Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
  • PSA Once upon a time in Iraq
  • augustuswindsock
    Full Member

    The third part of this harrowing, but brilliant, documentary is on bbc2 tonight, I cant recommend it enough to anyone remotely interested in current affairs, check it out on iplayer.

    IHN
    Full Member

    It really is very good, I’m four episodes in I think.

    Trimix
    Free Member

    Anyone thinking of starting a war/conflict/invasion/nation-building needs to watch this sort of thing. Should be part of our history lessons.

    Sadly we wont learn from our past.

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    thekingisdead
    Free Member

    Fantastic (if harrowing) documentary.
    Wasn’t convinced by ep.1 but they remainder have been excellent.

    The Iraqi’s and 2 journalists Interviewees are / have real character.

    A shameful episode in American / British history.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    A shameful episode in American / British history.

    Agreed.

    Sadly we wont learn from our past.

    Sadly. In fact I see our ties with the US are instead about to get MUCH closer.

    I see it not so much them using the UK/Brexit as a way into Europe – but as a way to begin breaking the EU. To begin destroying it.

    England and the US both seem to share this weird quasi-religious concept/self-conviction of ‘manifest destiny’?

    IHN
    Full Member

    There’s very little in it so far about the British involvement, dunno if that will come later?

    merk
    Free Member

    There’s nothing about the British involvement really other than some very hollow words from Blair at the very end of the last episode.

    All episodes are now on iPlayer. I just watched 3 in a row. An incredible documentary. It’s striking that all those interviewed have been left totally devastated – journalists, Saddam loyalists, US troops, ordinary families… A **** up of epic proportions.

    big_n_daft
    Free Member

    England and the US both seem to share this weird quasi-religious concept/self-conviction of ‘manifest destiny’?

    The only UK manifest destiny I hear about is post Brexit doom and gloom, ( which may or may not be entirely warranted). I contend your assertion is more about your politics than observed behaviours or phrases in common usage.

    Watty
    Full Member

    Harrowing series, and for a little documentary cross-over, ‘The Murdoch Dynasty’ is also available on iplayer. Watch how Rupert Murdoch chose Bliar to be PM, handed him his agenda and said ‘off you go to war son’. In the final episode I’m expecting to see Cameron, Murdoch’s next choice, to be told ‘off you go son, get us out of Europe’.

    thekingisdead
    Free Member

    I thought the closing scene of the final episode was very powerful – Would love to see Bush and Blair’s faces if they we’re watching it.

    The guy who outed himself as the ‘Mosul Eye’ – what a courageous person. Incredible.

    DrJ
    Full Member

    Watched the Fallujah one last night – really good. The US assault on the city was no different from the Syrian/Russian assault on Homs etc.

    timbog160
    Full Member

    Yes very good indeed…highly recommended.

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    Very good indeed, watching as they come on rather than on I player, not sure that I could manage more than one at a time, reinforces why the Labour left hate Blair so much, such a total mess from start to finish.

    stanfree
    Free Member

    Fantastic documentary , absolutely harrowing . The thought of the Apache helicopters opening fire on the Bedouin camp is utterly shocking. What a shameful conflict . There are some scarred people in the documentary namely the aussie journalist and Rudy Reyes the marine . I didnt know he was in an adviser and actor in Generation kill.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Just started watching it based on this thread, seen the first two episodes so far. That Colonel in episode 2, Sassaman. Seemed like such a decent kind of guy at first – one of the few genuinely intelligent American soldiers (rather than the gung-ho yee-ha brigade) – and then just to watch the pressure get to him and for it all to go so badly wrong. Poor guy.

    binners
    Full Member

    Absolutely brilliantly put together, if a very difficult watch.

    If you’ve not watched it already, it’s worth watching the superb Generation Kill – all now on Sky Atlantic

    It’s done by the same guys who wrote The Wire, who were embedded with the troops when they went into Iraq, and wrote it based on their experience. They say it’s a very accurate portrayal of what they saw, and that’s easy to believe

    It’s a seven episode series – an episode for each day of the first week of the invasion – with a Marine recon division

    It’s a damning indictment. It illustrates the total ineptitude of the people in charge and the complete absence of any form of plan. They were literally making it up as they went along. Total chaos. The killing of civilians through either gung ho nonsense or shear incompetence. It’s gripping stuff!

    tobymc
    Full Member

    We’re far enough away from it now to have gained a degree of objectivity, which allows us to see with greater clarity how the war still echoes through our every day lives: distrust in mainstream politics, migrant crises, Trump, ISIS, domestic terrorism etc, etc have been, at the very least been informed and influenced by it.
    And that’s not even beginning to consider the trauma visited on all who participated regardless of which side they were on.
    Shameful.

    stanfree
    Free Member

    @Crazy-legs , the final scene in Generation Kill with ‘When a man comes around’ playing is a hair on the back of your neck moment. Well worth a watch.

    jimmy
    Full Member

    Absolutely brilliantly put together, if a very difficult watch.

    Just finished the series. What a desperately sad situation for all Iraqi’s. Overall, they’d be a lot better off with Sadaam still in power as I see it. ISIS? What a shit show.

    DezB
    Free Member

    Watched the last one yesterday. Amazing documentary. The bit where Trump came into to power.. stunning.

    Edukator
    Free Member

    For those talking about it as if it’s history it’s very much on-going.

    https://geopolitics.news/middle-east/british-forces-withdraw-from-strategic-iraqi-airbase-near-baghdad/

    The conflict started by Bush/Blair has never stopped, it’s just evolved; power shifting, borders shifting , refugees fleeing… . Dominique de Villepin’s speech at the UN was prophetic, all that’s happened was predictable and predicted.

    DezB
    Free Member

    For those talking about it as if it’s history it’s very much on-going

    Unfortunately, yes. As is obvious to anyone who watched the series.

    timbog160
    Full Member

    What I particularly like about it is it wasn’t particularly preachy or judgemental – it just let individuals tell their story and let you make your own mind up. One of the best bits of telly I’ve seen in a long time..

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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