The past two decades have been very turbulent for the country of Iraq. Dictator Saddam Hussein oppressed his people from the late 1970s until he was deported by the invading Americans in 2003.
When he was removed from office, many Iraqis wished they could now experience true peace and freedom. Unfortunately, what followed was nearly two decades of civil war and instability, U.S. interference and manipulation, widespread corruption and political instability, sectarian/religious tensions, and extremes of further imprisonment and suffering for Iraqi citizens Islamic Insurgency (ISIS).
Saddam’s regime was extremely authoritarian. He is treated like a god and no one can criticize him. When the Americans invaded, they ended up executing him. The American occupation has divided countries, even families. Some Iraqis are glad the Americans are there and see them as saviors. However, many are also pro-Iraq nationalists who, while happy to see Saddam out, also want the Americans out.
There is also conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims. This was brewing even when Saddam was in power, calming tensions and both sides wisely avoiding him. Unfortunately, the new US government is very discriminatory towards Sunnis. The new prime minister drove all Sunnis out of the government, making it difficult for them to work and live.
Amid all this chaos, sporadic wars, and general unrest, al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan — made up mostly of Sunni Muslims — seem to have emerged out of nowhere to take root in Iraq. They were an organized group, a far cry from the small, sporadic, informal insurgents the new government dealt with.
Bombing and explosions became such a frequent occurrence in Iraq that they became the norm. Explosions in cars and houses at any given moment are extremely common. Both Sunnis and Shiites have been victims of these bombings, for which Al Qaeda is responsible for adding to their already dire reputation.
In 2011, the Americans finally withdrew from Iraq, and the terrorist organization Islamic State took over Iraq. Iraq without a stable government or army cannot fight back.
From 2012 to 2017, ISIS was rampant; no one was safe. They have taken over the media, satellites and schools and killed so many people. Children were caught in firefights, injured by stray bullets or shrapnel, or watched many of their friends die. ISIS was finally defeated in 2017 by a coalition of 79 countries led by the United States. A new government led by Shiites but with a Sunni majority was installed.
Frontline’s documentary, Once Upon a Time in Iraq, tells the story of post-Saddam Iraq through the experiences of its citizens amidst the chaos. Their stories are accompanied by archival footage with no outside narrators, and their first-hand accounts are moving testimony to their resilience as a people.
Directed by: James Bluemel
