FRONTLINE: THE INVASION OF IRAQ (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series. This program combines news footage and interviews with U.S. officials and Iraqi personnel to examine America's major battles and strategies in Iraq following its 2003 invasion. The narrative opens with a news clip of U.S. President George W. Bush declaring that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is "a threat to the American people" who has "weapons of mass destruction."
In Baghdad, Hussein claimed to have no such weapons, which is corroborated in an interview with Lieutenant General Raad Majid al-Hamdani, corps commander for the Iraqi Guard. A ground force of 200,000 American and British troops subsequently landed in the Middle Eastern country and set out for Baghdad, commanded by General Tommy Franks and coordinated by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
According to Marc Garlasco of Defense Intel Agency, coalition troops moved in on March 20, 2003 to eliminate the top fifty-five leaders of Iraq, whose names appeared on "the black list." Garlasco explains that a CIA source's information about Hussein's location subsequently resulted in U.S. forces' "all-out attempt" to kill the Iraqi president. Hussein's subsequent appearance on Iraqi television showed the information to be "an intelligence failure."
When Hussein retaliated by setting nine of his oil wells ablaze, the U.S. opted to attack immediately. Lieutenant General David McKiernan, coalition land commander, explains the risk that was posed by the Iraqis in possibly creating an environmental disaster. On the second night of bombing, Hussein's largely empty palaces and ministries were targeted.
Next, Graham Binns, commander of the seventh armoured brigade, tells how he erroneously believed the country's Shiite population would help British forces secure the city of Basra in southern Iraq. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps approached the northern city of Nassiriya, where Saddam's son, Uday, commanded the fierce fedayeen militia. According to Todd Purdum of The New York Times, a maintenance company's convoy, acting as part of a supply line for the advancing army, got lost and ended up in Nassiriya, where the fedayeen attacked them. Eleven soldiers were killed and among the wounded was Private Jessica Lynch.
Outside Basra, British troops were then met with fierce resistance from the fedayeen. Garlasco tells how Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, nicknamed "Chemical Ali" for his use of chemical weapons in combat, was in charge of Basra. An ensuing battle resulted in twenty-nine American deaths and the realization that the Iraqi people would not rise up to help the coalition.
Al-Hamdani recalls how, on the evening of March 23, U.S. troops prepared to invade Baghdad as a fleet of Apache helicopters were ambushed, thus stalling the advance. Back in America, several retired generals, including Barry McCaffrey, then criticized Rumsfeld's decision to limit the number of troops sent to invade Iraq -- raising Rumsfeld's ire.
Lt. Col Rock Marcone, battalion commander of the third infantry division, tells about fears of a chemical attack as U.S. troops advanced toward Baghdad. Al-Hamdani recalls being called to a meeting with Saddam's son, Qusay, who told him to move his troops north, even though forces were attacking from the south. Al-Hamdani says that, at that point, he knew that his country's command structure was in chaos.
After cutting the demolition wires set beneath a crucial bridge leading into Baghdad, Americans began firing on -- and destroying -- the Iraqi tanks under al-Hamdani's command. Marcone recalls realizing that his forces should next take Baghdad's airport, despite expecting great resistance. Surprisingly, the airport was completely unguarded until the following morning. After securing it, the army decimated the majority of the Republican Guard south of Baghdad.
Upon entering Baghdad, soldiers had trouble telling civilians from fighters, as all were dressed similarly. Soldiers inadvertently fired on the civilians, killing seventeen. When hearing that "Chemical Ali" was holding a meeting in Basra, planes were then dispatched to bomb the area. Garlasco reports how the bombs killed yet more civilians, and "Chemical Ali" went unscathed. After the British entered Basra, looters were allowed to take over the city.
Captain Felix Almaguer, third infantry division, talks about the fight waged as the army tried to gain traction in the western sector of Baghdad. Various soldiers then offer testimony about their fight with the fedayeen. Next, several Baghdad civilians recall how "the Americans showed no mercy" in gunning down innocents.
Lieutenant General William Wallace, commander of the fifth army corps, talks about the significance of his troops getting a stronghold in Baghdad. Next, Garlasco comments on the "sketchy" information soon received on Hussein's whereabouts, and how a faulty tip resulted in "a high number" of civilian casualties. An interview is conducted with an Iraqi man whose wife, two daughters and niece were buried alive in the bombing.
Footage shows how, upon fleeing to the north of the city, Hussein held an impromptu rally on April 9. Lieutenant Brian McCoy of the Marines tells how Americans entered Baghdad's main square the same day, helping citizens destroy the statue of Hussein positioned there. Galasco then explains about the hostility later exhibited by Iraqi civilians toward Americans, noting that between 4,000 and 9,000 Iraqis were killed by coalition forces.
Tom Ricks of The Washington Post recalls how looting subsequently enveloped Baghdad, which went unchecked by the army. Wallace states that no one expected the effects of the regime's collapse, nor that no infrastructure would be in place. The violent insurgency that filled the vacuum, and the resulting resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, is addressed by Secretary of the Army Thomas White.
Finally, footage shows Bush's arrival on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln three weeks after forces entered Baghdad, leading him to proclaim "mission accomplished." James Fallows of The Atlantic Monthly then explains why the job was far from complete, later detailing the long process ahead to achieving a peaceful democracy in Iraq. Contains one show-sponsored commercial.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: February 26, 2004 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:56:47
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100379
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: US - Foreign relations - Iraq; War on Terrorism, 2001 -
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1983-
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - US News & World Report magazine
CREDITS
- David Fanning … Executive Producer
- Eamonn Matthews … Executive Producer
- Michael Sullivan … Executive Producer
- Robin Parmelee … Coordinating Producer
- Sharon Tiller … Senior Producer
- Richard Sanders … Producer, Director
- Sam Bailey … Producer
- Missy Frederick … Producer
- Jeff Goldberg … Producer
- Sarah Moughty … Producer
- Karen O'Connor … Producer
- Jim Gilmore … Co-Producer
- Ani King Underwood … Associate Producer
- Jason Osborn … Music by
- Martin Brody … Theme Music by
- Mason Daring … Theme Music by
- Charles Linshaw … Voice
- Felix Almaguer
- Raad Majid al-Hamdani
- Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Takriti
- Graham Binns
- George W. Bush
- James Fallows
- Tommy Franks
- Marc Garlasco
- Qusay Hussein
- Saddam Hussein
- Uday Hussein
- Jessica Lynch
- Rock Marcone
- Barry McCaffrey
- Brian McCoy
- David McKiernan
- Todd Purdum
- Tom Ricks
- Donald Rumsfeld
- William Wallace
- Thomas White