IRAQI TV TAPE
Iraqi government promo video for Baghdad security plan This is how the Iraqi government, and probably the Americans and British too, would like to imagine the new security plan for Baghdad.Smiling soldiers bravely rooting out terrorists and disarming illegal militias. Grateful citizens chuckling as they are searched at checkpoints.
SADR CITY TAPE 204:10 16:0018:53 19:33
Gvs Sadr City wasteland
Women baking breadSetup of woman in black chador
Reality on the desperate streets of Baghdad is rather different after a year of sectarian civil war between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Your enemys militiamen might be murderers and torturers. Your own are protectors and providers.For these women in Sadr City, the Shia slum on the east side of Baghdad, the Mahdi Army is not an illegal militia funded by Iranian intelligence which must be destroyed for the sake of Iraq. Its a saviour, defending them against the Sunni gunmen who drove them out of their homes in the countryside north of Baghdad.
WOMAN IN BLACK CHADOR00:16:00In June we were displaced from Diyala the terrorists drove us out, who else?? They threw threat notes on the street, burnt our cars and lorries full of harvests, they called us allies of the Americans the threats called us the followers of Ali the kids were bullied at school, called names because they were Shia. They killed 3 of our neighbours so we left. in the house were renting in there are 40 people. But thanks to men from The Office , they gave us this place. The government never asked about us The Office of Sadr bring us petrol, they come and check on us we havent baked bread in 3 months they just brought us some flour God protect them
SADR CITY TAPE 219:33 27:15
Sequence of angry man taking crew into house and showing them cramped, bare concrete block rooms with one broken stove to cook on and photo of 14 year old boy killed by Sunnis For the Shia refugees, the Sunni militias are terrorists and murderers, killers without conscience.But these Shia have no trust in the government. It has not been able to protect them, house them or feed them. The Mahdi Army has done all three.
ANGRY MAN20:00
They are slaughtering us, slaughtering us GO BRING THE PHOTOS!!! He was born in 1990, a hair dresser, his picture is still up they murdered him in Abu Ghreib
(off camera: who murdered him?)
WHO??? The Sunnis, who else do you think. I swear its the Sunnis. They kept sending us death threats. Ive never done anything wrong. They killed my brother. And this little one hes only 14 they murdered him and threw him in the garbage!!! They killed him my brother and one is missing we have no idea where he is.
Man drags crew into houseShows cramped rooms, broken stove Is it possible that someone live in this?
(takes us to a room very bad state, 4 families)
Do you think anyone can live in this?
22.32There is no government - its a lie if you are really filming me and if youre going to put me on TV, Ill tell you one thing: I was a prisoner of Saddam for 12 years (points to his wrist, scar) I wont show you my back, thats another story Saddam is gone now the government has given us nothing, no flour, no sugar, nothing only the Mahdi Army. They help us, and give us allowances.
SADR CITY TAPE 316:48
Abdel Karim surrounded by Sadr City residents listening to complaints
This is the face of the Mahdi Army which the Shia see Abdel Karim al Asadi, a middle-aged man with 8 children working for what everyone calls the Office, the office of the Martyr Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Sadr. Like almost everyone in the Mahdi Army and the Sadr Organisation, hes a local person. The Mahdi Army are not outsiders imposed on the community; they are the community, organising and arming themselves to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of government.The Mahdi Army is the Offices militia. But it does much more.
ABDEL KARIM AL ASADISADR ORGANISATION13:35the office is divided into committees the media committee, the social committee, the services committee each works in the field that he is qualified for
14.55The Office of Sadr gives land to refugees and helps out as much as possible, given our resources
SADR CITY TAPE 1
Workers mending pavement
The Iraqi government is putting money into Sadr City. These workmen are being paid by Baghdad municipality to mend the pavement.But the Mahdi Army provides the security which makes the work possible.
SADR CITY TAPE 2
Engineer Iyad Abed Hafed
IYAD ABED HAFEDENGINEER
After 01:00If it werent for the office of the Sadr Organization we would have never been able to get any work done all the work is because of the protection and safety they provide us. They protect the workers and the locations we work till 5om, they stay here, protecting us. In other areas we cant get any work done if it werent for them, wed never work.
GRAPHICMap of Baghdad showing Shia area of Sadr City, moving to Sunni area of Adhamiya
Five miles away in the besieged Sunni suburb of Adhamiya, people see the Sadr Organisation and the Mahdi Army utterly differently, as aggressive sectarian killers.And they view the police and army as simply the Mahdi Army in different uniforms.
