Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen

By
Thursday, December 2, 2010 12:46 EST
Print
 
Topics:
 

Yemen cluster bombA diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks shows that the US military covered up the killing of dozens of civilians during a cruise missile strike in south Yemen in December 2009.

The secret cable from January 2010 corroborated images released earlier this year by Amnesty International, implicating the US in the use of cluster bombs. The cable was sent by Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh to US General David Petraeus, saying his government would “continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours.”

Read it Raw: WikiLeaks.org domain taken down, DNS host cites ‘mass attacks’

According to the cable, this prompted Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Rashad al-Alimi “to joke that he had just ‘lied’ by telling Parliament that the bombs in Arhab, Abyan, and Shebwa were American-made but deployed by the ROYG [Republic of Yemen Government].”

“The cable appears to confirm Amnesty International’s finding that the Abyan strike was carried out by the US military, not Yemeni government forces,” Philip Luther, a Deputy Director for Amnesty International, said.

On December 17, 2009, an alleged al-Qaeda training camp in Abyan was hit by a cruise missile, killing 41 local residents, including 14 women, 21 children, and 14 alleged al-Qaeda members.

According to the leaked cable, President Saleh praised the strikes, “but said that ‘mistakes were made’ in the killing of civilians in Abyan.” Gen. Petraeus responded that only three civilians, the wife and two children of an al-Qaeda member, were killed.

After the attack, Amnesty International requested information from the Pentagon about US involvement in the missile attack, but received no response. The Pentagon later released a statement saying
that questions on operations against al-Qaeda should be posed to the Yemeni government.

The leaked cable revealed that Gen. Petraeus proposed abandoning the use of cruise missiles and instead using fixed-wing bombers circling outside of Yemeni territory to strike at targets using precision-guided bombs “when actionable intelligence became available.” The proposal was welcomed by President Saleh.

Security assistance to Yemen may substantially increase, if Gen. Petraeus has his way.

“The General told Saleh that he had requested USD 150 million in security assistance for 2010, a substantial increase over the 2009 amount of USD 67 million,” the cable states.

Amnesty International is calling on the US to investigate the use of drones by US forces for targeted killings of individuals in Yemen.

“There must be an immediate investigation into the dozens of deaths of local residents in the Abyan air strike, including into the extent of US involvement,” Luther said. “Those responsible for unlawful killings must be brought to justice.”

US Attorney General Eric Holder said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is currently under investigation and would be pursued if he were found to have broken the law.

Republican Congressman Peter King, the incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, went so far as to say that the website should be deemed a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Rep. King’s call for prosecution was echoed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Clair McCaskill (D-MO) and former State Department official Liz Cheney.

“We’re deeply skeptical that prosecuting WikiLeaks would be constitutional, or a good idea,” Hina Shamsi, Director of the ACLU National Security Project, said. “The courts have made clear that the First Amendment protects independent third parties who publish classified information. Prosecuting WikiLeaks would be no different from prosecuting the media outlets that also published classified documents.”

“Prosecuting publishers of classified information threatens investigative journalism that is necessary to an informed public debate about government conduct, and that is an unthinkable outcome.”

Share this story >>
Print
 
 
 
By commenting, you agree to our terms of service
and to abide by our commenting policy.
 
  • Anonymous

    Donate to Wikileaks. Ban Amazon.

  • Anonymous

    It would suck to be Yemeni targets.

    Course it sucks to be American anyway.

  • http://topsy.com/www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/cable-reveals-airstrike-killed-21-children-yemen/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen | Raw Story — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Raw Story, Tom, Glossology, steve white, 93.7 WBLK: T-Boogie and others. 93.7 WBLK: T-Boogie said: #NEWS: Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen http://bit.ly/hidRHc [...]

  • Recipe for WW3

    21 children killed. 210 terrorists inspired.

  • http://twitter.com/Landoftrance script star crew

    Donate to Wikileaks. Ban Amazon.

  • Anonymous

    Those coward Apache and Drone pilots dont care. Women, Children, Reporters, doesnt matter, if it moves, kill it. Sad isnt it.

    http://www.real-privacy.edu.tc

  • http://twitter.com/DonaldCaballero Donnie Cab

    Wikileaks is doing more damage than good. This is embarrassing to our president and our nation.

  • TheDevilCanDance

    Who cares, these are just collateral brown kids……If they were Americans, the world would stop spinning on its axe for a fucking week. Old hag Clinton and the transparent president will probably release a statement of apology and sorrow..and by the end of the week, it should be business as usual, back to butchering Arabs in the name of democracy.. ♫ Such a beautiful world…. ♫

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    “It is not a mark of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” They talk about “collateral murder” casually; like it was nothing… those are some Sick mother-fuckers. Thank-you Julian.

  • Anonymous

    It was somewhat worse for the dozens of civilians killed.

  • Anonymous

    It was somewhat worse for the dozens of civilians killed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mohamed-Hassan-Hassan/1450145974 Mohamed Hassan Hassan

    shame on you………….:@

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    You have to be kidding???? You have just displayed criminal think at it’s best. If the corporate christian war criminals have nothing to hide… Just saying…….

    This only confirms criminal thinking… and behavior…. on the part of the administration.

  • Anonymous

    Tell that to the relatives of the innocent Yemens that have been lied to. We need to end these wars….now.

  • http://twitter.com/gaxfax gary

    Assange isn’t off base, after all, when he quotes Theodore Roosevelt’s words from his 1912 Progressive party presidential platform as the epigraph to the first essay; Roosevelt realised a hundred years ago that “Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people,” and it was true, then too, that “To destroy this invisible government, to befoul this unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of statesmanship.” Assange is trying to shit all over this unholy alliance in ways that the later and more radical Roosevelt would likely have commended.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B5CXMVAOXCR354OLAUQ7VENIII Luke Anthony

    “Wikileaks is doing more damage than good. This is embarrassing to our president and our nation.”

