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Disturbing video that shows U.S. soldiers 'blowing up a dog in Iraq for fun'

Last updated at 6:34 PM on 31st December 2011

A video has emerged online that appears to show some American troops blowing up a dog-for fun.

On the footage, which surfaced two days ago, soldiers can be heard- off camera- laughing as the animal approaches a trap-apparently set up by themselves.

The men chortle as they spot the hapless creature wandering in what appears to be a bombed out street.

The soldiers can be heard chortling as they spot the hapless creature wandering near their trap

We are told on Liveleak,the website on which the footage emerged, that this is Iraq.

The unfortunate pup sniffs around in the dust before turning its back not suspecting a thing.

Then out of nowhere the an IED explodes into a fireball of smoke and flames. 

Amid the smoke and fire we can see the dog blown into the air, as it scrambles to get away from the terrifying force of the blast

The troops chuckle unremittingly at the poor beast's terror before he disappears in the smoke. It is not known if the poor creature survived the explosion.

The disturbing footage will do further damage to the credibility of the US missions in the Middle East.

Earlier this month, video that appeared to show US soldiers in Iraq beating a sheep to death with a baseball bat emerged.

Repeated incidents of gratuitous violence have raised questions about the capability of US soldiers to be at the forefront of sensitive relationships with local populations.   

Although Obama has just this month brought all US troops home from the oil rich nation, the country’s mission in Afghanistan is likely to continue for some time.

A spokesman for the US Army did not return calls.

View footage here before it is removed from the web.

It would be heartening to hear that these arseholes are to be prosecuted. Though I am not going to hold my breathe that any standards of animal welfare from troops in Iraq will be upheld.

I don't want to see it.

I am absolutely not going to watch that.

US troops don't set IED's, they disable or diffuse them. The HUMVEE so close by was likely EOD Explosive Ordinance Disposal, sent to disarm an insurgent set trap, while the dog just wandered into the operation while they were filming. Otherwise, US forces wouldn't endanger each other that way, just for a joke. I think the dog just tripped a bomb they were trying to render harmless.

And the reason for their mirth and laughter before and after the hapless dog wandered into the area where they were attempting to disarm the device?

Stress.

Many people express tension by laffing. They couldn't save the dog, without endangering themselves, so they laffed it off. After so many American causalities by IED (it was the number one killer, in the whole war) they knew they had to get rid of the devise, before it killed another soldier.

We train them to be killers and then hate them because they kill.

We train them to be killers and then hate them because they kill.

Joe, we do not train American soldiers to be heartless sadists...

And if the article is accurate in it's description, (which is what a proper investigation could reveal) that is what happened, and those who were involved should be appropriately punished.

Lord Jim wrote: Joe, we do not train American soldiers to be heartless sadists...

I see. I suppose these soldiers just didn't do very well in the Empathy Training portion of their 'How to Kill' curriculum.

loCAtek wrote:Stress.

Many people express tension by laffing. They couldn't save the dog, without endangering themselves, so they laffed it off.

Calling for the dog and attracting the dog's attention would potentially have prevented this crime.

They sadistically sniggered and let it happen and then laughed even louder.

That is not stress, that is perversion.

That's sick. I am not going to watch it.

I gather you haven't been following the stories of atrocities of US soldiers against humans in Iraq and Afghanistan? A soldier from Billings, Montana was just sentenced to life in prison for murdering Afghani civilians: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb ... 87180.html

War is often a playground for psychopaths, sadly.

Well, you know what they say about people who kill animals...

Next thing you know they'll be killing people.

bigskygal wrote:That's sick. I am not going to watch it.

I gather you haven't been following the stories of atrocities of US soldiers against humans in Iraq and Afghanistan? A soldier from Billings, Montana was just sentenced to life in prison for murdering Afghani civilians.

War is often a playground for psychopaths, sadly.

Okay. This is not going to sit well with a lot of folks. Let me say first off that I did watch the video. So I can accurately assume to have an opinion on said video. Unlike you bleeding heart Liberals that get all bent out of shape based upon no evidence other than you "heard" it was evil. It's not pretty. I do not now and have never condoned animal abuse.

But let me ask this; WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE FOR THE HUMAN SLAUGHTER IN FULUGIA?