ADHAMIYA TAPE 4
Deserted, blocked off bridge Maybe other Gvs of area leading to bridge
This bridge used to be one of the busiest in Baghdad, connecting Adhamiya to the Shia area of Kadhimiya, a crowded market area around a golden-domed Shia shrine.Now its a front line in the civil war.
ADHAMIYA TAPE 1
Gvs graveyard01:52
Procession arrives carrying two coffins
Sunnis who step outside Adhamiya risk being seized by Shia militiamen or death squads, tortured, shot and thrown on garbage dumps.So many have been killed theyve dug up a park to make this cemetery. The gravedigger says that even on a quiet day, hes burying 5 or 6 bodies.
Burial sequence
MAN IN GREY JACKET05.58
The national guard caught them and took them into the Saddam Palace, they took them inside and kept them till the next day they call it the Saddam Palace in Jayfer they beat them, they tortured them and killed them After 08:10these are militias, on killing rampage, dressed in Iraqi army uniforms yes! They are in what is called the Iraqi army the Iraqi army is supposed to be honourable, defending land and dignity they are killing children, young men, enough enough blood!! They have destroyed the Sunni dignity, and killed our young, Allahu Akbar . They all start chanting, kids as well there is no god but god, the mahdi army is the enemy of god
GVS tombstonesMoving through graveyard
GRAVEDIGGER11:51
come film the tombs of the 2 women killed by the Madi army This man was from Adhamiya they told him : you are a Saddamist and they killed him he was only going to work and hes been working in Kadhamiya for years, they knew him it was just because he was Sunni what else? And all this because one day before the fall, Saddam Hussein came and visited Adhamiya in their opinion, Saddam Hussein used to represent all the Sunnis but this is the opinion of the Mahdi Army and the Badr Brigade; ie the Iranians, who take all their orders from Iran, who cant take a single step without Irans approval Ill show you two over there, they captured them, hung them, then burned them why? Because they are Sunni, defending their region and country
ADHAMIYA TAPE 2
Set up of Abu Laith driving off in car (as best we can not revealing his identity)Driving shots of streets of Adhamiya intercut with CUs of Abu Laiths hands on wheel etc as much as we can without showing his face; wherever we do show his face will have to be blurred)Try to use lots of graffiti shots which we can subtitle (if they work)
Faced with daily killings and a breakdown of government services, the Sunnis of Adhamiya have organised and armed themselves just like the Shia of Sadr City.Abu Laith used to be an officer in the Iraqi army. But the Americans dissolved the army after they overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003. So now he helps to defend and govern Adhamiya. He asked us to disguise his identity.
Driving shots of 20th street
ABU LAITH14:08
We set up a committee in each area or neighbourhood, in charge of the security of their streets to protect residents from militias. If they come across Americans or National Guard they will leave them alone, but if they find militias they will stop them.
15:04They say this street is the base of the armed men the 20th Street. I am telling you it isnt we dont allow random armed men into our area. What we have is what I described to you; local men protecting their streets, specifically from militias.
Much like the Mahdi Army, the armed men who guard Adhamiya also try to provide public services.
Abu Laith on phone in car
10:05The guys on the phone are the electricity repair unit of Adhamiya theres a fault in the main line that carries power to the Numani Hospital. The problem happened last night, but through our cooperation the maintenance team is there fixing it now. We do what we can to ease the lives of the people of Adhamiya.
ABU LAITH12:35
the infrastructure and services are in bad shape but we cooperate and help each other out we created committees: a group is responsible for electricity, another for providing gas and petrol each neighbourhood works together to sort itself out even with things like medication and hospitals but as for the government, there is no help or spending we have maintained our hospital with private funding the ministry of health wont even give us a paracetamol pill. We get help from humanitarian organisations.
11:34Graffiti on garage door:
May Maliki Fall welcome to Saddam The Martyr Street.
12:24Travelling shot of graffiti on a wall:Long Live the Fighters of Adhamiya
00:00 (after time code break)Grafitti:
Saddam is the symbol of heroism and resistanceCU of same graffiti after soundbite
ABU LAITH00:09
I dont speak only on behalf of Adhamiya, but on all of us Saddam Hussein was our head of state for 35 years. We arent opposed to his trial, if the trial was fair. Here in Adhamiya, we consider him a martyr. Over here, we consider him a symbol no other president faced America and our enemies the way he did.
