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The Audio Long Read

The toppling of Saddam’s statue: how the US military made a myth

The Audio Long Read

The Guardian

Society & Culture

4.32.4K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2021

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 2003, the destruction of one particular statue in Baghdad made worldwide headlines and came to be a symbol of western victory in Iraq. But there was so much more to it – or rather, so much less. By Alex von Tunzelmann. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, my name is Hannah Frankson, I'm a Peloton instructor and I teach classes on the Peloton

0:05.0

Bike and the Peloton Trud.

0:07.0

Nothing motivates me more than the thought of enjoying life to the fullest.

0:11.7

Life is always for so many different challenges and chapters.

0:15.3

For me, movement and exercise has been there throughout every stage of my life.

0:19.0

Just living life to the max is what motivates me.

0:22.0

The Guardian Lives has partnered with Peloton to help you find motivation that moves you.

0:26.1

To find out more, visit thegardian.com forward slash motivation with Peloton.

0:30.4

This message was paid for by Peloton.

0:36.7

The Guardian Welcome to the Guardian Long Read, showcasing

0:41.0

the best long-form journalism covering culture, politics and new thinking.

0:45.1

For the text version of this and all our long reads, go to thegardian.com forward slash

0:49.5

long read.

0:51.6

The Top Link of Sodom Statue.

0:54.4

How the US Military made a myth.

0:58.1

In 2003, the destruction of one particular statue in Baghdad made worldwide headlines and

1:04.8

came to be a symbol of Western victory in Iraq.

1:08.8

But there was so much more to it, or rather, so much less, by Alex von Tundzelman, read

1:15.9

by Moe Yub and produced by Esther Apokugeni.

1:20.3

The abiding image of the Iraq War in 2003 was the toppling of a statue of the country's

1:26.4

dictator, Saddam Hussein.

1:28.7

It was an image relayed across the world as a symbol of victory for the American-led

...

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