On Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was asked by Jake Tapper on ABC's This Week if the now-infamous WikiLeaks video showing the slaughter of Iraqi civilians would have a damaging impact on the global image of the U.S. Gates's response was both revealing and chilling.
Here's the video:
GATES: I don't think so. They're in a combat situation. The video doesn't show the broader picture of the firing that was going on at American troops. It's obviously a hard thing to see. It's painful to see, especially when you learn after the fact what was going on. But you talked about the fog of war. These people were operating in split-second situations. And, you know, we've investigated it very thoroughly. And it's unfortunate. It's clearly not helpful. But by the same token, I think it should not have any lasting consequences.