The Media in Occupied Iraq

The Media in Occupied Iraq: The Promises and Practices of the US-Led Coalition. 

Anyone wanting to understand how Iraq became the divided nation it is today should read this study of the country’s media. Dr Abdulrahman Dheyab uniquely blends history, original research, and compelling first person testimony of great personal bravery. It is a compelling and depressing tale of the legacy of dictatorship, cultural misunderstanding under the occupation, and political mistakes.

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TITLE: The Media in Occupied Iraq: The Promises and Practices of the US-Led Coalition. 
AUTHOR: Dr Abdulrahman Dheyab
ISBN: 9781909009257

REVIEWS

The history of the Baghdad Club is a fascinating and insightful account of a little—known American initiative that sheds fresh light on their efforts and failures after invading Iraq.  Abdulrahman’s rigorous and detailed story of US ignorance and misjudgement of Iraq’s media culture provides a microcosm of the wider shambles that’s engulfed the country in the last twelve years. I was privileged to work with Adbulrahman on a ground breaking television expose of the death squads that murdered thousands of ordinary Iraqis in the years immediately after the US invasion.  Many of the killers were members of the newly formed Iraqi police force, recruited directly from militia groups who’d been waiting decades to take revenge for the brutality of Saddam Hussein and his Government.  The programme, made for British television, was shown around the world, prompting heated debate in America, Europe and across the Middle East and forced the Iraqi Government to answer questions about the actions of some of their senior Ministers.  The film won the Royal Television Society award for international current affairs.  We could not have made the film without Abdulrahman’s bravery and commitment to exposing the appalling events in his home country. That same journalistic dedication is evident in his latest work and I highly commend it to anyone with an interest in understanding Iraq’s recent history. –Deborah Davies, Reporter 

Abdulrahman’s research is revealing, worrying, and at times, tragic. Perhaps for a cynic like me, the inadequacies and nepotism of the American administration in Iraq is sad, but not surprising. What is surprising is that, despite first hand experiences of seeing his country invaded, witnessing murder – and feeling the absolute disillusionment as promises of a better Iraq fail to materialise – the author sets out his case in such a calm and analytical way. Caroline Jaine, Former Press & Public Affairs Officer at the British Embassy Office in Basra

Anyone wanting to understand how Iraq became the divided nation it is today should read this study of the country’s media. Abdulrahman Dheyab uniquely blends history, original research, and compelling first person testimony of great personal bravery. It is a compelling and depressing tale of the legacy of dictatorship, cultural misunderstanding under the occupation, and political mistakes. There are many lessons to be drawn, and Dheyab provides a thorough analysis and back story that will surely shape the thinking of future policymakers. Adrian Monck, Former Head of Media at City University