War

This guy has a lot of balls and curiousity. He takes a video camera and an interpreter to the major conflict areas of Iraq and shows what the average citizen and the extremists believe and what the US soldiers are facing day-to-day. Unadulterated realism. Highly recommended.

Shocking, honest, brave and an amazing eye-opener. Watch this movie if you really want to know what's happening in Iraq. Shows both sides of the story about the insurgency war that you won't see on TV. Critical of US policy, but sympathetic to the American soldiers on the ground. Historical movie.

Langan spent several months living in and travelling around Iraq, armed with nothing more deadly than a small video camera. The programme began with footage of a small boy smiling holding up a 'USA' poster saying 'Bush good'!, as if to demonstrate that at least some people still welcome the coalition presence (filmed late last year and early this).

Baghdad seemed lively, with plenty of traffic, shops and an appearance of 'normal' daily life. An air of tension seemed o permeate the place, and signs of the 'occupation' were never far away. Just a couple of blocks from the US headquarters an Imam was using a mosque public address system to exhort the locals to throw out the 'Israeli occupation forces.' US representatives eventually managed to put a stop to the broadcast, but I got the impression of a big city with lots of Imams, and lots of public address systems...

'Israeli occupation forces'...

Jews and Israel are clearly a big issue. Or rather, perception of Jew and Israel is a big issue. Numerous scenes showed Langan being jostled by crowds, many of whom were chanting their opposition to Israel. It is quite clear that many see the USA as a tool of Israel, but also that many others actually think the US forces are Jewish, actually Israeli forces in US uniform. The resentment was palpable. 'Down with the Israeli occupiers!' and 'We don't want the Jews here!' are amongst the most polite lines - we can only guess what the BBC did not permit to be translated.

Hand grenade.

At one point (in Ramadi or Fallujah) an inquisitive crowd turned distinctly hostile. Langan was kicked, pushed and one man even pulled out a hand grenade. Nevertheless, a group of concerned locals risked their own safety by protecting him. 'It's okay, he's a journalist, he's a journalist' they repeated, whilst hustling him to the relative security of a local shop. It was a disturbing scene, which could easily have resulted in serious injury or death for Langan.

Fallujah: 'Where People Die!'

Things seemed much more difficult in Ramadi and Fallujah than in Baghdad. In the capital many of the people he spoke with complained about power shortages, traffic control, water supply and employment. Elsewhere, military and political matters were much more prevalent. Langan spent time with the 82nd Airborne in Fallujah. Helicopters clattered overhead constantly. The sound of gunfire crackled sporadically in the distance. The locals kept their distance. If looked like a town under occupation, whatever the substance of the matter.

The 82nd were using bulldozers to demolish the central reservation of a main road, as it had been used to conceal explosive devices. As unidentified parties took pot shots at them from distance, the Airborne went about their demolition, keeping a careful watch in all directions. At least twice, Langan scuttled for cover as rounds passed nearby.

Most of the he spoke to had two main grievances in common: the disruption and inconveniences of household searches ('soldier in my daughter's bedroom with their boots on!') and similar; and the US response to isolated pot shots. The same point was made several times: 'one shot towards them and they respond by opening up on a whole area indiscrimately'.

Langan visited a platoon of infantry based under a bridge, most days for a couple of weeks. The men were friendly, helpful and polite. They were also tense and nervous. 'I don't want to be here', 'we weren't trained for this', and 'I've grown to hate 'em' were amongst their comments. Their tension was increased several fold when a suicide bomber drove a truck full of explosives into their post, killing two men and injuring others. This was the infamous incident recorded on video by the perpetrators.

Early in 2004 Langan spent time talking with people waiting outside Abu Ghraib prison, who were hoping to see relatives. A number of people alleged that abuse was taking place inside. A lady who had worked inside the prison as a translator approached him and went into some detail about the conditions inside, and activities of the guards. As we know, these stories proved to be true. The local Iraqis knew they were true at the time, such were the numbers of witnesses, in one form or another. Their grief, desperation and disappointment was palpable. It will take a long time to change.

Seeing someone like Langan - approachable, likeable and eminently respected in his field - on the streets, in houses and talking to real people, beats any number of third hand articles for immediacy and passion. He has my complete respect. I suspect he will gain yours too, should you see this film.

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