SPECIAL REPORT SEVEN NEWS: STRIKE ON IRAQ & TODAY
TONIGHT {OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM} {TAPE 2 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Continued from T:76675. Tape two of two. This tape
presents Australia's Channel Seven's coverage of the
events of March 20, 2003, the day on which U.S. Armed
Forces bombed selected targets in Baghdad, officially
beginning "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Coverage begins at
6:01 p.m. Australian time on March 20, 2003. This tape
presents the special one-hour "Seven News: Strike on
Iraq," followed by the nightly current affairs program
"Today Tonight." The tape joins "Seven News" in medias
res, one minute into its 6:00 p.m. broadcast (the first
minute of which is included on the previous tape): the
tape begins during the presentation of a report on the
air-strike against one of Saddam Hussein's palaces less
than two hours after the Coalition's deadline for
Hussein to submit to its will passed. Coalition and
Iraqi officials discuss the readiness of their forces to
wage the war that has just begun. The program
continues with the following correspondents' reports on
the war, introduced by anchors Ann Sanders and Ross
Simons: Mike Amor discusses President George W. Bush's
announcement of the start of the war, and the security
measures that followed in the U.S.; Darren Linton talks
to Sanders and Simons about Saddam Hussein's television
appearance after the bombing raids that were meant to
kill him; Glenn Milne reports the reactions of
Australian politicians to the start of the war,
including footage of Prime Minister John Howard's
Parliamentary address about its commencement, the
heated arguments among ministers of Parliament that
followed and statements from Howard and Opposition
Leader Simon Crean later that day; Joanna Ball presents
the Defense Department briefing by Brigadier Mike
Hannan; Mark Symons covers the reactions in Australia's
Muslim communities to the war, including the support by
some leaders of a lawsuit against the Prime Minister
should Australian troops suffer casualties during the
war; Damien Smith reports on the anti-war rallies that
followed the Prime Minister's announcement; Phil Black
takes a look at the abuse faced by some Australian
troops by anti-war protesters, the measures taken to
protect them, and reactions from Australian veterans to
both the abuse and the war; Geof Parry speaks live from
Kuwait City on the atmosphere there and speculates on
Australian Special Force activity in Kuwait and Iraq;
Tim Versteegen's report covers some European
politicians' reactions to the start of the war, and
includes footage of Tony Blair's comments in Parliament,
anti-war rallies outside, protests by Italian
parliamentary ministers and prayers by John Paul II at
the Vatican; and Gemma Haines files a report from the
Persian Gulf on the crucial first 48 hours of the war
and presents a match-up of Coalition and Iraqi force
capabilities. The program ends with Chris Maker's piece
on the upcoming March 22, 2003, New South Wales
elections, Margueritte McKinnon's report on the recovery
of artifacts stolen from Australian museums, and Chris
Martin's update on a carjack victim's condition. "Today
Tonight" begins its broadcast, which includes the
following coverage. Anchor Naomi Robson talks to two
Australian "human shields" in Baghdad about their
controversial activities there and then talks to one of
them about her experience during the bombings of
Baghdad the previous night; Robson then interviews a
Baghdad shopkeeper about the bombings and his opinions
on Hussein, Bush and human shields. The program
includes the following correspondents' reports on the
beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom: Washington D.C.
correspondent Glenn Connolly covers Bush's televised
announcement of the start of the war and the surgical
strikes employed by U.S. Armed Forces the previous
evening, illustrated by footage of animated
re-enactments from NBC News; David Richardson reports
from Kuwait City on Australian forces there and on the
general atmosphere in Kuwait City as the war begins
across the border; and a pre-recorded piece by
Richardson covers the possible use of chemical and
biological weapons by Iraq over the course of the war
and the Coalition's preparations to protect against such
an attack. The program then discusses the affects of
war coverage on children and presents videotaped
messages from troops to their families in Australia.
Includes commercials.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The
Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundations, 2003/2004.
Details
- NETWORK: Seven Network (Australia)
- DATE: March 20, 2003 6:01 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:06:41
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:76676
- GENRE: News
- SUBJECT HEADING: International Collection - Australia; Operation Iraqi Freedom; War on Terrorism, 2001
- SERIES RUN: ATN Channel 7 (Epping, Australia) - TV, 2003
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Air New Zealand/ New Zealand tourism
- TV - Commercials - Beacon Lighting
- TV - Commercials - Coles supermarkets "Fresh Friday"
- TV - Commercials - Equal sweetener
- TV - Commercials - Freedom home decor stores
- TV - Commercials - GM Daewoo "Matiz" automobile
- TV - Commercials - Harvey Norman stores
- TV - Commercials - Nivea Visage facial moisturizer
- TV - Commercials - P&N Fruit Juices
- TV - Commercials - Pine O Clean Ultra
- TV - Commercials - Shapes biscuits "Shapes Tongue Test" sweepstakes
- TV - Commercials - Waterplus beverage
- TV - Commercials - Woolworths
- TV - Promos - "Friday Night Mystery Movie: A Touch of Frost"
- TV - Promos - "Home and Away"
- TV - Promos - "Joe Millionaire"
- TV - Promos - "Scrubs"
- TV - Promos - "Stuart Little 2" (home video)
- TV - Promos - Where the Heart Is" (telecast of feature film)
CREDITS
- Naomi Robson … Anchor
- Ann Sanders … Anchor
- Ross Simons … Anchor
- Mike Amor … Reporter
- Joanna Ball … Reporter
- Phil Black … Reporter
- Glenn Connolly … Reporter
- Gemma Haines … Reporter
- Mike Hannan … Reporter
- Darren Linton … Reporter
- Chris Maker … Reporter
- Chris Martin … Reporter
- Margueritte McKinnon … Reporter
- Glenn Milne … Reporter
- Geof Parry … Reporter
- David Richardson … Reporter
- Damien Smith … Reporter
- Mark Symons … Reporter
- Tim Versteegen … Reporter
- Tony Blair
- George W. Bush
- Simon Crean
- Mike Hannan
- John Howard
- Saddam Hussein
- John Paul II