    I do believe that’s the point. Not that you yanks need any help embarressing yourselves anyway.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B5CXMVAOXCR354OLAUQ7VENIII Luke Anthony

    “Wikileaks is doing more damage than good. This is embarrassing to our president and our nation.”

    I do believe that’s the point. Not that you yanks need any help embarressing yourselves anyway.

  • http://twitter.com/DonaldCaballero Donnie Cab

    This hurts our soldiers in the multiple theatres overseas and shines a bad light on our country.

  • http://twitter.com/DonaldCaballero Donnie Cab

    This hurts our soldiers in the multiple theatres overseas and shines a bad light on our country.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Jacobs.Bruno Bruno Jacobs

    It is time that your nation wakes up and stops thinking they are the kings of the world

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    US Attorney General Eric Holder said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is currently under investigation and and would be pursued if he were found to have broken the law.

    Soooooooo when it Assholder going after bush-n-the boys as well as the obomber administration who have all clearly broken the law?????

    What…. is emperical evidence not good enough????

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FPNFY4LJVRF6S2RA4REEVSI5JA Gdog00187

    Then move to a different country.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FPNFY4LJVRF6S2RA4REEVSI5JA Gdog00187

    Its easy to look at this latest so called leak of info and judge the actions of our government. I dont agree with many of my governments actions, but I dont see anyone packing up and leaving, or looking to other countrys like africa and its ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of thousands killed because one group did not have the same faith as the other. Its all bullshit, and as long as people are not in the middle of it they are happy to bitch and do nothing. Get off the computer and take the steps to make a change or shut up.

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    You are totally unable or unwilling to pull yourself out of that criminal thinking mode. That makes you a criminal that supports other criminals. The military and the obomber administration are looking for a…. few good stooges…. You’ll fit right in.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not that Assange risks exposing military secrects that might give our enemies a tactical advantage. That wouldn’t have every other country in the world wanting his balls in a vice, just us. Hell our enemies would probably shelter him.

    No the reason every king wants him dead is he tell the shit that does damage to their reputation. The god damn truth. And the truth is.

    Monkey, killing monkey, killing monkey
    Over pieces of the ground.
    Silly monkeys give them thumbs,
    They make a club
    And beat their brother… down

    Yeah baby there is a Universe of life that will rue the day we climbed down
    from the trees.

    King Kong aint got nothing on us.

    A bunch of special little creatures, Gods own special little chosen babies.

    Can’t sit still for five damn minutes at a Roger Waters concert, singing along like
    god and everyone paid to hear your special little voice.

    Checking your cell phone every five minutes to see if god calling.

    That’s not god that’s ego… the size of half a planet.

    You’re embarrassing yourself. Monkey

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=15200775 Chris Pulaski

    Aww, you’re cute! Thinking that all us Americans are just sitting here, relishing in the light shining upon us from our brilliant government, laughing heartily at the suffering of the world as we wonder what country we should take over next.

    Give me a break. This idea of America or Americans thinking they are “Kings of the World” is completely ludicrous (and is probably just as ridiculous as you feel the evil American Kings are)

  • Anonymous

    You are right…its way better to keep killing inocent people…
    “This is embarrasing to our president and our nation”
    Ok then lets close our eyes, continue the bombardments and the world will be a better place…

    Damn wikileaks! why are you doing this????

    ( S A R C A S M )

  • http://twitter.com/DonaldCaballero Donnie Cab

    I am not a criminal and I don’t like being labeled as such. I just support our president and know that he is doing what needs to be done. You rethugs do nothing but hate.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Valentine/1277133078 Michael Valentine

    And now we know why President Obama shielded the Bush Administration from war crimes charges.

    He was looking forward to his own war crimes.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mohamed-Ridene/100001129412224 Mohamed Ridene

    I SUPPORT JULIAN ASSANGE AND HIS CITE WIKILEAKS . I THINK THAT BROADCASTING THE TRUTH IN THE INTERNET ABOUT WAR CRIMES , KILLING BUSINESS AND CORRUPTION IS 100 * BETTER THAN TO HAVE ARMY TO FIGHT WAR CRIMINALS AND BUSINESS KILLERMEN … THIS IS THE BEST PEACEFUL ACTION AGAINST WORST BUSINESS… THANK’S JULIAN , GO ON … TRUTH AND GOD SUPPORT YOU….

  • TheDevilCanDance

    Oh yes indeed, I am confident your president is devastated, the dead carcasses of 21 kids is a bit problematic for a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Valentine/1277133078 Michael Valentine

    Power has it’s privileges doesn’t it?

    I think that no one could be President at this point and not become a war criminal because of the military industrial complex. The real power in Washington.

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    OMG… how far from a “rethug” can I be???? You labled yourself as a criminal and a supporter of criminals…. get use to it. You are right about one thing… I do hate that.

  • Anonymous

    Your blind trust in authority is immoral because in the long run, unchecked authority abuses it’s authority and those it was entrusted to protect it abuses. That is why freedom of speech is so important in a democracy. Public knowledge of what authority does in it’s name is necessary to preserve democracy. If you can’t handle democracy, move to North Korea where Kim Jong-il is considered to be a deity and can do no wrong and you can live in a make believe Pollyanna world.

