Mystery Train
Video available here - horrible, horrible…
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/11/27.html#a6076
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| ‘Trophy’ video exposes private security contractors shooting up Iraqi drivers By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent (Filed: 27/11/2005) A “trophy” video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal. The 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. Lt Col Tim Spicer is investigating the incident The video, which first appeared on a website that has been linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services, contained four separate clips, in which security guards open fire with automatic rifles at civilian cars. All of the shooting incidents apparently took place on “route Irish”, a road that links the airport to Baghdad. The road has acquired the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous in the world because of the number of suicide attacks and ambushes carried out by insurgents against coalition troops. In one four-month period earlier this year it was the scene of 150 attacks. In one of the videoed attacks, a Mercedes is fired on at a distance of several hundred yards before it crashes in to a civilian taxi. In the last clip, a white civilian car is raked with machine gun fire as it approaches an unidentified security company vehicle. Bullets can be seen hitting the vehicle before it comes to a slow stop. There are no clues as to the shooter but either a Scottish or Irish accent can be heard in at least one of the clips above Elvis Presley’s Mystery Train, the music which accompanies the video. |
That is truly horrible Tom.
The guy in charge of the company, Tim Spicer, is an evil thug. Well spoken, and well educated, ex-Scots Guards, but still an evil thug.
He’s almost been nailed by the press a few times, but the stories have never gone on air because of his rich and powerful connections.
His company I know nothing about, but I imagine it’s the same as the other “security” companies; a bunch of ex-soldiers who really get a kick out of killing people, and so become “legitimate” mercenaries.
And these companies thrive because governments love 'em. They can wash their hands of the filthier things they do, saying, “It’s not us! It was a private corporation! It’s their fault”.
I saw an interview with a guy the other day and he was arguing that the coalition ought to stay in Iraq till the “job is done”.
He was against the war, but as he pointed out, before the war, they did have a government (bad or not), they did have a functioning social structure.
But now it’s chaos, and to leave it in that state would be an inhuman act.
But after watching that video, and hearing many other stories, I wonder if what we’re doing over there isn’t even more inhuman.
Thanks for the info, Ali.
Good God, what will people in the rest of the world think of the U.S.? Interesting that the owner is ex-Scots Guard, but the company works for us here.
Yeah, all ours Tom I’m ashamed to say.
Although it describes itself as "London based’ it’s actually a Scots firm.
And if you look at the list of directors, Aegis, you’ll see knights of the empire (non-Jedi), a Member of Parliament and a Queen’s Privy Councillor, and other members of the ruling class of the UK. There’s even a senior member of my clan I’m afraid.
I’ve been chatting to an old colleague from my BBC days, and he’s been telling me about the company.
As I thought, it’s ex soldiers, mostly Scots, who want to continue playing with guns. And the company itself has been involved in some very dodgy deals.
But, if you have the right connections, even your shit smells like roses. So what’s new?
Here is the website that originally hosted the video:
here
The government response is, “It’s a private company employed by the US government. nothing to do with us”.
Has the US government or the US media said anything about it?
It was reported on last night on at least one cable news program here - Keith Olbermann’s show Countdown - although the thrust of the report was “it could be justified, but it was tasteless to make a video of it.”
| Quote (Guest @ Nov. 29 2005,08:05) |
| ... "it could be justified, but it was tasteless to make a video of it." |
It could be justified ?
Does not compute...
dispicable…i can’t even watch the vid.this is all sanctioned by the us of course,it’s been going on the whole time.i’ve seen other vids on the net like last year at this time.all this could be prevented if we WITHDREW NOW.i love the argument that if the us pulls out chaos will ensue…there’s chaos right now!we’ll end up leaving a country in shambles whenever we leave,just like every other occupation,i saw a film of soldiers killing people to the accompanyment of violent thrash=metal and racist,mysoginistic rap music…they were very excited and loved the music and violent vid-games the army provided(“allowed”)i think you could do an interesting study on this alone,
| Quote (Guest @ Nov. 29 2005,08:05) |
| It was reported on last night on at least one cable news program here - Keith Olbermann's show Countdown - although the thrust of the report was "it could be justified, but it was tasteless to make a video of it." |
How did Keith "justify" the actions? It is sad how far senseless acts of violence can be "spun".
| Quote (Guest @ Nov. 29 2005,09:49) |
| It could be justified ? Does not compute...
|
I suppose that means that since we don't know the back-story behind any of the clips (particular behaviour of those particular vehicles prior to what is filmed, information received by radio, etc.) in some or all of the cases those could have been legitimate targets.
Whether legit targets or not, editing the vid with a musical soundtrack seems callous and cold-hearted.
legitimate targets…i love this country…yes,lets keep the killing tasteful…these are 'private security" not military
| Quote (BillClarke @ Nov. 29 2005,11:55) | ||
I suppose that means that since we don't know the back-story behind any of the clips (particular behaviour of those particular vehicles prior to what is filmed, information received by radio, etc.) in some or all of the cases those could have been legitimate targets. Whether legit targets or not, editing the vid with a musical soundtrack seems callous and cold-hearted. |
Yeah Bill - you have a point. I haven't watched the video (and I won't) so I don't know about this instance, but I do know that (sometimes) when people HAVE to do something like that they must as it is their duty, but that doesn't mean that they must enjoy doing it...
