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The John Batchelor Show

2: 1. The American Invasion and Start of Chaos The April 2003 American arrival in Baghdad saw Saddam's statue toppled before foreign journalists rather than Iraqi crowds, with contradiction between heavily armed US presence and citywide looting while the Ira

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Society & Culture, Arts, News, Books

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

1. The American Invasion and Start of Chaos The April 2003 American arrival in Baghdad saw Saddam's statue toppled before foreign journalists rather than Iraqi crowds, with contradiction between heavily armed US presence and citywide looting while the Iraqi Museum was ransacked but Ministry of Oil secured. Iraqis initially believed Americans would bring prosperity, leading to disappointment over "criminal negligence," with Abdullahad becoming an accidental journalist after bribing his way out of detention.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:29.8

This is CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor.

0:31.7

Here's John Batchelor.

0:45.8

It is April, 2003, Baghdad, the spring of 2003. Reith Abdelahad is in Baghdad, and his new book, A Stranger in Your Own City, travels in the Middle East Long War. Record from that moment the entry of the

0:52.3

Americans into the tragedy and mystery of Iraq in the 20th century

0:58.2

and before. Reith, congratulations and good evening. You are in Baghdad observing these moments before

1:06.0

the American armor column arrives. And at some point, you see a gathering of American soldiers and Iraqis,

1:14.4

Baghdad citizens, around a statue of Saddam Hussein and from the Meridian and Sheraton Hotel.

1:21.1

I'm following your reporting. What do you observe and what does it tell you now all these years

1:26.4

later about the American presentation to

1:30.6

the citizens of Iraq? Good evening to you. Good evening. I mean, you know, it's the most important

1:37.0

image is the image that keep repeating itself again and again on TV as if it's that image

1:42.2

to justify all that came after.

1:45.6

I stood there.

...

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