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Channel 4 - Dispatches: Iraq's Secret War Files @ 8pm


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Wow!! Is anybody watching this today @ 8pm?
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http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-74/episode-1

 

Dispatches, Channel 4's flagship current affairs strand, exposes the full and unreported horror of the Iraqi conflict and its aftermath, revealing the true scale of civilian casualties; that, even after the scandal of Abu Ghraib, American soldiers continued to abuse prisoners; and that US forces did not systematically intervene in the torture and murder of detainees by the Iraqi security services. The programme also features previously unreported material of insurgents being killed while trying to surrender.

 

Channel 4 is the only UK broadcaster to have been given access to nearly 400,000 secret military significant activities reports (SIGACTS) logged by the US military in Iraq between 2004 and 2009. These reports tell the story of the war and occupation which the US military did not want the world to know.

 

Initially, the Americans claimed that they were not recording casualty figures and President Bush stated that America would do its utmost to avoid civilian casualties. In the files, Dispatches found details of over 109,000 deaths; 66,000 of these were civilians; 176,000 civilians and others were reported as wounded.

 

Under rules of engagement, known as escalation of force, anyone approaching the US military was warned to slow down and stop. The analysis reveals more than 800 people were killed in escalation of force incidents: 681 (80%) of these were civilians; a further 2,200 were wounded. Thirteen coalition troops were killed during these incidents. Dispatches found 30 children had been killed when shots were fired near civilians by US troops at checkpoints.

 

Over a six-year period, the data records the imprisonment of 180,000 Iraqis: one in 50 of the adult male population. Dispatches found more than 300 reports alleging abuse by US forces on Iraqi prisoners after April 2004.

 

The Americans effectively ignored the torture and murder of many detainees by Iraqi security forces. Dispatches has found evidence of more than 1,300 individual cases of the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners by Iraqis in police stations and army bases: witnessed or reported on by American troops. Dispatches reveals that US troops were ordered not to investigate Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence.

 

The data shows that the Americans were aware of the horrific level of violence inflicted by Iraqi sectarian militias: over 32,500 murders; more than 10,000 shot in the head; nearly 450 decapitated; over 160 were children.

 

One of the reasons given for the invasion of Iraq was the suggestion of links between Iraq and Al Qaeda. The US told the UN Security Council in 2003 that Iraq 'harboured' the terrorist network. However, in the leaked data there are only seven reports mentioning Al Qaeda in 2004, and none of these refer to Al Qaeda killing anyone. By 2008, there are 8,208 reports mentioning Al Qaeda attributing to it the deaths of 45 coalition soldiers, 486 members of the Iraqi Security Services and 1,291 civilians.

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Dont believe everything you see on these sorts of things, they go way over the top to make good TV, these files were never 'secret'. SIGACTS are NOT classified information unless they contain information involving the death of an ISAF soldier. Until then they are disclosed but are not that hard to obtain. The TV shows the torture of Iraq Nationals which i am 100% against but i have yet to see a show on the horrible torture methods they used on US troops, I doubt many people would know about the 4 US PSD operators they turned inside out and hung from a bridge??

 

Sorry to rant, did 2 tours of Iraq myself and now i work here permanently all this show will do us cause more hate against us, over here and back at home

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but i have yet to see a show on the horrible torture methods they used on US troops, I doubt many people would know about the 4 US PSD operators they turned inside out and hung from a bridge??

 

One word to describe EVERYONE involved: MURDERERS

 

If there is a God then may there be NO MERCY on these people.

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Hey, war is hell, that's just the way it is.

 

Under rules of engagement, known as escalation of force, anyone approaching the US military was warned to slow down and stop. The analysis reveals more than 800 people were killed in escalation of force incidents: 681 (80%) of these were civilians;

 

681 people didn't have the sense to use caution or common sense when approaching heavily armed troops.

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If you are angry at these atrocities then turn you're attention to the decision makers, presidents,bankers, arms dealers etc. Not the pawns.

 

bankers? - what do they have to do with it.

 

Are the "pawns" being forced to commit murder; even if they were are you suggesting that they then have a free ride to any responsibility......

 

is there much of a difference between these "pawns" and the terrorists?

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The TV shows the torture of Iraq Nationals which i am 100% against but i have yet to see a show on the horrible torture methods they used on US troops, I doubt many people would know about the 4 US PSD operators they turned inside out and hung from a bridge??

 

 

You mean those PMC's that turned out to be Blackwater operatives? Its good that they good burnt if it was them- the Blackwater operatives are the sickest and most f***ed up agency in the world. Torture and mass killing is their forté

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If you are angry at these attrocities then turn you're attention to the decision makers, presidents,bankers, arms dealers etc. Not the pawns.

 

I do agree with this though. Although if I ever came across someone torturing someone I would pour acid down their throats myself regardless of who they were but Hemanhead has a point. The people who are responsible for this mess are the ones playing golf on their ranch/relaxing.

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"bankers? - what do they have to do with it."

 

You cannot have a war without money,you cannot prepare for a war without money , the bankers have funded war since the begining of banking .

they have been known to fund both sides in war , and add a clause that the "winners" will pay back the "losers" debt...

Check out some history and see where the money came from in all wars , its quite enlightening and bizzarre ...

The aftermath of war is debt and these debts shape the countries involved futures often leading to yet another war ,,,go figure!

Are we always destined to repeat history , we should be smarter by now

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