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    yep murder is a past time…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Artemio-Leal/693153163 Artemio Leal

    Eres una verdadera Pendeja

  • Knot

    Going by the ratio of women and children killed to targets, apparently, it would suck to be a Yemeni woman equally as much as ‘a target’, yet it would suck nearly twice as much to be a innocent Yemeni child. Of course, to those Americans that got a paycheck and will get lifelong pension and health benefits for ordering and committing the killings of those children, life doesn’t suck that bad, at least not compared to what usually happens to people that kill children.

    Of course, the Americans it sucks for are the taxpayers paying millions of dollars to kill those children, and then paying nearly 100,000,000 more in ‘hush money’ to cover up the crimes, while the person ultimately responsible for the mafia-style cover-up is polishing his Nobel Peace Prize.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Artemio-Leal/693153163 Artemio Leal

    Democracy’s worst enemies, are that they tell defending on.

  • Anonymous

    Tongue my sack dickrag.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1788972379 Nida Meo

    Isn’t it really amazing Human Right Watch is looking for small single events happening against humanity is several countries but no one speaks against bombing Civilians for suspected militants …well actually the rule of engagement is ‘ Whoever is killed , we would call him a Militant’.

  • Anonymous

    people that build their own glass houses using much of their predecessors designs and materials, have reasons not to throw stones. Holder has turned out to be nothing short of a castrated puppet, what a waste.

  • Anonymous

    Wikileaks wouldn’t exist except for the fact that the mainstream media abandoned investigative journalism 30 years ago.

    Pentagon Papers? Watergate? Ancient history. The media have now consolidated into a handful of oligopolies, all corporate to the core. They’ve ignored two stolen elections, the lies that led to the invasion of Iraq, and the 9/11 truth movement. Hear no evil, see no evil. And that’s just the way the two major parties want it It iisn’t surprising that the Washington crowd has its nose out of joint.

  • Rush Goofbaugh

    You see… that’s not the way it works…. if YOU LIKE being a war criminal and support war criminal activity… then you should move to a country that supports war criminals. How is your Chinese?

  • Johnny Warbucks

    Nobody needed a top secret cable to know that. Duh!

    As for the “mistakes” that were made, gotta love the utter USan hypocrisy and arrogance. They fuck up half the world, shrug their shoulders and claim that ‘mistakes were made’ – Oh, well, get on with your life, move on, nothing to see here. Now, one of their paid whores get killed while killing innocents and oy! you’d swear it’s the end of the world. “An American soldier got killed” boo hoo hoo… “A true hero” boo hoo hoo… “Those savages, let’s kill ‘em all” boo hoo hoo…Yeah, of course, killing more of the savages that were killing your savages in the first place fixes every thing.

    I fucking hate these psychopaths! Now, here’s what I don’t know, is the US learning this shit from Israel? Or is Israel learning this shit from the US? Or the answer more obvious like, since they’re both certified world psychopaths, they act in exactly the same cookie-cutter fashion because that’s what psychopaths do?

  • Anonymous

    Hey, Donnie Cab…the whole point is that our soldiers shouldn’t be in multiple theaters overseas in the first place. If the people in Washington (White House, Pentagon, Congress) had been telling the truth for the last 50 years, they’d be home where they belong.

    A “bad light on our country?” Don’t blame Assange; he’s only the messenger. The message is that we’ve committed war crimes in the name of self-defense.

  • Johnny Warbucks

    Actually, if you really look, the reports always say “15 people were killed in [fill in the blank with ME country] today. 1 was a suspected [fill in "terrorist" organization of choice]”

    Here’s a real one. Pay close attention to the semantics game:

    Officials: Suspected US missile strike kills 20 alleged militants in Pakistan near Afghanistan

    http://www.startribune.com/world/108315169.html?page=2&c=y

  • Anonymous

    Thank the gods for Wikileaks.

    And speaking of Wikileaked documents, please note the best vids of the 21st Century below.

    [Swedish Prosecution Authority on Wikileaks’ warrant: Weird]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLy2UOaA0CU&feature=player_embedded#!

    [Chris Hedges]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYCvSntOI5s

    [Russ Baker v. George Bush: Family of Secrets]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ZkqfRsiRo

    [The Federal Reserve]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUY16CkS-k&feature=player_embedded

    [Media and Propaganda]
    http://metanoia-films.org/watchonline.php

    [Must read economics paper which clarifies where the economy disappeared to:]
    http://michael-hudson.com/2010/07/from-marx-to-goldman-sachs-the-fictions-of-fictitious-capital1/

  • Anonymous

    us attorney general eric holder is a lying domestic criminal with no standing in the community of civilized men… who gives a fuck about his legal musings. he and his ilk have raped lady justice and perverted the natural law of common sense.

    and who but a scared and brainwashed child would follow that dimwit and murderer petraeus into battle?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Achille-Mauro-Porcheddu/1499715042 Achille Mauro Porcheddu

    No Comment

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PERXL7QX24UGNVTL7WFUCMBNII Aqua Regia

    This is tremendously secret information because the Yemenis do not know how many people were killed in that air strike. /s

    It is only the US population that this information is hidden from. If we knew what they were doing, we would have their figurative heads for it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hkers-AndBlow/100001842707357 Hkers AndBlow

    according to jon stewart, this is all gossip. Gee, I guess blowing the shit out of Arab kids is just “gossip”. Fuck you zionist jon stewart.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bello-Mohammad-Garba/100001656093027 Bello Mohammad Garba

    American are trying to destroy this world with thier criminal activities my God protect wikileaks.

  • http://yahoo senye

    collateral!..sweat in me pants.

