Kevan Sites is a freelance journalist who was "embedded" with US troops attacking the insurgents in Fallujah. He originally edited his video leaving out sensitive footage which he felt could enflame the event. He now regrets that decision and has released the full video coverage.
Sites was on assignment for NBC on Nov. 13, 2004, and was following a squad into a mosque that the day before insurgents were using to fire on U.S. troops. The Marines were part of a U.S.-led offensive to clear Fallujah of its insurgent strongholds.
Sites' video shows five men wounded from the previous day's fighting lying on the floor of the mosque. One Marine can be heard shouting to others that a man was only "playing dead."
The Marine corporal in question appears to fire a round from his weapon into the Iraqi's head, and another Marine says, "Dead now."
The U.S. Marine Corps announced that it won't prosecute that Marine corporal, who was not identified, for his actions.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
US Democracy in Action