Yeah? Whatever... In the words of Hawkeye "War is hec"...And what about the lying cunts in Congress that authorized this useless "war" based upon false evidence and a fear for their RE-ELECTION LIVES that cost me my Nephew and countless others? And Perhaps WE should have thought about that before we invaded a sovereign country just so GW could impress his daddy by being a "war" president... *Double Spit!

I am on record for being against this war from beforeit even started. Just saying.

The video from on its face, is an ugly insight to the cost of war.? Somebody definitely needs to be checked. Sorry the dog was sadly collateral damage. Man's inhumanity to Man's best friend ....

I see. I suppose these soldiers just didn't do very well in the Empathy Training portion of their 'How to Kill' curriculum.

Joe I have to say I'm a little surprised at your comments on this...

That's the sort of flip, shallow, thoughtless comment I would expect from rubato; but I know you to be a more intelligent and thoughtful person than that.

I'm sure you are well aware of the fact that our troops receive extensive training regarding what is and what is not acceptable behavior in the field; we don't just pass out guns drop them off in a war zone and say, "Okay guys, now go out and kill."

US service members are taught a helluva a lot more than "how to kill". I thought that kind of simplistic, cartoon construction about the nature of our armed forces went out with the Vietnam War.

I gather you haven't been following the stories of atrocities of US soldiers against humans in Iraq and Afghanistan? A soldier from Billings, Montana was just sentenced to life in prison for murdering Afghani civilians

BSG, I am familiar with this story as well as several other documented atrocity cases in Iraq and Afghanistan. (I recall one case in Iraq where an entire family was massacred by several troops.)

Atrocities take place in all wars; the difference lies in how they are dealt with.

There are countries who's armed forces are trained to engage in them and they are a part of a deliberate centrally directed strategy to terrorize, (and thus control) the population.

There are other countries where they don't go this far, but where they deliberately look the other way as a matter of policy because they too see these actions as having a benefit (and also in these cases sometimes they realize that their troops are not well trained, and they simply expect these things to happen.)

Neither of these is true of the US Armed Forces. It is not policy either to encourage the commission of atrocities, or to look the other way when they happen. (When it comes to light that attempts have been made to cover-up an incident, those who tried to cover up are charged with serious crimes as well.)

The policy, (as in the example you pointed out.) Is to prosecute and punish those proven to engage in atrocities severely.

American troops have historically had a reputation for having very low rates of atrocities, but of course no system is perfect. No amount of training and psychological screening is going to prevent every person who shouldn't be allowed into a combat zone situation from getting into one. This is just a sad reality.

The important thing is that when one of these things is proven to have happened, justice must be swift, and the punishment severe.

Let me say first off that I did watch the video. So I can accurately assume to have an opinion on said video. Unlike you bleeding heart Liberals

Well it's finally happened...

I've been called a "bleeding heart liberal"......

Another note: the soldiers filming from a safe distance, were not EOD (maybe security, but it's not possible to tell); the EOD unit were the ones working to diffuse the IED at close proximity.
It certainly looks like that one member was taking cover as the dog sniffed the bomb, and should he have stepped out of the vehicle to 'shoo' the dog, he would have been endangering his life at that range; likely dying along with dog.
Also, the comments being made were 'personal', probably train of thought like you do when filming home videos ...and not proper radio protocol as you are trained to use when directing fire.
In other words, the narrator is talking to himself, and the EOD team probably couldn't hear him, and may not have any idea that they were being taped.
The team were doing what they had to do to protect their lives and the lives of fellow service members.

The Hen wrote:"...

That is not stress, that is perversion.

Perversion is treating cruelty towards animals as even a close equivalent to cruelty towards humans.

Watch the tapes of subjects in the Milgram experiments if you want to see how inappropriately people will laugh when under stress.

yrs,
rubato

The participants in the infamous Milgram experiments were NOT laughing.

Recall, if you will the PURPOSE of said experiemnts.

Lord Jim wrote:

I see. I suppose these soldiers just didn't do very well in the Empathy Training portion of their 'How to Kill' curriculum.

Joe I have to say I'm a little surprised at your comments on this...

That's the sort of flip, shallow, thoughtless comment I would expect from rubato; but I know you to be a more intelligent and thoughtful person than that.

Those soldiers need to get away from the war for a while and be helped, not punished. They are showing signs of breaking under stress.

(note: I wrote a longer and more thoughtful post but it disappeared. I don't feel like writing it again)