The Ishaqi Massacre
Flaviano Masella

Rai News 24 is broadcasting Flaviano Masella’s special report on the massacre at Ishaqi. This program’s shocking images, gathered by RAI’s all news channel and by the BBC, have led to new accusations against the American army in Iraq.

The images and eyewitness reports of the massacre in Ishaqi - 100 km north of Baghdad - reveal another massacre of Iraqi civilians, and yet again the American army stands accused: according to local sources, eleven people were killed, including five children and four women.

The images were shot by the local police last March 15th, the day of the Ishaqi massacre, and were supplied to Rai News 24 by an Iraqi human rights organization.

Flaviano Masella’s special report, “The Ishaqi Massacre”, supervised by Maurizio Torrealta, presents a comparison between the Pentagon – which has exonerated the soldiers involved after a hasty inquiry – and the local police and eyewitnesses who, on the contrary, level serious new charges against the American army.

At least three children hit by firearms are seen in the video; the local police claim that five children were hit, while the Pentagon says there was only one.

Rai News 24 contrasts the two versions, analyzes the video images and photos of the massacre, and reports the conclusions of the Pentagon investigation, which dismisses the eyewitness reports as “untrue”.

“ The Ishaqi Massacre” is the latest investigation by the RAI News 24 investigative group, which was set up by Roberto Morrione before he retired from his position as director of RAI’s all-news channel.