Security Contractor 'Trophy' Video in Iraq

[Hildegard]

A recent video has sparked concern that private security companies, which are not subject to any form of regulation either in Britain or in Iraq, could be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Iraqis.

 

You can find the video here

 

 

More info

 

 

I guess regural patrols do get borring so you just need to 'kill' time

[Judge Hades]

Ah, humanity being true to its nature.

[Kaftan Barlast]

If its true this is just horrible. Killing for sport. What kind of psychotic sadist would do that? or just normal people, bored and armed?

 

 

 

but I found the first sequence quite strange, they fire several magasines against the white car but the driver just keeps on comming at them. that could have been a real attack by insurgents/terrorists/whatever that was averted.

[Lucius]

They ought to be lined up and shot. But then we'll be no better than they are, ack. <_<

[Judge Hades]

We aren't better than them. Human is human.

[LoneWolf16]

We aren't better than them.  Human is human.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd like to think I'm a bit better than these......things. <_<

[Darque]

The people who made that video aren't "human"

[Commissar]

There's something odd about it that I can't put my finger on.

[LoneWolf16]

Yeah, you'd think there'd be more of a panic...or more of a reaction in general.

[SteveThaiBinh]

Tim Spicer, eh? I remember him, and Sandline. Why are mercenaries even being employed in Iraq? Not enough regular soldiers to do the job, perhaps?

 

By being there, by having people like this there doing things like this, the coalition is making the situation worse, and the longer they stay, the worse it will get.

 

That said, I'm no expert on videos like this. I've watched the video three times and I can't see anything that suggests it's faked, or not what it appears to be. Anyone else?

Yeah, you'd think there'd be more of a panic...or more of a reaction in general.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wondered about this. In the first sequence, you notice that the following car begins in a group of other cars which pull over and stop when the shooting starts. There's not a huge reaction from the other side of the road, but then I thought the drivers may simply have decided that stopping is the worst thing to do - better to keep driving, as their original course takes them away from the shooting.

Edited November 28, 2005 by SteveThaiBinh

[Commissar]

Well, faking it would involve the sort of compliance you're not likely to find, unless you're paying really well, and that begs the question of why you'd go to all of the trouble in the first place.

 

It may very well be authentic, but like I said, there's something odd about the whole thing, and I don't know what it is.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I'm suprised no one has said anything about that video with the naked drunk marines having a brawl.

[Judge Hades]

Are they naked female marines?

[LoneWolf16]

That IS the question.

[tarna]

Well, faking it would involve the sort of compliance you're not likely to find, unless you're paying really well, and that begs the question of why you'd go to all of the trouble in the first place.

 

It may very well be authentic, but like I said, there's something odd about the whole thing, and I don't know what it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that something isn't right about this video. For example, the guy in the third 'shooting' just gets out of his car and stands there as though nothing, like being freeking shot at, had happened. Someone shoots at me, I'm finding cover. Secondly, the music was edited in without loss and yet, the sounds of gunfire are still in the video. The fourth car definitely showed itself being hit but that could have happened in many of our 'red-neck' communities around the USA even .The second shooting at least showed people running away from the scene.

 

Does anyone know which side of the road the Iraqis drive on? These guys were driving on the right hand side of the road like Americans. They also were sitting on the left side of the vehicle like American cars. Brits ( and many other Euros I suspect ) drive on the opposite side ( ? ).

 

Where's Yrkoon when you need him?

[kumquatq3]

I wish you could see who was shooting, but that was messed up.

 

If it is real, there will be some SERIOUS news coverage of it very soon. If you don't hear anything, I would wonder about what this video is really about, despite the comments that will surely follow my post.

[dufflover]

I'm not an expert on video (or guns) so I could be wrong here but the gun shots did sound weird and with the exception of one video it didn't look like any shots were fired cos of no sparks or holes or anything like that although I suppose that's just from watching too many movies.

 

Better not be real...

[Walsingham]

A lot of private concerns hire mercs precisely because _unlike our regular forces_ they err on the side of protecting themselves and their charges, rather than sticking to the rules of engagement in their efforts to avoid civilian casualties.

 

I haven't watched the video. I know that psychos drift into merc work. I know that not all mercs are psychos. I know that anti-western groups have staged fake propaganda photos before. I know the numbers of mercs currently being used in Iraq ensure that at least some abuses will occur. The specifics of one video are more or less irrelevant.

[Lucius]

I don't know of any other European nation that drives in the wrong side of the road except for the UK of course.

 

As for this video, I'm pretty sure its real. But ask yourself this Kumq, just how much do you really hear about these mercs and their work in the first place? I've never heard anything except for what I could find on the net.

[Commissar]

Eh. I really wish the stupid Elvis song hadn't been dubbed in, so I could hear what they're actually saying over the radio. That aside, the gunfire sounds to me like it's suppressed, which I suppose is possible. Furthermore, it's difficult to tell which of those cars are actually being hit - other from the one that crashes, most likely. Keep in mind that these guys have signs all over the back of their official vehicles, in both Arabic and English, warning everyone that they're security vehicles and that they're authorized to use lethal force, and consequently everyone ought to stay way the hell back. "If you can read this, you're probably being shot at," kind of thing. If anything gets too close, they light it up. That's not the case with all of the contractors over there, of course, but it is with many, simply because they're very much targets.

 

There's a possibility that they hit the cars that were speeding at them, getting too close, and were just firing warning shots at the others. I'm inclined to think that if they were really trying to randomly whack people, the guys running from the scene of the crash would've been pretty easy pickings - furthermore, as someone else noted, a couple of the drivers actually got out of their cars and stood there in some of the scenes.

 

These guys don't have enough oversight, it's true. Hell, this whole thing might not've even been illegal, so that ought to tell you just how much we need to figure out a way to set up some rules.

[Lucius]

Warning shots? Entire clips were used here in bursts and full auto, hardly warning shots. These mercenary bastards are nuts.

[kumquatq3]

As for this video, I'm pretty sure its real. But ask yourself this Kumq, just how much do you really hear about these mercs and their work in the first place? I've never heard anything except for what I could find on the net.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've heard, on several occasions, news stories about these contractors and their role in Iraq.

 

But your missing the point, if this video is valid, ITS A HUGE NEWS STORY. Easily bigger than some pictures of naked detainies.

 

To put it mildly, if there is something too it, some respectable news organization in the world will pick it up. Other news organizations will follow.

[Lucius]

The only time I've seen mercs was when administrator Paul Bremer got the hell outta there, man that dude was in a hurry.

 

I know you said respectable, so we really shouldn't be looking at Al Jazeera and Fox News, but still have either of these mentioned anything?

[kumquatq3]

I know you said respectable, so we really shouldn't be looking at Al Jazeera and Fox News, but still have either of these mentioned anything?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Have searched either, I did do a search of CNN as soon as I saw the article (hence when I found the Canadian thing) and again a few minutes ago. Nada.

 

I did hear on the news this morning that there have been reports of Iraqi security forces terrorizing Sunni's. Don't think it was related, but it could be.

[Lucius]

Yeah old habits die hard, the new Iraqi police forces are also torturing people in Basra to gain info on the British. (shouldn't they be allies, btw? lol)

 

The Ghost of Saddam still lingers. :ph34r:

Edited November 29, 2005 by Lucius