# Mission accomplished: Langan in Iraq **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 9, 2004, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001 "2004-08-09T07:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rngadam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@rngadam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rngadam)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/1 "2004-08-09T07:49:46Z")
Anyone else seen this documentary? Must say I don’t watch TV at all, but I got this from the 'Net and thought it might be interesting. Boy was I right! Nice recap from November to February from this BBC journalist for the FUBAR situation in Iraq. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/langan-in-iraq.shtml](http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/langan-in-iraq.shtml) From that page, it seems it just came out? For those who’ve seen this, what is your opinion on this? Has it changed your perception of Iraq? They are some very strong images in it, in particular when interviews with soldiers guarding a bridge are inter-sped with the suicide bomber “farewell” video that killed six of those soldiers… Or the interviews with the people waiting in line at Abu Ghraib, months before the scandal came up… Or when the American soldiers are breaking in houses to search for insurgents and I’m left thinking “wow, they remind me of the Galactic Empire’s Stormtroopers”… ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/2 "2004-08-09T10:35:28Z")
> [@rngadam](#): > > Anyone else seen this documentary? Must say I don’t watch TV at all, but I got this from the 'Net and thought it might be interesting. Boy was I right! Nice recap from November to February from this BBC journalist for the FUBAR situation in Iraq. > > [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/langan-in-iraq.shtml](http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/langan-in-iraq.shtml) > > From that page, it seems it just came out? > > For those who’ve seen this, what is your opinion on this? Has it changed your perception of Iraq? > > They are some very strong images in it, in particular when interviews with soldiers guarding a bridge are inter-sped with the suicide bomber “farewell” video that killed six of those soldiers… Or the interviews with the people waiting in line at Abu Ghraib, months before the scandal came up… Or when the American soldiers are breaking in houses to search for insurgents and I’m left thinking “wow, they remind me of the Galactic Empire’s Stormtroopers”… An excellent documentary by a very brave man. The bit I remembered most was a policeman grieving over a car full of dead civilians that had had the temerity to go across a junction some humvees were approaching - and swearing he will be the first to fight them if they came back. Way to alienate just about everyone. Second most memorable bit - those poor young GI’s stationed under the bridge he became friends with, not really knowing what the hell they were there for and blown up by a car bomb later. Dreadful. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/3 "2004-08-09T10:37:22Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > An excellent documentary by a very brave man. The bit I remembered most was a policeman grieving over a car full of dead civilians that had had the temerity to go across a junction some humvees were approaching - and swearing he will be the first to fight them if they came back. Way to alienate just about everyone. > > Second most memorable bit - those poor young GI’s stationed under the bridge he became friends with, not really knowing what the hell they were there for and blown up by a car bomb later. Dreadful. And to add -on that raid you described - the voice of the commander in the background saying - and I quote - ‘shoot anybody you want in there’ or words to that very close effect. WTF, WTF, WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/4 "2004-08-09T17:15:32Z")
I didn’t see it but this is not the first and unique report that shows the reality on the ground. This might be a very good one though, when looking at the article. (There are also similar reports made and broadcasted about the situation in Afghanistan.) Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/5 "2004-08-10T13:50:39Z")
I saw it - what a program ! I missed the date it was filmed - but was sitting aghast when he was outside Abu G - all the people in the queues were saying what was going to become public knowledge a couple of months later. I hope it gets a repeat at some NORMAL FUCKING TIME on tv - instead of the suspect 11pm slot it got. Very scary bit when he is in the middle of an anti-US demo - it turns a bit nasty and then he is standing filming a nutter with a grenade in his hand, screaming that they are all willing to die rather than let the US occupy thier lands. The grenade man is holding onto the pin and Langan starts to slowly back off - he melts into the crowd - i was half expecting to see an explosion. It didnt happen but the crowd then start kicking him and people start waving guns and knives around. Very fucking scary - seems like many people dont want to be “saved” by the Americans… We seriously NEED people like Langan. sin ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/6 "2004-08-10T14:29:35Z")
I saw it - what a program ! I missed the date it was filmed - but was sitting aghast when he was outside Abu G - all the people in the queues were saying what was going to become public knowledge a couple of months later. I hope it gets a repeat at some NORMAL FUCKING TIME on tv - instead of the suspect 11pm slot it got. Very scary bit when he is in the middle of an anti-US demo - it turns a bit nasty and then he is standing filming a nutter with a grenade in his hand, screaming that they are all willing to die rather than let the US occupy thier lands. The grenade man is holding onto the pin and Langan starts to slowly back off - he melts into the crowd - i was half expecting to see an explosion. It didnt happen but the crowd then start kicking him and people start waving guns and knives around. Very fucking scary - seems like many people dont want to be “saved” by the Americans… We seriously NEED people like Langan. sin ---
**Author:** ![Lynwood\_Slim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Lynwood\_Slim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynwood_Slim)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/7 "2004-08-10T19:25:07Z")
I just wish somebody was filming when SH was murdering hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds, Shi’ites, etc. Oh, I forgot, if someone was filming them, they would have been murdered, too. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/8 "2004-08-10T20:06:48Z")
…not that it has anything to do with the topic at hand, but nice try at hijacking the thread anyway. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/9 "2004-08-11T01:36:43Z")
