Special Four-Part Investigative Series Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes to air on Anderson Cooper 360° beginning Nov 17th
Anderson Cooper 360° reports Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes, a powerful and provocative four-part series about U.S. soldiers who were convicted of murder on the battlefield. The series runs over four nights beginning Tuesday, November 17th, and concludes Friday night, November 20th.
Jess Cunningham, a former sergeant in the unit, explains to Boudreau why he came forward.
Three sergeants used their service pistols to execute four Iraqi men they had in custody who they believed were insurgents. Questions have emerged: On the battlefield, is murder a crime? And is the Army’s policy on detainees realistic for its soldiers in the battlefield?
While many were focused on the outcome of the presidential election, courts-martial were underway at a U.S. Army base in Germany. Ultimately three army sergeants were found guilty of the execution-style murders of the four Iraqis their 13-man unit had detained. The soldiers were certain the Iraqis were insurgents who had been shooting at them. But under Army rules for holding detainees, they knew they could not meet the burden of proof -- and they feared the suspects would be released only to be shooting at soldiers again. So the sergeants made a decision: bypass the detention center, take them to a canal, and kill them.
Anderson Cooper 360° also obtained almost 24 hours of interrogation footage which includes a confession from one of the sergeants.
In the series, investigative correspondent Abbie Boudreau and senior investigative producer Scott Zamost also shine a light on the U.S. Army’s policy about how to handle detainees, a policy that was a response to the abuses of Abu Ghraib. Some say it puts an undue burden of proof on U.S. soldiers.
On Saturday, November 21st at 8pm ET, CNN's Special Investigations Unit premieres an hour-long special titled Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes. The special will reair Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 8pm ET.
14 comments:
Aren't people more interested in what took place at Fort Hood than what Cooper is now reporting on? If this was done a while ago fine, but CNN should be dealing with the NOW, not the THEN. Expect poor ratings.
The Anderson Cooper we KNEW, before the R@K era and all the benefits, would have interviewed the soldiers who survived the massive killings, instead of sitting with silly panels day after day.
Instead of charging those soldiers with murder, they should send them to a mental hospital for therapy. It is sad that they were sent to Iraq to kill because President Bush said he had to protect his interest. I don't recall that the weapons of mass destruction were ever found. Was it okay to kill some and know the difference in the individuals that shouldn't be killed, when they all look very similar. If there was a reason to detain them, then they should have kept them. How can ethics be applied fairly in this situation?
I was in their platoon and i know that they were all heroes. I would have done the same thing. I couldnt live with myself if i released them and then they killed another american soldier. Who knows if they already killed Soldiers or not. They were bad people that needed to die. bottom line!If you want to argue then you become a US Army infantryman and go to a war where you dont know whos trying to kill you and then you lose 22 people in a battalion in baghdad and get no help.
Oh Boo Hoo. Four more enemy's of America are dead. Too Bad, so sad. I sure wish you folks at CNN cared as much about dead Americans as you do about dead terrorists.
Oh Boo Hoo. Four more enemy's of America are dead. Too Bad, so sad. I sure wish you folks at CNN cared as much about dead Americans as you do about dead terrorists.
This is just like CNN. Slice and dice a piece, then edit it to death, show it in 4 parts as a filler on 360, put it in a spot where they think there's no news, and then at the end of the week, maybe on the weekend, put the whole piece together and show it in its entirety.....like a puzzle. And then they wonder why no one wants to watch.
Forgive me, I don't get this whole segment. We are at war, are we not? These soldiers killed the enemy. Isn't that what they are supposed to do? Yes, the military is wrong for treating these soldiers as criminals, but what is the point of showing us this now and breaking the whole segment into bits and pieces until no one really cares one way or the other?
I agree with a previous poster in that we are at war, and people get killed. These insurgents were firing at our soldiers and would have again once released, which we all know they would have been. I also wish that CNN cared HALF as much about our troops as they do about the terrorists. This politically correct mentality is getting our men and women killed. In war there is inherent death. Either allow our brave soldiers to fight or bring them home. Washington needs to make up their mind.
There.are documented cases of at least 230 American officers
killed by their own troops, and as many as 1,400 other officers'
deaths could not be explained (Vietnam)
In the U.S. military, fragging refers to the act of attacking a
superior officer with a fragmentation grenade. The term originated in the Vietnam War and was most commonly used to mean assassination of an unpopular officer of one's own fighting unit, often by means of a
fragmentation grenade, hence the term. Although the term is derived from the grenade, the act was more commonly committed with firearms during combat in Vietnam
wow so instead of getting some type of therapy they get life in prison..... and we still complain that the prisons are heavily populated i wonder why...... these soldiers did do wrong but who is to justify their sentence? they were once soldiers and they fought and protected this country. they said these people might be able to get free but if they killed... they should be killed bottomline..... this country is falling apart slowly.......
I was right. This fragmented documentary will be aired in its entirety folks on Saturday and Sunday, just in case you missed the installments the first time. As for me, I have better things to do with my time.
Let's not forget that America is in Iraq fighting a war that should never have been waged or authorized. The Iraqis are fighting to kick America off their land. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died fighting for no more than to have a foreign presence off their land. Now that's the real background to this story.
these men are infantry. they have only 1 purpose and that is to find, engage and defeat the enemy on the battlefield. they are not police and were never intended to be used as police. furthermore, the nco's, as leaders have a responsibility to look after the well being and safety of YOUR sons, daughters, and spouses that You have entrusted to them. by letting those insurgents just walk away to regroup and rearm to conduct operations against your children/spouses who are serving is unthinkable.
DEAR MR.COPPER,WHAT THEY SHOULD DO ,IS LET THESE SOLDIERS GO FREE HOW CAN YOU FIGHT A WAR,BE A LAWYER,AND POLICE AT THE SAME TIME.
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