Iraqi government promo video for Baghdad security plan This is how the Iraqi government, and probably the Americans and British too, would like to imagine the new security plan for Baghdad.Smiling soldiers bravely rooting out terrorists and disarming illegal militias. Grateful citizens chuckling as they are searched at checkpoints.
SADR CITY TAPE 204:10 16:0018:53 19:33
Gvs Sadr City wasteland
Women baking breadSetup of woman in black chador
Reality on the desperate streets of Baghdad is rather different after a year of sectarian civil war between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Your enemys militiamen might be murderers and torturers. Your own are protectors and providers.For these women in Sadr City, the Shia slum on the east side of Baghdad, the Mahdi Army is not an illegal militia funded by Iranian intelligence which must be destroyed for the sake of Iraq. Its a saviour, defending them against the Sunni gunmen who drove them out of their homes in the countryside north of Baghdad.
WOMAN IN BLACK CHADOR00:16:00In June we were displaced from Diyala the terrorists drove us out, who else?? They threw threat notes on the street, burnt our cars and lorries full of harvests, they called us allies of the Americans the threats called us the followers of Ali the kids were bullied at school, called names because they were Shia. They killed 3 of our neighbours so we left. in the house were renting in there are 40 people. But thanks to men from The Office , they gave us this place. The government never asked about us The Office of Sadr bring us petrol, they come and check on us we havent baked bread in 3 months they just brought us some flour God protect them
SADR CITY TAPE 219:33 27:15
Sequence of angry man taking crew into house and showing them cramped, bare concrete block rooms with one broken stove to cook on and photo of 14 year old boy killed by Sunnis For the Shia refugees, the Sunni militias are terrorists and murderers, killers without conscience.But these Shia have no trust in the government. It has not been able to protect them, house them or feed them. The Mahdi Army has done all three.
ANGRY MAN20:00
They are slaughtering us, slaughtering us GO BRING THE PHOTOS!!! He was born in 1990, a hair dresser, his picture is still up they murdered him in Abu Ghreib
(off camera: who murdered him?)
WHO??? The Sunnis, who else do you think. I swear its the Sunnis. They kept sending us death threats. Ive never done anything wrong. They killed my brother. And this little one hes only 14 they murdered him and threw him in the garbage!!! They killed him my brother and one is missing we have no idea where he is.
Man drags crew into houseShows cramped rooms, broken stove Is it possible that someone live in this?
(takes us to a room very bad state, 4 families)
Do you think anyone can live in this?
22.32There is no government - its a lie if you are really filming me and if youre going to put me on TV, Ill tell you one thing: I was a prisoner of Saddam for 12 years (points to his wrist, scar) I wont show you my back, thats another story Saddam is gone now the government has given us nothing, no flour, no sugar, nothing only the Mahdi Army. They help us, and give us allowances.
SADR CITY TAPE 316:48
Abdel Karim surrounded by Sadr City residents listening to complaints
This is the face of the Mahdi Army which the Shia see Abdel Karim al Asadi, a middle-aged man with 8 children working for what everyone calls the Office, the office of the Martyr Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Sadr. Like almost everyone in the Mahdi Army and the Sadr Organisation, hes a local person. The Mahdi Army are not outsiders imposed on the community; they are the community, organising and arming themselves to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of government.The Mahdi Army is the Offices militia. But it does much more.
ABDEL KARIM AL ASADISADR ORGANISATION13:35the office is divided into committees the media committee, the social committee, the services committee each works in the field that he is qualified for
14.55The Office of Sadr gives land to refugees and helps out as much as possible, given our resources
SADR CITY TAPE 1
Workers mending pavement
The Iraqi government is putting money into Sadr City. These workmen are being paid by Baghdad municipality to mend the pavement.But the Mahdi Army provides the security which makes the work possible.
SADR CITY TAPE 2
Engineer Iyad Abed Hafed
IYAD ABED HAFEDENGINEER
After 01:00If it werent for the office of the Sadr Organization we would have never been able to get any work done all the work is because of the protection and safety they provide us. They protect the workers and the locations we work till 5om, they stay here, protecting us. In other areas we cant get any work done if it werent for them, wed never work.
GRAPHICMap of Baghdad showing Shia area of Sadr City, moving to Sunni area of Adhamiya
Five miles away in the besieged Sunni suburb of Adhamiya, people see the Sadr Organisation and the Mahdi Army utterly differently, as aggressive sectarian killers.And they view the police and army as simply the Mahdi Army in different uniforms.
