Top Ten Documentaries on Iraq

By Apurav Maggu

“In every region, now has a decision to make, either you are with us or you’re with the terrorists”. This was state of the union address on September 20, 2001, nine days after 9/11. The world grappled with the idea of clash of the civilizations also known as the ‘us v/s them debate.’ George Bush vowed to make no distinctions between the people who committed the terrorist acts and the state which harbors these elements.

After, 9/11, nothing, has more determined the presidency of George bush than the war on terrorism, especially the war in Iraq. The war completed its 10th year anniversary, last year. Although active combat operations might have come to an end but the war’s repercussions continue to affect the Iraqi society to this day.

Call them, associated with the trilateral commission, the Vatican, illuminati or any other organization shrouded in conspiracy theory, but these were the same people who ran the show for 10 years and redrew the geopolitics of Middle East, Islam, Democracy and U.S interventionist policy.

Intentions for the war are actively contended by many people. Liberals and people on the left have called Iraq a US hoax and US imperialism 2.0 in order to control the world while the right called it a necessary evil. Some made a preliminary assessment and concluded that the war was solely for oil. However, one needs to look at the nuances of the debate around the war, rather than making an objective and a path dependent assessment.

Understanding the fundamental aspects of the war is no easy task, but I would try to give a succinct analysis :-

1. The War before the war- referring to Washington’s earlier policy towards Iraq. It is here, that the claims like, men from ‘Big oil’ like Vice president Dick Cheney and President Bush who had good dealings with the Arab government and house of saud had nefarious interests in the middle-east, which, led to the invasion of Iraq.

These statements have been made in reference to D.C’s tacit support to Iraq and its chemical and biological weapons programme at the height of the Iran-Iraq war in the 80’s. Secretary of defense (defense minister) Donald Rumsfeld had personally met Saddam Hussein in the mid 80’s to provide funding to counter Iranian threat. U.S and western nations remained silent on, Iraq, using chemical weapons against Iranian civilians and killing millions by gassing them.

2. Intelligence wars- one of the biggest bureaucratic ‘oops’ in the history was committed at this juncture. How they could have got it so wrong and ended up in a worst scenario can totally be explained at this juncture.

CIA could not produce any credible intelligence in the lead up to the war and thus the biggest intelligence snafu was committed by Washington. In order to ‘manufacture consent’ (as Chomsky has suggested) at home for the war, intelligence was collected in an expedited, haphazard manner which proved, later that the intelligence provided was ludicrous and the war, although justified as ‘March of democracy’ was much more of ‘March of the Corporatocracy and Military.’

3. The White House wars- People tend to blot out the political-bureaucratic infighting when they discuss wars. If any phase that could characterize and explain the future of this war, it would be Colin v/s Rumsfeld and Cheney.

After, 9/11, the momentum for intervention in Iraq had built up and there was no looking back for the American Neo-conservatives ( a term used to refer to people who wanted to redraw middle east which could be beneficial to US interests). But, there was an attempt that by level headed and pragmatic politicians to justify the war legally, morally and politically to the world.

The debate was now, happening inside the white house and the pentagon and the CIA was, not about, ‘why’ should they intervene in Iraq, it was ‘How’ they should intervene in Iraq. After, 9/11 Rumsfeld and Cheney internally commissioned intelligence analysts to check whether Saddam Hussein (leader of Iraq) has anything to do with 9/11. It was not secret that Bush’s team was divided into two camps. One pressed for a United Nation’s Resolution to intervene legally and the other pressed for an all out American intervention in Iraq to show ‘might is right.’

Although, the attempt to put Iraq on table, at the same time with, Afghanistan, was chided away however, intervention in Iraq was never put off. Colin Powell, the secretary of state (minister of external affairs) pressurized White house that another war would zap all the resources which should be used in against Afghanistan, however, the neo-cons won the debate and decided the future course of American intervention policy, in Iraq.

4. Rumsfeld’s war- The Leviathan, known by the name Donald Rumsfeld can never be taken out from the picture when it comes to war in Iraq. One of the wars as earlier mentioned was the war to control to this war. That is who should lead this war? Should it be lead by the CIA(the intelligence behemoth) , or the pentagon( the military behemoth). This also led to the intense struggle, for, also, controlling post war Iraq.

It is here Donald Rumsfeld, the master bureaucrat fought for the control of Iraq. He and vice president Dick Cheney together led a savage battle against other agencies to control the fate of Iraq.

CIA and other agencies totally succumbed when Colin Powell could not put the case for invasion of Iraq and he did not get the necessary UN resolution which would have mandated intervention in Iraq thus lowering his status amongst his camaraderie.

5. Shock and awe war- 19^th march 2003, the war begins and the initial stage of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM commence. There is a sense of jubilation and confusion. While, Iraqi’s have accepted US as welcomed guests which have freed them from Saddam’s tyranny, however, there is, still, a loyal faction in the army and the people who are allied with Saddam Hussein called as ‘Republican guards’ and ‘fedayeen’ respectively.

The Jubilation also sways the US president that on May 1, 2003, 8 years ago, just after 2 months of heavy fighting, he prematurely makes a conclusion and announces that, the major combat operations in Iraq have ended and the tyrant has fallen.’

