General information

Call No.:

350-4-3:67/1

Part of series

HU OSA 350-4-3 Records of the International Monitor Institute: Middle East: Iraq

Located at

BetaSP NTSC #67 / No. 1

Digital ver. identifier

HU_OSA_00009872

Date of air

2000-01-25

Date of production

2000

Date

2000

Level

Item

Primary Type

Moving image

Language

English

Duration

55 min.

Content

Form/Genre

Documentary film

Contents Summary

An intimate portrait of Saddam Hussein's private and political life, the film examines Saddam's uncanny ability to outmaneuver his enemies, exploit their weaknesses and, against all odds, to remain in power. The filmmaker spent months gaining special access to research and film in Iraq. The result is an in-depth look at Saddam's career and the secrets behind his survival—from his days as a young hit man in the Ba'ath Party to his rise to power with CIA help; from his successful exploitation of superpower rivalry in the 1970s to his miscalculations in invading Kuwait 20 years later; and from CIA-backed coup attempts and internal rebellions against him throughout the 1990s to his successful stand-off with UN weapons inspectors. Featuring an in-depth interview with biographer Said K. Aburish, as well as interviews with Iraqi opposition leaders, CIA officers, U.S. Middle East diplomats, and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, this report reveals how, like many dictators, Saddam's rise to leadership can be attributed to a unique mixture of intelligence and brutality.

Context

Associated Names

Barker, Greg (Director, Producer)

WGBH Educational Foundation (Producer)