Iraqumentary

A powerful and timely investigation into the media's role in war, tracing the history of embedded and independent reporting from the carnage of World War One to the destruction of Hiroshima, and from the invasion of Vietnam to the current war in Afghanistan and disaster in Iraq. As weapons and propaganda become even more sophisticated, the nature of war is developing into an electronic battlefield in which journalists play a key role, and civilians are the victims. But who is the real enemy? Written, Produced and Directed by John Pilger with Alan Lowery

On 11/22/2003, Iraqi insurgents used a Strela MANPAD (Man-Portable Air Defense) to shoot down a DHL Airbus as it departed Baghdad International Airport. This intense video details the heroic attempt of the DHL flight crew aboard the stricken Airbus to perform an emergency landing. The Airbus, owned by European Air Transport and operated on behalf of DHL, was hit by a 9K32 Strela-2 shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (also known as SA-7) while climbing through 8000 feet shortly after departure from Baghdad. The missile struck the wing and penetrated the no. 1A fuel tank. Fuel ignited, burning away a large portion of the wing. To make things worse, the plane lost all hydraulics and the pilots had to attempt a landing back at Baghdad Airport. After a missed approach they were forced to circle the field until they finally landed heavily on runway 33L, 16 minutes later. The Airbus veered off the left side of the runway, travelled about 600 meters through soft sand, struck a razor wire fence and came to rest on a downslope. This 27 minute video was shot from the gun camera of a US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter stationed at Baghdad International Airport with live audio feeds from the Captain aboard the DHL Airbus, air traffic control, and the crew of the Apache Helicopter. Full post crash landing photo album here: https://imgur.com/a/blJgtvF Video of Iraqi insurgents shooting down DHL Airbus with a Strela MANPAD: https://rumble.com/v32akp6-iraqi-insurgents-shoot-down-dhl-airbus-baghdad-international-airport.html

Video of Iraqi insurgents using a Strela MANPAD (Man-Portable Air Defense) to shoot down a DHL Airbus as it departs Baghdad International Airport. 11/22/2003

In March of 2006, I had the opportunity to tour and video the colossal concrete bunker in the heart of Baghdad's security-obsessed Green Zone, from which Saddam Hussein is believed to have planned his futile defense strategies and made some of his last televised appearances as the leader of Iraq. It was surprisingly unscathed by a savage U.S. bombardment that mangled the upper floors of the Believer's Palace above. I only saw 20% of the massive, multistory complex in the hour I was underground.