However, this new battlefield would become, another Vietnam for the United States.

6. Bremer’s War- Paul Bremer’s war or rather Bremer’s insurgency is what is aptly named for the civil war, which followed, following the enactment disastrous policies. Following, the takeover of Iraq from Saddam husssein, the authority to govern Iraq legally, administratively and militarily was handed over to him.

He gave out two famous but disastrous decrees

1-) Disbanding Iraqi Army (former Saddam army)

2-) De-bathification (Saddam’s party workers, which led to huge unemployment)

7. Civil war-While the US and coalition forces are getting mixed signals i.e. to leave early, the war in its 2^nd year has turned into a full scale insurgency and then a war. Following disbanding the army, huge, amounts of soldier are free and unemployed and ‘de-bathification’ has led to increased unemployment amongst the local populace.

Hatred and anger, picks up arms, which in the environment of suspicion turn against each other.

Iraq being a majority Shia Muslim nation now turn tables against its Sunni Muslim brethren who had traditionally held power.  Then, enter the Sunni, Al-Quada group (AQAP-al Quada in Arabian Peninsula) which, increases the distrust amongst the religious groups turning Iraq into a full blown civil war.

Having tried to analyze major points here, however, giving and covering each aspect of the war might be problematic in just one article.

Here is a list of some documentaries that you might want to watch to better understand the current situation in Iraq and form an opinion as to whether Iraq was about oil or American Hegemony or part of a bigger Global war on terror.

1. Bush’s war- The most detailed documentary presented by PBS (a centre-left news channel)  telling the main story about the war, as to what was going inside the white house. Exactly detailing, the ‘silent’ bureaucratic wars, which were happening during the preparation, of the war, at home and abroad.

However, it has covered most of the aspects of the war, only till 2008 and has not covered certain aspects, which, Obama inherited as part of his presidency.

2. NO END IN SIGHT-  Iraq’s – descent into chaos- It details the policies and goes inside the unplanned planning for the American occupation of Iraq covering short sightedness of various policy advisors in how they perceived Iraq and how misconstrued their notions were, about Post war Iraq.

3. BBC- Iraq war- A three part documentary on the war on ground and the disastrous policies that were formulated by Paul Bremer. It also contains detailed and extensive interviews of Shia and Sunni leaders who were part of this war.

I personally recommend it; because, most of the documentaries have covered, the war, inside the white house only and not the other sub-altern and mid-level bureaucratic aspects of it.

4. Rumsfeld’s war- The bureaucratic toughie known, for his loathsome approach to CIA and known as a bureaucratic infighter against anyone who treaded in his territory is the single authority that never could be obliterated from war in Iraq. Following the short victory of NATO and US troops inside Afgahnistan (till 2001 to 2004, when there was no rising Taliban), he became in-charge of Iraq.

He lead the case with his famous adages like ‘the absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence’ (referring to the inconclusive intelligence reports on WMD’s in Iraq) and other like ‘we don’t know, what we don’t know.’

He was the driving force and the coercive authority which fundamentally reshaped the narrative of Middle East by this war.

5. My Country, My country- A detailed look inside Iraq when the Sunni v/s Shia insurgency, which is about to start as the country is about to go in elections in 2005 in Iraq. A doctor is filming the fear amongst the Sunni minority and precariousness of their conditions in a Shia militia dominated Baghdad.

6. Cheney’s Law- This one hour presentation, (again by PBS) details and gives the exact account of how the legal basis for the American interrogation techniques, at home and at abroad was created which went against the spirit of Geneva provisions, for, treatment of prisoners.

7. Iraq- war for profiteers- the role of PMC’s (Private Military contractors) inside Iraq was also the main cause of concern for many. As the battle raged on, the American govt. shelled out expensive contracts to Private military contractors ( a sort of semi-privatization of security which works in complete isolation from the American army).

8.  The spies who fooled the world- a one hour BBC presentation which looks at the 4 clue intelligence pieces which created the final gung-ho for the war by giving false intelligence on the WMD’s programme inside Iraq.

US authorities used wrong, cooked up, cherry picked intelligence reports in order to make the case for Iraq.

9. Taxi to the dark side- Abu Gharaib prison abuse that happened in abu ghraib prison in Iraq is one defining moment in American excptionalism, where USA lost its moral authority as te world police.

A horrific prison abuse was happening, inside, Abu Gharaib prison in Iraq to expedite the process to get the information about WMD’s and terrorist networks.

10. Fahrenheit 9/11

I have a particular distaste for this movie not because, what is has shown is wrong, but the way documentary director Michael Moore has cherry picked certain pieces of information, to build the case, against American war in Iraq.

Still, I include it, because ‘conspiracy documentaries’ also form an essential part of the literature and do provide fascinating accounts of other possible aspects, which, somebody could have missed.

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Active tweeter, political critic. I watch a lot of documentaries. Politically liberal, fiscally conservative.  Political science honors student, 3rd year, Delhi Univeristy. Side by side, pursuing a course in conflict, transformation and peacebuilding from DU. Active interest in International relations, particularly arab spring and war in Iraq domestic politics of America.