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Just another day as a Halliburton supply truck driver in Iraq?
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| Swamper |
Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5390854.stm
Full 7 Min Video: Here
Iraq convoy troops 'did not flee'
The US military has rejected claims that its soldiers abandoned civilian truck drivers during an attack in Iraq.
Three drivers were killed when insurgents attacked a convoy of Halliburton trucks in Balad, north of Baghdad, on 20 September 2005.
The incident was captured on recently released video by the driver of one of the trucks, who was himself shot.
The US military insisted that its personnel had acted properly and "fought back bravely".
The dramatic amateur footage, shot by driver Preston Wheeler, shows the convoy of military escort vehicles and civilian trucks driving through Balad.
Still from video shows US military convoy
The convoy came under small arms fire from insurgents
The trucks, which initially attracted the attention of stone-throwing locals, missed their turn and were forced to turn around. "We have to go back through that hell-hole again," Mr Wheeler is heard to say.
The convoy is then seen coming under small arms fire from insurgents before a truck ahead of Mr Wheeler's vehicle is overturned by a roadside blast.
Mr Wheeler is heard calling for help on the radio as gunfire continues and he is shot in the arm, while a US military Humvee is seen leaving the scene.
'They just killed him'
In the video soundtrack, prolonged gunfire is heard and Mr Wheeler says insurgents have killed one of the drivers ahead. "They just killed him," he is heard to say in the video. "Oh Jesus."
Aerial footage shot by an unmanned predator drone - and released alongside Mr Wheeler's video - showed insurgents stripping the body before throwing rocks at it.
Mr Wheeler said that 40 minutes passed before US troops returned. "I do not know who the driver was of that Humvee, but he abandoned us," he told ABC news.
But military officials rejected the suggestion and said an investigation immediately afterwards found troops, from the Virginia National Guard, had reacted appropriately.
"They fought back bravely while waiting for reinforcements and attending to the casualties," a spokeswoman for US forces in Iraq, Lt Col Michelle Martin-Hing, told the Associated Press news agency.
Halliburton, meanwhile, said that all employees were "fully briefed" on the risks of working in Iraq. |
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| Purple |
| Your any personal views on this? |
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| Fir3start3r |
I'm sure those drivers are paid accordingly.
That's the risk they take!
Very interesting video for sure. :eyes:
Now, is says that the driver who took the footage was also shot, I going to guess then that he wasn't killed since the video is up on the net? :conf: |
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| Q5echo |
| i always knew Swamper had a militant side to him...or her, whatever. |
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| Purple |
| quote: | Originally posted by Q5echo
or her |
lol |
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| Mommy420 |
| I saw that video too and then I heard from the only guy that lived that he was deserted and left alone. I couldnt beleive it. Its getting to the point that this war is making less and less sense everyday. And it is also making everyone else in the world hate us. But they shouldn't hate us we are not the govt. We just have a bad ruler. I don't know why Bush does'nt do what Blair did and resign. It would make life so much easier. Staying the course is not working. Maybe we should change the course altogether. I am no politician, but if someone is not doing their job right, should'nt they be fired?? And cant we fire him if we are not happy with the job he is doing. Just a thought. |
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