and then the soldiers, including captain omar nazar, the sunni officer who arkadi was going to focus on for his positive story, forced the captain to repeat a pledge of loyalty to the isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi. according to arkadi, the captain wanted him to later edit the tape so it would appear the man knew the isis pledge without prompting in order to justify killing him. >> they knew you had this video? >> yeah. >> they knew if it got out, there would be trouble? >> yeah. >> reporter: and it got worse. the very next day, arkadi and his camera were present when the unit methodically prepared to torture this man, a sheep herder whose teenage sons were suspected of working for isis. as a senior officer gives the directions, "when i tell you to kick, you let him go." the soldiers close the curtains but allow arkadi to continue filming the ugly scene. >> it's extremely disturbing. >> reporter: we showed the footage to sara lee woodson of human rights watch. >> it's terrible torture, horrible torture. this is actually happening under command authority. this is someone with some l

. >> reporter: in a remarkable phone call with us, the unit captain, omar nazar, admitted the video was real and said he was proud of what was on the tape. "i'm already a star and ali would make me a bigger star by doing this." the soldiers were so proud of what they were doing they even sent arkady horrific phone videos they shot themselves, the victims they tortured and murdered. >> i don't even have words for it. >> reporter: that's a murder, isn't it? >> that's a murder. >> reporter: in a statement, the american embassy in baghdad told abc news the u.s. "has not provided military aid, arms or assistance" to the unit. yet, a senior u.s. military official in iraq was full of praise for the unit. >> and it has been really a fruitful partnership in all regards. >> you heard the leader of that unit saying he's proud of what was on that video. this photojournalist has put himself at risk by being the whistleblow zmrer he has fled iraq and he's in hiding after receiving death threats from the very soldiers who thought he would keep their secrets and he did not. >> his location remains undi