Why was there a group of people near the Bradley?

What happened to the crew of the Bradley?

If the helicopter was heard on the tape, it must have been visible. How long from it’s appearance until the first missile strike?

Not enough details.

IG

on Sep 13, 2004
Some more info on the subject from NBC San Diego Link

on Sep 13, 2004
Probably not a great idea to hang out in the middle of a battle.
on Sep 13, 2004
It's probably true the reporter was careless, maybe reckless, but why would the helicopters fire a missile into the crowd? I can see firing the machine gun in an open area as a warning shot, but...
on Sep 13, 2004
**open EMPTY area
on Sep 13, 2004
Probably not a great idea to hang out in the middle of a battle.


I'll second that. Even if the crowd had gathered only for the "innocent" purpose of rubbernecking, they should not have been there. Parents need to stop letting their children roam around like that (and stop taking them to the scene of things like that). Further, when they saw the helicopter, they should have gotten the hell out of there.
on Sep 13, 2004
It's probably true the reporter was careless, maybe reckless, but why would the helicopters fire a missile into the crowd?


It was directed at the Bradley, supposedly, and it was to stop them from looting and taking weapons and muntions from the vehicle.
on Sep 13, 2004
why would the helicopters fire a missile into the crowd? I can see firing the machine gun in an open area as a warning shot


If I read the reports right, the Apache was shooting at the Bradley to destroy any weapons or sensative items that we would not want to fall into the wrong hands. The crowd was near or orund the Bradley when the missile was fired.

I do not know the blast diameter of an Apache missile. I would assume it is more than 10 feet. So even if it struck the Bradley, it would still take out the immediate area.

IG
on Sep 14, 2004
The point is, this stuff gets sent out all over the Arab world, and trust me, they aren't deciding whether the crowd should have been "rubbernecking or not." Because so much of the world opposes this war, every little mistake the U.S. military makes, and in wars, mistakes are always made, gets magnified and scrutinized. Our government should have thought of how this war would play to the rest of the world. I for one (and I barely escaped with my life from the Marriott Hotel on the morning of September 11) do not feel this war is making us any safer.
on Sep 14, 2004
Also, note that this occurred in central Bagdad...
on Sep 14, 2004
This was an unfortunate mistake, but I'm sure al-Jazeera is delighted by it.
on Sep 14, 2004
People seem to forget that innocent people will always get hurt in a war/conflict, etc. or where ever there are two opposing sides shooting at each other.
on Sep 14, 2004
People seem to forget that innocent people will always get hurt in a war/conflict, etc. or where ever there are two opposing sides shooting at each other


Hmmm.... Now suppose some impoverished terrorist (who calls himself a "freedom fighter") offered this as a response to 9/11. I know I'd be outraged (as I think many would be). I am not trying to equate the two events; there are obviously significant differences. But I think we need to be careful about deploying the "innocents will suffer" (presumably for the greater good) argument too casually.

The problem is that, in an occupation, it is hard to tell the insurgents from the innocents. And after a while, the "break a few eggs" argument rings a little hollow, especially when there don't seem to be too many omelettes forthcoming.

"The people" who most seem to have forgotten about the hurting of innocents in conflict are the people who start wars without sufficient and compelling reasons or, for that matter, objectives. Lay that criticism on Al Quaida as well as, well...
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