> [@rngadam](#): > > Anyone else seen this documentary? Must say I don’t watch TV at all, but I got this from the 'Net and thought it might be interesting. Boy was I right! Nice recap from November to February from this BBC journalist for the FUBAR situation in Iraq. Where’d you get it on the net? p2p, or is it posted somewhere? (I’m off on a trip Thursday, and looking for interesting things to watch.) ---
**Author:** ![Lynwood\_Slim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Lynwood\_Slim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynwood_Slim)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/10 "2004-08-11T05:41:28Z")
Not trying to hijack, but rather enter some debate into the “great debate” aspect of this thread. Sardony aside, my critique of films that critique the war and coalition presence without thorough reference to what went on before, suffer from an intentional myopia. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/11 "2004-08-11T05:48:22Z")
Saddam Hussein’s level of assholery is neither excuse nor justification for misbehavior from the “coalition” members. Or, in other words, Saddam could have been eating roasted babies for breakfast for ten years, and that still wouldn’t justify any wrongdoing from coalition forces. ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/12 "2004-08-11T12:55:22Z")
i’m gonna guess that you didnt see it Lynwood. Sin ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/13 "2004-08-11T17:30:34Z")
I’d like to see how the militias justify their brutality, and how alot of them may hate the Americans, but would rather see them in charge than another Khomenini or Saddam. Yeah , I know, Abu Gharib was wrong, the perpetrators should be punished and sent to Jail. I hope the U.S army kicks the crap outta Sadr and his ‘army’ and everyother Militant who attacks civilians indiscriminatnly. The guy who did the documentary is a good one, I saw his piece on the Taliban before 9/11, but recently there’s been an upsurge in defeatism about the situation in Iraq. Iraqis like peace and security like we do, they’re human beings, the only reason the U.S army is being so heavy handed is because the state is so damn insecure, and thats their fault I’ll agree, but why does no one talk about the recontruction efforts, the elections, how most Iraqis like their PM, and how most of the militias have zero support in the majority of the population, how if given the chance, Iraqis would be able to stand on their own. Sadr and most militias to increase their power base want the occupation to last longer to justify their actions. But hopefully they’ll be dead before that happens. We could go on about how we went in on a lie, then fine, we did, we went for the oil too, but look at the democratic practices taking place already, its not all doom and gloom. ---
**Author:** ![rngadam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@rngadam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rngadam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/14 "2004-08-12T04:36:49Z")
> [@MrFantsyPants](#): > > Where’d you get it on the net? p2p, or is it posted somewhere? (I’m off on a trip Thursday, and looking for interesting things to watch.) I sent you the required information by private email, MrFantsyPants… As for all those of you that didn’t see the documentary but think they can criticize it without actually having SEEN it, you might be happy to learn that the documentary is far from being completly one-side. Langan is very good at showing the terrible blatant anti-semitism, the stupidity of the mob mentality and the constant self-destroying blustering by Iraqis. He also shows at some point the aftermath of a car bombing by the militants. He specifically says (even after having met those militants face to face too) that it is very hard to sympatize with them when you see that. And I pretty sure that many that defend the “coalition” efforts in Iraq will find arguments in the documentary to defend their position as these position are held by the American military that Langan interviewed. However, the fact that the militants are doing bad things does not remove the fact that the Americans are screwing royally in their battle for the hearts and minds… Maybe Ryan\_Liam who talks about the “positive” things happening should actually listen to one of the very few who has actually been there and talked to the people instead of people re-releasing press releases from the US government! Because what has happenned is that Saddam Hussein is being replaced by another dictatorship, in addition to the thousands of lives wasted “liberating” the Iraqis: [http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/iraq/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Ffront\_page%2F1091880082213032.xml](http://www.oregonlive.com/special/oregonian/iraq/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Ffront_page%2F1091880082213032.xml) ---
**Author:** ![MrManfrengenfrensen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MrManfrengenfrensen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrManfrengenfrensen)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/15 "2004-08-12T05:16:49Z")
> [@Lynwood Slim](#): > > I just wish somebody was filming when SH was murdering hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds, Shi’ites, etc. Oh, I forgot, if someone was filming them, they would have been murdered, too. Well, I distinctly remember seeing footage from the gas attacks (or the aftermath I should say) on the Kurds during the 80s on television. I also remember reading numerous AI and HRW reports about atrocities commited by SH during the 80s. And I don’t know what any of this has to do with the merits of this documentary. If someone did a documentary about Iraqi history and neglected to include this information, you’d have a point. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/16 "2004-08-12T09:44:39Z")
> [@MrManfrengenfrensen](#): > > Well, I distinctly remember seeing footage from the gas attacks (or the aftermath I should say) on the Kurds during the 80s on television. I also remember reading numerous AI and HRW reports about atrocities commited by SH during the 80s. And I don’t know what any of this has to do with the merits of this documentary. > > If someone did a documentary about Iraqi history and neglected to include this information, you’d have a point. And I, as a CAAT protester against the arming and support of Saddam at that time, remember my government denying it happened until they were blue in the face, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mission-accomplished-langan-in-iraq/259001/17 "2004-08-12T16:28:58Z")
> [@rngadam](#): > > I sent you the required information by private email, MrFantsyPants… Can I have it too please? Thanks