Tuesday, November 03, 2009

New CNN Investigation - Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes

CNN Press Release - Special Four-Part Investigative Series Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes to air on Anderson Cooper 360° beginning Nov 10th

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 10th, and concludes Friday night, November 13th.

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 14th 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. 15th at 8pm ET.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice tribute to our soldiers for Veterans Day... and still persisting with this negative look at our troops after Fort Hood. This is a real ratings looser from the left. A nice kick in the teeth to our soldiers showing the bad when CNN NEVER reports on anything positive about our boys and girls in uniform! Switching channels to be sure!

10:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are truly unaware of the difficulties of decisions our Soldiers make on a day to day basis. I know John Hatley PERSONALLY and owe him a great deal. The truth be told, he was thinking of his Soldiers as he always did, and not of the ramifications of his actions, hell I don’t know what he was thinking if this is even true. No bodies, no reports of missing persons etc., I wonder, based on the man I know if this even happened. For all I know, he was recommending UCMJ on a terd who found a way to retaliate. But in lieu of the circumstances, I know if I fell on his watch he would ensure those who felled me would not live long to tell how they killed me as long there was breath in his body. He cares that much and not about a promotion or a DAMN NCOER! Get the job done and bring his men home is what I learned from him. Had I been there, this would not have happened if it did, but he always put his SOLDIERS FIRST. What have you done? Been there twice and Afghanistan twice, so please let the story play out. The catch and release program is terrible and if you never loved another Soldier as you did your own flesh and blood, lost him, been in the situation, you have no right to comment nor base your opinion.
In time you can prosecute and or get him vetted. The pressure he was under, the way he was feeling, I cannot judge him, but will say that the very same man who prosecuted him owes him his life. For under his watch he safeguarded him as best he could. Bad things happen in war; he is a warrior, not a policeman, that being said, if you are an enemy then yes he will kill you! You harm his Soldiers; he will trade his life to send you to hell if he can. May God judge him accordingly and let everyone know the truth. I hope they establish that this was a elaborate fabrication or that the system was flawed to an extent that he acted in error under extreme circumstances.

12:15 PM  

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