  • http://www.meneame.net/story/calbe-revela-eeuu-esta-detras-bombardeo-asesino-21-ninos-yemen Calbe revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG]

    [...] Calbe revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG] http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/cable-reveals-airstrike-kille…  por ZEN_ic hace 2 segundos [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Gregory-Martin/100000564476826 Gregory Martin

    When you see things like this, it’s not hard to imagine that the actual targeting has been farmed out to a group like Blackwater. They probably claimed that they had assets on the ground who verified the target, when in reality, it was a couple of mercs, drunk and bored out of their skulls in some backwater, who threw a dart at a map of Yemen and called in the coordinates that it hit as an “al-Qaeda nest”. “It’s all good” they likely said, as every target is a cash bonanza for them…oh, and the civilian deaths? Collateral damage, bro! Ha ha ha…..

  • Jaimie

    You believe killing civilians indiscriminately is an atrocity your president should be supported for doing? In that case, you are far worse than “una pendeja” – you are immoral to the point of criminality.

    “When wrongs are pressed because it is believed they will be borne, resistance becomes morality.” Thomas Jefferson

  • Anonymous

    No No. That wasn’t us. It was the wikileaks terrorist!!!

  • Anonymous

    You may want to let the others know you using sarcasm.

  • Anonymous

    We were bombing the CHANGE out of them!
    I now want to believe that Obama is a Kenyan.

  • hauksdottir

    Ah, yes, “mission creep” into yet another illegal war-on-a-noun. The hopscotch stone landed on Yemen, and it’s Yemen we’ll invade, occupy, and bring democracy to.

    As to “mission”, note that the damned CLUSTER BOMBS are stored on the British island of Diego Garcia, in violation of their own signature on the Convention. The British are equally complicit in these deaths… and War Crimes.

    The mission is worldwide and endless war… are the British really comfortable with that? Are we Americans?

    As to these alleged militants? Were *all* males above the age of 14 actively making war? Were any of them warriors???

  • http://twitter.com/sarcasmLivesOn sarcastic so ‘n so

    So Donnie, let me get this straight…All the Germans that were hanged as war criminals after the Nuremberg trials should have been let free because they supported their President/Führer in what needed to be done and the Allies should not have embarased them with those silly trials…right?

  • Anonymous

    Sane people will understand. Thank you.

  • Anonymous

    You’re quite the speculator Greg. I’m sure that’s exactly how it happened.

  • Anonymous

    “Are we Americans?” Really, we’re like the British were before 1940.

  • Anonymous

    Not all Americans. Some of us “get it.”

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA

    Oh well, so sad too bad. There is even more money to be made, and even bigger executive bonuses to be paid. Let’s move on and may God bless George Bush and the Republican party.

  • Greg

    AMERICA FUCK YEAH!

  • Anonymous

    Yes we get it but what are we going to do about it?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KWF2CWBVOKY6PGLKJ45U2S3CWA J

    It’s you Gdog who should get off the computer and clean in your own backyard. This world wouldn’t be such a shit hole if our countries are not governed purely by imperialistic thirst. Money and only money spins the world today, and we all know where is this culture coming from. It was called “American Dream” once, but now it doesn’t matter whose dream is it. Most of the youngsters around world are already infested by that sick rhetoric. So, we better all start cleaning in our own backyards before it is too late for human civilisation as whole.

  • Jaimie

    Here Donnie, I thought you’d like this:

    “Unconditional and highest freedom of will comes from obedience…obedience which is prepared to render each and every sacrifice to pride, to external honour and to all which is dear to us personally, obedience which never falters but unconditionally follows every order which comes from the Führer or legally from superiors.” Heinrich Himmler

  • Ray Joseph Cormier

    When the U.S. sends cruise missiles into the dessert Kingdom of Yemen killing so many women and children, the Yemeni government may support it, but some Yemeni Patriots are determined to fight the enemy that attacked them.

    They may not be able to afford cruise missiles, but they will find the way to fight back on American soil, the more America fires cruise missiles or Predator drones destroying their mud brick humble abodes and families.

    When America asks why? That’s why!

  • Ray Joseph Cormier

    The major media and all schools should re-run the entire Farewell Speech of the Supreme Allied Commander, WWII, and President of the United States for 8 years when America and the world was more innocent.

    He was truly the last Commander in Chief, having seen the world from the perspective of the top Military and Political job. He experienced the broad spectrum of military. political and economic power in this world.

    This speech is not partisan or political. It is a red flag warning to Future generations and it is only now, 50 years later, with the benefit of hindsight, can we see the Wisdom and Truth in his warning to America and the world.

    Watching this historic TV address to the Nation, we can see how the technologies he cautions about have grown.

    We can also see how The Imperial Presidency has grown to it’s peak, and now in decline, as President Eisenhower forewarned the consequence would be if American power went off course.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd8wwMFmCeE&feature=email

  • http://aamjanata.com vidyut

    “Security assistance to Yemen may substantially increase, if Gen. Petraeus has his way.”

    Am I the only one thinking that Yemen might be better off without assistance?

  • http://aamjanata.com vidyut

    And who paid the wikileaks terrorist to bomb Yemen?

    @dgenzle2001 -== sarcasm ==- :P

  • http://aamjanata.com vidyut

    May your tribe increase!

  • Anonymous

    And nothing happens when a top US general lies about civilian deaths, of course. As long as the dead are brown-skinned and Muslim, the old white men in Washington don’t care. On second thought, it doesn’t matter to them who dies, now does it?

  • http://aamjanata.com vidyut

    And that is something to aspire to?

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/LEUDUVF5EGJZRZETF3KV53P7BQ Thomas

    Not a problem. As soon as our corrupt government sends a few billion to the top people in Yemen, they will suddenly discover that it was a terrorist who now can’t be found, so the US will be off the hook. And, this story will disappear just as quickly.