ADHAMIYA TAPE 4
Deserted, blocked off bridge Maybe other Gvs of area leading to bridge
This bridge used to be one of the busiest in Baghdad, connecting Adhamiya to the Shia area of Kadhimiya, a crowded market area around a golden-domed Shia shrine.Now its a front line in the civil war.
ADHAMIYA TAPE 1
Gvs graveyard01:52
Procession arrives carrying two coffins
Sunnis who step outside Adhamiya risk being seized by Shia militiamen or death squads, tortured, shot and thrown on garbage dumps.So many have been killed theyve dug up a park to make this cemetery. The gravedigger says that even on a quiet day, hes burying 5 or 6 bodies.
Burial sequence
MAN IN GREY JACKET05.58
The national guard caught them and took them into the Saddam Palace, they took them inside and kept them till the next day they call it the Saddam Palace in Jayfer they beat them, they tortured them and killed them After 08:10these are militias, on killing rampage, dressed in Iraqi army uniforms yes! They are in what is called the Iraqi army the Iraqi army is supposed to be honourable, defending land and dignity they are killing children, young men, enough enough blood!! They have destroyed the Sunni dignity, and killed our young, Allahu Akbar . They all start chanting, kids as well there is no god but god, the mahdi army is the enemy of god
GVS tombstonesMoving through graveyard
GRAVEDIGGER11:51
come film the tombs of the 2 women killed by the Madi army This man was from Adhamiya they told him : you are a Saddamist and they killed him he was only going to work and hes been working in Kadhamiya for years, they knew him it was just because he was Sunni what else? And all this because one day before the fall, Saddam Hussein came and visited Adhamiya in their opinion, Saddam Hussein used to represent all the Sunnis but this is the opinion of the Mahdi Army and the Badr Brigade; ie the Iranians, who take all their orders from Iran, who cant take a single step without Irans approval Ill show you two over there, they captured them, hung them, then burned them why? Because they are Sunni, defending their region and country
ADHAMIYA TAPE 2
Set up of Abu Laith driving off in car (as best we can not revealing his identity)Driving shots of streets of Adhamiya intercut with CUs of Abu Laiths hands on wheel etc as much as we can without showing his face; wherever we do show his face will have to be blurred)Try to use lots of graffiti shots which we can subtitle (if they work)
Faced with daily killings and a breakdown of government services, the Sunnis of Adhamiya have organised and armed themselves just like the Shia of Sadr City.Abu Laith used to be an officer in the Iraqi army. But the Americans dissolved the army after they overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003. So now he helps to defend and govern Adhamiya. He asked us to disguise his identity.
Driving shots of 20th street
ABU LAITH14:08
We set up a committee in each area or neighbourhood, in charge of the security of their streets to protect residents from militias. If they come across Americans or National Guard they will leave them alone, but if they find militias they will stop them.
15:04They say this street is the base of the armed men the 20th Street. I am telling you it isnt we dont allow random armed men into our area. What we have is what I described to you; local men protecting their streets, specifically from militias.
Much like the Mahdi Army, the armed men who guard Adhamiya also try to provide public services.
Abu Laith on phone in car
10:05The guys on the phone are the electricity repair unit of Adhamiya theres a fault in the main line that carries power to the Numani Hospital. The problem happened last night, but through our cooperation the maintenance team is there fixing it now. We do what we can to ease the lives of the people of Adhamiya.
ABU LAITH12:35
the infrastructure and services are in bad shape but we cooperate and help each other out we created committees: a group is responsible for electricity, another for providing gas and petrol each neighbourhood works together to sort itself out even with things like medication and hospitals but as for the government, there is no help or spending we have maintained our hospital with private funding the ministry of health wont even give us a paracetamol pill. We get help from humanitarian organisations.
11:34Graffiti on garage door:
May Maliki Fall welcome to Saddam The Martyr Street.
12:24Travelling shot of graffiti on a wall:Long Live the Fighters of Adhamiya
00:00 (after time code break)Grafitti:
Saddam is the symbol of heroism and resistanceCU of same graffiti after soundbite
ABU LAITH00:09
I dont speak only on behalf of Adhamiya, but on all of us Saddam Hussein was our head of state for 35 years. We arent opposed to his trial, if the trial was fair. Here in Adhamiya, we consider him a martyr. Over here, we consider him a symbol no other president faced America and our enemies the way he did.