But yeah, the reason could have been ligit, but making a video to 'celebrate' it ? THAT seriously does not compute.
Wihan
may i reiterate.they are not soldiers.i don’t know how we can construe “duty” for paid killers.they don’t HAVE to be there.i’m just amaized at the assumtion that we have the right to invade a country,and determine another people’s fate.do you know most of these cats are protecting halleburton and other private carpetbaggers for big bucks
| Quote (Wihan Stemmet @ Nov. 29 2005,13:32) |
| ...but making a video to 'celebrate' it ? THAT seriously does not compute. |
Agreed. Most assuredly.
how bout let’s stand against the killing,not just the videotaping
for gods sake
| Quote (audiobru @ Nov. 29 2005,13:43) |
| may i reiterate.they are not soldiers.i don't know how we can construe "duty" for paid killers.they don't HAVE to be there.i'm just amaized at the assumtion that we have the right to invade a country,and determine another people's fate.do you know most of these cats are protecting halleburton and other private carpetbaggers for big bucks |
I don't know the 'ins' and 'outs' of the presence of so-called private security firms in Iraq and I must confess that on the surface it certainly looks suspicious.
However, they ARE there and I have to assume that means that for some reason they are permitted to be there and that means they have some task to fulfill that is legitimate at least so far as it is permitted by the military or governmental authority that allows their presence.
In that sense their tasks could be called 'duties' in the same way that the tasks you are assigned to perform in your employment could be called 'duties'.
Whether they SHOULD be permitted to be there, whether those duties SHOULD be performed by private security firms, whether they are 'over-zealous' in the performance of their duties... are all legitimate questions but more or less beside the point since they are, in fact, there.
another of my favorite arguments-"we’re already there"i heard this alot during viet nam.if we had left earlier,would it have changed anything,except the number killed?you “assume” it’s legit,because the admin says-thats a big assumtion-and becoming even bigger with every breaking story(bush wants to bomb al-jazeera,white phosphorus,secret prisons,etc)there’s a big agenda here…as far as "duties as in job decription"this is where we lose our humanity-when killing is just a job.
personally,i have never and will never compromise any belief for money…“should” is never beside the point,it determines the lives we lead(karmha anyone?)beside,soon it will be over,we’ll withdraw and the iraqis will be left with a devastated country-just like every other effort of this kind.you cannot impose democracy,its never worked…thanks for your input,BillClarke,i always enjoy the exchange…
For those who haven’t watched the video here’s an extract from a British newspaper, The Telegraph:
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| Capt Adnan Tawfiq of the Iraqi Interior Ministry which deals with compensation issues, has told the Sunday Telegraph that he has received numerous claims from families who allege that their relatives have been shot by private security contractors travelling in road convoys. He said: "When the security companies kill people they just drive away and nothing is done. Sometimes we ring the companies concerned and they deny everything. The families don’t get any money or compensation. I would say we have had about 50-60 incidents of this kind." |
And to repeat Audiobru’s comment, these are not soldiers “doing their duty”, nor “defending liberty”, nor any other flag-waving phrase; these are hired mercenaries who are there for the money and because they enjoy it.
EDIT: By the way Wihan, if you look at the Aegis site, they are really pissed off about the fact that their company will be prevented from operating in South Africa under the new Anti-mercenary bill.
So, both S.A. and Aegis itself know what they really are.
aegis
I’m afraid that I haven’t made my point clearly enough.
You want the US out of Iraq - I get that. I happen to agree with you. In fact, when the WMDs failed to materialize I thought that Bush should have been required by honour to resign his Presidency (whatever happened to the ‘buck stops here’?) Whether intentional or accidental the ‘failure’ of the Intelligence or its interpretation ultimately falls on the President’s desk and the President should take responsibility for it.
I suppose nobody pushed the issue because that would have left Cheney in charge.
But the context of the discussion in this thread was about the video apparently filmed/edited by members of one of the ‘private security firms’. Within that context, it seemed to me, the larger questions of should this and should that in relation to their presence in Iraq were beside the point.
Ultimately the problem with the ‘Court of Public Opinion’ is that it lacks rules of evidence.
should this and should that is the whole issue.in the end the american people determine foreign policy.if it is unjust, or corrupt ,or illegal,it’s our “duty” to change it.i watched the “court of public opinion” end the viet nam war.it’s critical to stop this behavior thats commited in the name of our nation.that’s how things get done.it’s like the argument that critisism of a war should stop as the war wages,that would have cost more human lives (both sides)if we did that in veit nam.these policies must be stopped IMO.remember way back,when we decided war was wrong?let’s not fudge the issue with all this …fudge.
(anyone remember"siddartha"by herman hesse?a good read about now…)