  • http://twitter.com/RajahWeb Rajah Web

    Appeal to count non-American deaths in Iraq-Afghanistan War (1,000,000 murdered) – http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-usmilitary&tid=110517

  • http://lacronicadigital.com/cable-revela-que-eeuu-esta-detras-del-bombardeo-que-asesino-a-21-ninos-en-yemen-eng/ Cable revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG] | La crónica digital

    [...] » noticia original [...]

  • Anonymous

    So to summarize, they killed 49 civilians of whom 21 were children, then knowingly lied about it and covered it up… and yet tonight on TV in the USA the talking point is whether to bust Assange for espionage (which is ridiculously being touted as sensible) or terrorism i.e. by Sarah Palin (which is correctly being assessed as certifiable). What happened to American TV… did it ever have real journalists working for their new channels?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Gregory-Martin/100000564476826 Gregory Martin

    Yeah, well, the alternative is even more unpleasant to consider.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703710483 Aleksander Carlsen

    Throw out your television :)

  • http://twitter.com/PedroMKLeal Pedro Henrique Leal

    Look, THIS is the kind of info wikileaks should release. But Assange seems to be too important to filter his info, and so we get 200 files of gossip, and one file of useful, actually important, of true public interest info. What he is doing is completely irresponsible, but that is because he’s doing it without any regard for colateral damages, or for the state of international relations in the wake of his “cablegate”.

    I just hope this doesn’t get worse

  • Aleph3777

    Yeah….you’re gonna be fighting this “War on Terror” for a hell of a long time.

  • http://www.desde.co/cable-revela-que-eeuu-esta-detras-del-bombardeo-que-asesino-a-21-ninos-en-yemen-eng/ Cable revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG] | Desde.CO

    [...] » noticia original [...]

  • Aleph3777

    Human Rights Watch is indignant when Saudi Arabia executes a legally convicted criminal or when some Pakistani villager beats his wife…but the US bombs, kidnaps, rapes and kills thousands across dozens of countries and we don’t hear a peep out of them. Can somebody say, CIA FRONT.

  • Anonymous

    Nor does it matter to the vast majority of Americans.

  • http://elnoticiero.golbac.com/cable-revela-que-eeuu-esta-detras-del-bombardeo-que-asesino-a-21-ninos-en-yemen-eng/ Cable revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG] | El Noticiero

    [...] » noticia original [...]

  • Aleph3777

    In the international media today we have Human Rights Watch blasting Iran for halting the execution of a woman who was found guilty of murdering her husband/boyfriend’s other wife…the court found her guilty, the victims family refused to pardon her and demanded the sentence be carried out…and Human Rights Watch finds this appalling….in the mean time…22 children among dozens of other civilians routinely killed across the world by the US and this organization is strangely absent. I wonder why most countries don’t simply ban them altogether as expose them as the CIA front they are.

  • Anonymous

    The “beacon of democracy” bombing children and then lying about it.
    Not good.
    Bad.
    Very bad.

  • Anonymous

    We no longer prosecute lawbreakers in our government,
    we just prosecute whistle blowers.

    The demise of character leads to the demise of empires.

  • Aquarius

    Without Wikileak’s information anyone knows that US together with Israel was, is, and will be the most dangerous terrorist state on the planet!

  • Aquarius

    American TV is a sh… hole man! It is a brainwashing machine to keep millions of US citizens blindfolded!

  • http://eldiariodigital.golbac.com/cable-revela-que-eeuu-esta-detras-del-bombardeo-que-asesino-a-21-ninos-en-yemen-eng/ Cable revela que EEUU está detrás del bombardeo que asesinó a 21 niños en Yemen [ENG] | El diario digital

    [...] » noticia original [...]

  • Aquarius

    very well said!

  • Aquarius

    If you blindly support your president who is a murderer it is clear that you are criminal too….. I know that the reality hurts…

  • Aquarius

    Hey Jaimie, I am in doubt if she knows who HH was… :-) By the way, great comparison!

  • Anonymous

    When you read about these cover-ups, denials, etc., you begin to understand and appreciate the risks some people will take to shed light on the truth.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/V7OQVU5KEHDIFRB2F7HADK7L3E Charles

    Well, for once, it seems we’re seeing the government scramble… These wiki leaks could be a good thing, it seems if the illegal practices being done in the name of America are exposed, they’ll have to be stopped, if nothing else due to public outcry.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/V7OQVU5KEHDIFRB2F7HADK7L3E Charles

    More like a “War for terror”.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/V7OQVU5KEHDIFRB2F7HADK7L3E Charles

    This is disturbing as well: “Al Qaeda Never Existed”

    http://politics.videosift.com/…

  • ikram ali khan ghouri

    That will be true and in fact a dying elephant behaves like that to kill every one with eyes closed and is nothing wrong.
    Americans are mad for alleged al-qaida which does not exist. Even CIA admits they are 30-40 persons if then they can not do anything against such a destructive army of the world but the question is arroganz and they can,t admit the mistakes.
    America is no more democraty is a pure dictatorship with few hundred congress and senate members. For me democraty is human right, wisdom, human values and for the betterment of common man.

  • Anonymous

    Good one America. Spreading democracy once more.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Juan-Alejandro-Vairo/100001629277309 Juan Alejandro Vairo

    21 chilren DONNIE, IT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU CUZ YOURE AMERICAN

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Raff/100000362010036 Brian Raff

    Headline: People die in war
    In other news, ice is cold, water is wet and the sun is a big effing ball of fire.

    Does it suck that civilians died? Yes.
    Is civilian death ever going to stop being part of war? Probably not, especially when… some… organizations like to base themselves in places where civilians can be used as protection.

