A War Page #5

Please sit down.

Thank you.

Very well.

Today marks the start of the proceedings

against Claus Michael Pedersen.

- Claus Michael Pedersen, is that you?

- Yes.

- Date of birth?

- 1980-04-02.

Correct. We'll proceed

with the opening statements.

Excuse me.

Let me point out that the judge advocate

will present photos as exhibit 35.

I doubt the authenticity

of these photos -

- and move to have them struck.

- I see. Any comments?

- I don't understand the motion.

I'll explain how we obtained the photos.

The MP vouches for them, and the court

is free to consider the evidence.

- Any further comments on your behalf?

- No.

We're to establish if Claus Michael

Pedersen had the necessary grounds -

- to give his command.

Was Compound 6 a military target?

Private 1st Class Lars Holm's helmet cam

clip is the prosecution's key evidence.

Exhibit 27.

In the prosecution's opinion,

this video illustrates -

- Claus Michael Pedersen's

basis of decision or lack thereof.

I will proceed to play the video.

6-0 Oscar, out.

No air support unless we have PID.

The TOC wants verification.

- We need to get Lasse out now.

- 7-5 wants to know who's in there.

- I don't care who's in there.

- Tell that to 7-5!

Then tell him I know who's in there!

We have to get out of here!

We have PID on Compound 6.

I repeat:
We have PID on Compound 6.

Thank you.

I will round off

with the photo material -

- handed over to the British MP

at Task Force Helmand, Lashkar Gah.

They subsequently handed over

the material to the Danish MP.

Six photos in all.

I must warn you

of the strong nature of these photos.

Go ahead.

Photo 1.

And photo 2.

Photo no. 3.

No. 4.

No. 5.

And photo no. 6.

Thank you.

- Has the defense got anything to add?

- No.

Let's proceed

with the cross-examination.

Jones is screaming.

Lasse is in a critical state -

- so we call in a medevac,

a rescue helicopter, to get him out.

Immediately afterwards

we're hit by another grenade.

I try in vain to get a visual,

so I take cover by this wall -

- at the south-western corner

of Compound 3 with Butcher...

- Butcher aka Kenneth Jensen, signalman?

- Yes, Kenneth Jensen.

There I am informed

that the Taliban is in Compound 6.

Claus, precisely when

during these events -

- are you made aware of the fact

that the enemy is in Compound 6?

- I don't remember exactly.

- No?

But you do remember identifying

Compound 6 as a military target?

Yes.

Okay.

You may sit down.

I think we have a clear picture

of the circumstances.

Thank you.

Okay.

I'd like to quote exhibit 27a:

"I don't care who's in there.

We have to get Lasse out." And then:

"Tell them I know who's in there.

We have to get out of here."

Doesn't that contradict your claim

that you were sure who was in there?

- No?

- No.

Please elaborate.

You need to understand something.

When I'm denied an air strike,

and I know it's our only rescue -

- and I also know

that the air strike is justified -

- I'm obligated to get it

no matter what words I use.

- Who told you where the enemy was?

- I don't remember.

- You don't remember that either.

- No, because we were under heavy fire!

I don't remember.

I have 2-5 on the radio.

Two men are fighting the enemy. Jones

and Stoffer are trying to save Lasse.

Oscar's in contact with the TOC at home,

so I don't remember who says what.

- But you know who's in Compound 6?

- I receive a report about it and react.

Do you also know

there are women and children inside?

No, I didn't.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Does the defense have

any questions for the witness?

Yes, I have a few things.

Claus, when we hear you say -

- in the helmet cam clip -

- "tell them I know who's in there" -

- what does it mean?

Does it mean you're lying?

"Lie and tell them

I know who's in there."

Or "tell them I know it" as in

"confirm that I know who's in there".

What does it mean, Claus?

It means that I had PID.

And I didn't see any reason

to waste precious time discussing it -

- neither with my men

on the ground or those at the TOC.

- No further questions.

- The accused may go back to his seat.

- Let's write it there.

- There.

He buys two boxes of plastic figures.

The box of five costs 10

so that is... what?

- 20?

- 2 times 10 is 20.

- 48.

- 48 plus 20 plus 18.

Plus 20 plus 18.

What is 24 plus 18?

8, 9, 10, 11, 12...

There.

Precisely. 42.

- Tired?

- No.

You do know what Mom

and I are up to these days, don't you?

To see if you're going to prison.

Lie down.

Dad?

Is it true that you've killed children?

Did you at any time observe

hostile activity from Compound 6?

No.

So I assume you didn't make Claus

Michael Pedersen aware of that compound?

That's correct.

Did you observe

hostile activity from Compound 6?

No, I didn't.

In that case I take it -

- you didn't make Claus Michael Pedersen

aware of that compound either?

- That's correct.

- Thank you.

- No further questions.

- Does the defense have any questions?

Can you utterly reject that the enemy

might have been in Compound 6?

- Absolutely not.

- Thank you.

I'd like to call my next witness.

Najib Bisma.

Welcome.

You can sit down over there.

Please sit down.

Do all commanders go out on patrol

as much as Claus Michael Pedersen did?

Thus putting himself

in the line of fire?

I think most commanders go out

on a few patrols, but...

Claus likes to go first

and lead the way -

- and he often did

during his last month there.

- Did you find that appropriate?

- Yes and no.

You called it to

the accused's attention, correct?

I mentioned it to Claus,

but mostly for his own sake.

What do you mean?

Were you worried about his judgment

in the period prior to the incident?

No, worried...

According to your approved

and signed deposition -

- you questioned his judgment.

I quote:

"He found it hard to prioritize

important tasks." Those are your words.

Claus is my friend. We went to

the academy together. I know his family.

Yes, I was worried about Claus. On

a personal level, not as my commander.

But he was your company commander.

Your commander shows,

according to you -

- signs of poor judgment, he can't

prioritize tasks in the mission area -

- he winds up in a serious firefight

with several casualties.

He proceeds to order the bombing

of a village compound.

Don't you as his second-in-command -

- ever consider that something went

terribly wrong out there?

That's a hard question

because...

You can't imagine

what it's like out there.

Claus is the best soldier I know.

And at the end of the day it's our job

to get the men back home in one piece.

That's why we're there.

But he should never have been out there.

We should have been back at the camp

keeping track of the operation.

No further questions.

Thank you.

Hey.

I had to do something, Maria.

I had to do something.

Hey, come here.

There, there...

Hey... Hey, Claus.

We need you. Hey?

Kenneth Jensen or Butcher -

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