  • Anonymous

    The wikileaks crew are FUCKIN HEROS.

  • Mr. Neutron

    Are we at war with Yemen now ?

    Or is this part of the “War on Poverty” started decades ago ? War on Cancer ? War on Obesity ? War on Drugs ? War of the Sexes ? War on Crime ?

  • TheDevilCanDance

    Aww, Donnie, you’re quite the romantic type. “our president, our soldiers..” It seems like you have a personal relation & connection, with each & every scumbags in the Obama administration (but I am not drawing conclusion here, you look way better than Monika).

    I have seen hardcore babes but you are the real Mc Coy, you actually feel concern for a bunch of 20 yr old rednecks whose daily duty is to butcher kids and innocent civilians.

    Can you spare a feeling for the dead kids, or do I have to show you my tits?.

  • Anonymous

    So we should accept civilian casualties as we accept that ‘ice is cold’ or ‘water is wet?’

    “Is civilian death ever going to stop being part of war?”

    Are you saying that we simply allow our Government to bomb whatever country they want to for no reason whatsoever? Complacency is exactly what they want you to be.

    “Probably not, especially when… some… organizations like to base themselves in places where civilians can be used as protection.”

    Bombing anyone for the reasons (economic reasons, destabilization of entire regions) that we do should not include civilians under any circumstances. What the fuck are we doing in Yemen anyway?

  • Anonymous

    This is the kind of shit that made 9/11 happen. The US Government is putting us at risk.

  • Anonymous

    ice is cold,
    water is wet
    the sun is a big effing ball of fire
    americans are losing their humanity and compassion

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Keith-Stern/100000037879362 Keith Stern

    And war is truly unnecessary — never justified from the civilians’ point of view when they live under about the same tyranny before and after war. Only justified from an economic point of view for those who make the profits from war. Simple really.

  • http://www.jonas-kyratzes.net/2010/12/03/why-you-should-support-wikileaks/ Why You Should Support Wikileaks « Jonas Kyratzes

    [...] A cruise missile strike in Yemen by U.S. forced killed dozens of civilians, including 21 children. Even if you are in favour of war, don’t you think the citizens of the United States should know the cost in innocent lives of what their government is doing? [...]

  • Anonymous

    Just like it does in Pakistan, our Government uses your money to buy-off corrupt regimes in order to get leaders of ‘War Host Nations’ to look the other way as the Corporate Lap-Dog US Military lackadaisically kills unrepresented innocents within those countries in pursuit of vaguely justified pre-emptive strategies of perpetual for-profit warfare.

  • David R Velasquez

    Wikileaks does good.

    The military would rather treat the US citizens like mushrooms. Keep em in the dark and feed them bs.
    If they don’t want this info enraging arabs or recruiting for the “enemy” then they should stop treating war like some video game where the “targets” are like points.
    This war was lost before it was begun. Blame Rumsfield, blame Cheney, blame Bush blame the media’s corporate sponsors… but they pushed the US into it without a thought or concern for the potential victims.

  • Anonymous

    “let us not become the evil we deplore”
    barbara lee was right to be affraid when she said this but unfortunately her fears have come true

  • Carl Elderton

    Amazing, telling the truth has become a crime in America. But lying the nation into war is just another day at the office.

  • Anonymous

    clearly each of these murders should be charged as such and all in the chain of command are accomplices,, as the exec/legislative/judicial branches have overwhelmingly been for years now. all the deaths in iraq, afpak, yemen, somalia…

  • http://thevigilantlens.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/a-swedish-condom/ A Swedish Condom « The Vigilant Lens

    [...] 2. Hillary now regrets working for the CIA and 3. we must also buy that The Assangenator, is now more deadly than our former ally Osama bin [...]

  • Anonymous

    Assange does redact some materials, in discussion with The Guardian, NYT etc. He’s asked the state dept to help but they refused.

    What he doesn’t do is censor based on what you think is important.

    And there is no proof whatsoever that any harm has befallen anyone, except for embarrassment, from these leaks.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YR3ZJUKNIASACWTHWN6MKJE2SA doalive

    gee i hope these leaks don’t leed any “innocents” to be harmed,hipocritters and parasites first

  • Shawn

    OK, a few things to say on this. First of all, “F*$K Wikileaks”. Julian Assuange is off on his own little vendetta against the US. He’s basically a vigilante. Enough about beating the dead horse.

    Secondly, the US uses precision strikes to minimize collateral damage and civilian casualties. Intel is not perfect, sometimes mistakes are made. We are Human as people like to go around arrogantly shouting out all the time. Unfortunately, this is war. It happens, get over it. Be glad were able to precision strikes and not bombing out entire cities like the bombing runs in WWII did.

    Three, it’s is a tactic of the terrorist to pull their women and children into the houses and whatever other building they may be using because they know how to use the media against us. It just looks so great every time our own media prints a story saying that we recklessly killed a bunch of women and children. Of course, it would not surprise me in the least if they were actually paying off our own media outlets to leave out the fact that the terrorist do this on purpose all the time. What do they care if they die, they will die a martyr and go to heaven in their minds. Unfortunately, to our guys on the ground, it just looks like a bunch of terrorist in a house shooting at them, take them out. Now this wasn’t exactly that scenario, but then they don’t exactly have public buildings and bases to operate from either. Most of the time, a training camp is run out of some guys house, the same house where his family lives. SO get over the resentment people, that’s exactly what they want you to feel. They are using our own media to divide the country. Wake up!

  • http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/72149.html When Goliath is the “Victim” « LewRockwell.com Blog

    [...] Krauthammer is a conservative of the post- George W. Bush variety — that is, an unreconstructed totalitarian nationalist. In an essay calling for the execution of Julian Assange (after a show trial, if possible, but by extra-judicial means if necessary), Herr Krauthammer blusters about the majesty of the Imperial State even as he whines about the besetting dangers it faces and the consummate injustice that has been done in exposing a handful of its criminal secrets. Exhibit “a” in the column is the disclosure, by way of WikiLeaks, that Washington allowed its Yemeni puppet regime to take the blame for a hideous atrocity — the December 2009 cruise missile massacre of dozens of civilians, including 21 children. [...]

  • Anonymous

    As Bush said, it is A CRUSADE, Afghanistan is a Muslim country, so US can kill as they please, Iraq is mainly Muslim, so death of Iraqies does not matter, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan are all mainly Muslim, so the people there do not matter, they can be slaughtered as WHITE HOUSE pleases.

  • Anonymous

    The vicious cruel amorality of the US Military Industrial Empire is revealed , fleshed out , exposed

  • Anonymous

    let those puppies breathe

  • Anonymous

    This is US empire building 101. Unfortunately the brave act of PFC Manning will do little to stop it.

  • TheDevilCanDance

    Actually I agree with you, tough guy, people die everyday….But then, you have so stop whining about 9/11, avoiding of turning yourself into an hyper emotional tears bag, who laments 24 a day, 7 days a week. about the 3000 “innocent victims” who died on that day.

    You know what, Human life is worth shit, and you Yankees are also part of the equation.

  • Anonymous

    Now for the worst part: Nothing will change. Nobody cares enough to put down the mickey d’s or starbucks, much less tear themselves away from dancing with the stars…

    One picture of a napalmed child running from the remains of her village got at least a few bong ripping hippies off the couch.. Maybe the stuff today really is too strong.

    One blown up baby here, 21 babies blown up there… What do you care?

    Let’s drive our blubber-laden asses down to the local burger joint in an oversized suv, scarf down 6000 calories of preprocessed corporate slop, then drive back home with the tubby kids watching shrek 2 on their iphones in the back seat… With all that, who cares?

  • TheDevilCanDance

    Sorry Babe, but you are accessory to murder when you support the man (your president) who gave order to the soldiers, to do what they did.

    And please Babe, do not try to hide behind the “rethugs-hate” glasswall, you are not in the position to be critical of republicans,when you support a man who perpetrates the same scatological policies.

    You are a babe without much conscience,even less of critical thinking, your political bias makes you look like one of those idiotic bimbos on Fox News. Maybe you should show your tits, since you don’t have much to say…..

  • Anonymous

    Life under Satanic republikkklan America.

  • http://www.broeckers.com/Wordpress/2010/12/04/das-imperium-im-nacktscanner/ Wikileaks: Das Imperium im Nacktscanner : Mathias Broeckers

    [...] der Justiz in Spanien bis zum wachsenden Einfluß der israelischen Mafia oder amerikanische Cluster-Bomben auf Kinder im Jemen [...]

  • BigBuck

    Put on your Darth Vader helmet and mask, turn on your voice changer, breathe deeply and say with me:

    “It was necessary for these innocents to die, Luke, it is the price of true freedom.”

  • Anonymous

    those who butcher children call assange a terrorist. seems to me that every wrongful death in iraq, afpak, yemen, somalia should be a charge of murder and a huge settlement for the survivors. a few trillion should wipe the empires of US and NATO out pretty well. good riddance to stinking trash!

  • Anonymous

    Geez, I’ve been through all this before. Daniel Ellsworth, Pentagon Papers (in my library) same government, same cover ups, same crimes against humanity as in Viet Nam. Only difference is that we have a chikenshit press that won’t or can’t show what’s actually happening. You’ll never see a picture of a little girl running down the road naked after being hit by napalm as we did 40 years ago. I am so disgusted with my country and its leaders.

  • Anonymous

    I’m afraid that nothing has changed under Obama.

  • Anonymous

    It appears this idiot is in favor of eternal war or something. WTF is wrong with you, dude? We’re technically not even supposed to be engaging in that area as of that time.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_USBSKLSWAI7BTN2VQ6KVDJT5OU CyndiBlue

    It’s just another training op. That’s all. And they will be ordered to use their training on us, when
    unemployment and high food costs have made us weak enough, according to Soros’
    boss, not yet uncovered on Beck’s countdown to top.

    Like Ron Paul says, Assange is a person we need more of.
    Like I say, 200 committed hackers could open up the NWO wide and destroy
    them. No shots fired.

  • Anon

    People!

    It’s war.

    People get killed during it. Sometimes, the wrong people get killed.

    This is not new, and has been occuring in every military conflict through out time.

  • http://www.gazzan.net Gaz

    hell of work did,

  • https://www.zuola.com/weblog/?p=1619 » 维基解密的电报门续集 12月06日

    [...] 9. 美軍須為去年十二月也門空襲負責,該之襲擊導致 21 兒童死亡 10. 阿富汗副總統帶著五千二百萬骯款進入杜拜。 11. [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dennis-Yoopeho/100000828840003 Dennis Yoopeho

    Wikileaks in of the Yoopeho Side

  • http://bahumuth.bitfreedom.com/if-you-read-this-you-will-be-fired Political Rants » If You Read This, You Will Be Fired

    [...] The US military covered up the killing of 41 civilians, including 14 women and 21 children, during a cluster bomb attack in south Yemen in December 2009. It also confirms that Yemen’s [...]

  • Anonymous

    Very philosophical.

    In the late 1960′s, the US airforce stepped up its bombing of Laos as it wound down its bombing of North Vietnam. Why? because the planes were available, and someone believed they shouldn’t just be left sitting on the runways, idle. The villages and people of the Plain of Jars were pulverised.

    An account by an American in Laos at the time can be found at
    http://www.trulyalive.org/images/pdf/laos/awli2.pdf

    Likewise, the mainstream eyewitness report of some naughty journalists’ escapade into forbidden Lao territory in March of 1970 is currently available at
    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,878776,00.html

    Ah, Brian, what level of comfort and safety enables you to make such smug observations about how things always have been and, by inference, always will be?

    What shall we call your “viewpoint”? Suction at a distance?

  • http://slattedlight.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/deprivatizing-secrecy-a-cable-on-wikileaks/ Deprivatizing secrecy: A Cable on Wikileaks « drift lines

    [...] CIA rendition and Guantánamo, taking what can only be an unofficial tithe from allies, covering up bombing another nation’s territory in complicity with that nation’s government, colluding with [...]

  • http://www.darkpolitricks.com/2010/12/flashback-sec-clinton-hailed-internet-freedom-as-tool-to-%e2%80%98spread-truth-and-expose-injustice%e2%80%99/ Flashback: Sec. Clinton hailed Internet freedom as tool to ‘spread truth and expose injustice’ | Dark Politricks

    [...] classified State Department cables last week by the transparency website Wikileaks, which revealed misdeeds and secrets of various governments around the [...]

  • http://aleapofbadfaith.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/wikileaks-the-body-expulses-it/ Wikileaks: The body expulses it « A Leap of Bad Faith

    [...] how good it is, that everything is ok; the US doesn’t want people to know that it routinely kills innocents. There’s a lot of stuff we’re better off not knowing. Never mind that [...]

  • http://wentworthbathroomfurniture.co.uk Ralph Kierzewski

    I really liked reading your post!. Quallity content. With such a valuable blog i believe you deserve to be ranking even higher in the search engines :)

  • http://freewestradio.com/2010/12/take-pity-on-goliath/ FreeWestRadio.com » Blog Archive » Take Pity on Goliath

    [...] Exhibit “a” in the column is the disclosure, by way of WikiLeaks, that Washington allowed its Yemeni puppet regime to take the blame for a hideous atrocity — the December 2009 cruise missile massacre of dozens of civilians, including 21 children. [...]

  • http://thenewsasithappens.com/across-the-universe-wiki/ The News As IT Happens » Blog Archive » across the universe wiki

    [...] Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen – Raw Story Yeah baby there is a Universe of life that will rue the day we climbed down … rapes and kills thousands across dozens of countries and we don’t hear a peep out of them. Can somebody say, CIA FRONT. In the international media today we have Human Rights … Nov 28, 2010 7:36am [...]

  • http://blogs.alternet.org/theskeeterbitesreport/2010/12/14/wikileaks-founders-arrest-stirs-intense-debate-on-freedom-of-online-media/ WikiLeaks Founder’s Arrest Stirs Intense Debate on Freedom of Online Media « The 'Skeeter Bites Report

    [...] it noted that one of the cables corroborates images Amnesty released earlier this year showing that the U.S. military carried out a missile strike in south Yemen in December 2009 that killed dozens of local civilians, including women and [...]

  • http://www.darkpolitricks.com/2010/12/top-us-spy-in-pakistan-flees-after-lawsuit-reveals-identity/ Top US spy in Pakistan flees after lawsuit reveals identity | Dark Politricks

    [...] diplomatic cable released by secrets website WikiLeaks revealed that the US military had covered up the killing of dozens of civilians in [...]

  • http://hema.v5n.org/wikileaks/4360 劃破國家與陰謀政治的 WikiLeaks(之一) | 香港獨立媒體 | HEMAmedia

    [...] 9. 美軍須為去年十二月也門空襲負責,該次襲擊導致 21 兒童死亡 10. 阿富汗副總統帶著五千二百萬賄款進入杜拜。 11. [...]

  • Anonymous

    And the cover up, you’re comfy cozy with that are you? How’d you like it if those kids blown to tinier pieces were your kids, and foreigners were responsible? Where does that grab you Brian Raff?

  • Anonymous

    As long as we defund education and turn out sorry excuses for men like Brian Raff who don’t care how many tiny children we murder, then cover it up, then accuse the guy who unravels it with a terrorist act, you can bet the U.S.A. will soon not matter. I just want to be around when Brian, if he has kids, God forbid, finds them in tiny pieces. I want to be there to say, hey, ice is cold, the sun is a big ball of crap.

  • Anonymous

    Oh contrar mon ami. Now the putative “liberals” favor war criminals and Bush will no doubt be honored for his treachery and genocide alongside Obama. Obama does speak better, but he kills children just the same.

  • http://fontwords.com/2011/02/01/more-on-egypt-etc more on egypt etc

    [...] simultaneously arming and fighting the Taliban. Indirectly, of course. We’re all too fond of hiding behind foreign governments to cover our [...]

  • http://ctrlzworld.org/2011/02/to-appease-us-yemen-arrested-dozens-sans-evidence-cable-reveals/ To appease US, Yemen arrested dozens sans evidence, cable reveals | ctrlZworld

    [...] diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in December showed that the US military covered up the killing of dozens of civilians during a cruise missile strike in southern [...]

  • http://www.hottospot.com/2011/02/08/middle-east/to-appease-us-yemen-arrested-dozens-sans-evidence-cable-reveals/ To appease US, Yemen arrested dozens sans evidence, cable reveals | Hot to Spot

    [...] have asked.Another diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in December showed that the US military covered up the killing of dozens of civilians during a cruise missile strike in southern [...]