Truth, War and Consequences (full documentary) | FRONTLINE 

Just a correction. It's not the "Iraq war", it's the "Invasion of Iraq".

To watch soldiers LAUGH while literally destroying the lives of people,one can see one of the reasons why folks dislike America so much.... Imagine an IRAQI adult watching this who was a child back then

And not one of these war criminals will ever be indicted.

0:05: 🔍 Investigation into the truth, war, and consequences of the Iraq war. 10:55: 📝 Ahmad Chalabi's role in the fall of Saddam Hussein and the influence of the special intelligence office in the lead-up to the Iraq War. 19:27: 🔍 The Future of Iraq Project aimed to plan for the post-Saddam era, but many Iraqis were unaware of the challenges ahead. Ahmad Chalabi and other INC Iraqis were skeptical of the project and wanted to focus on who would rule Iraq after the war. Kanan Makiya initially declined to participate, believing that Iraqis would know better how to handle post-war issues. Chalabi and the INC received support from the US government, but their relationship deteriorated in the mid-90s. Chalabi later lobbied for the passage of the Iraqi Liberation Act to make regime change official US policy. 27:05: 😔 The U.S. government's claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were not supported by reliable evidence, and there were discrepancies between the intelligence and the administration's statements. 34:32: 📝 The INC proposed a detailed blueprint for a democratic state in Iraq, including the removal of Saddam's bureaucracy, but faced opposition from the State Department who wanted to prevent rushing into a power vacuum before other Iraqis had a chance to organize. 42:48: 😳 The Pentagon's plan for post-war Iraq did not include the work done on the Future of Iraq Project, and there was a lack of consensus on why this material was not used. 49:32: 🔍 Secretary Powell presents evidence of Iraq's weapons programs, while Chalabi's attempt to lead an uprising fails. 57:51: 🔒 The lack of authority and instructions from the US military led to looting and chaos in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. 1:06:29: 😔 The aftermath of the Iraq war proves to be more complicated and costly than anticipated, with a policy of complete de-baathification leading to alienation and increased sabotage, and a delicate balance between military operations and civilian casualties. 1:16:54: 🇮🇶 Chalabi discusses the need for security and plans for Iraq after the US occupation. Recap by Tammy AI

As an American I’m so embarrassed of those army soldiers shooting and crushing that car of people just trying to survive. Shame on them!!!

I’d take a Frontline Documentary over a Hollywood Blockbuster anytime

After watching Frontline’s 4 part docu-series on the ‘08 economic collapse last weekend as the collapse of the Afghan government was happening live (2021), I think I might need a week or two before I can bare to watch this one. I was in middle school and high school when all this was going on so I didn’t fully comprehend the gravity of what was happening. Looking at these major historical moments from 1998-2012 as a full grown adult has ultimately made me feel disgusted and saddened. I cannot express enough how grateful I am that we have this type of journalism available to us. I hope and pray that we never repeat these mistakes. I truly want better for my children.

Kept me glued for an hour and a half. Kudos to the team👌🙏

US soldiers terrorizing locals and laughing about it. What a disgrace.

The title should be Liars, Thieves and War.

Tks PBS FRONTLINE ! What did We learn from this ?

As a American I always wondered how many other Americans actually brought into this BS. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I knew they were lying from day one. I'm so sorry for what happened to the Iraqi people.

“Stealing is wrong, but you can’t understand me, so I’m going to destroy your car.” They may not understand you, but they’re going to understand how to hate now

Should have never invaded Iraq in the first place

And the cries of that poor child is heartbreaking 😢😢🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

When this war started, I immediately had a sick feeling in my stomach. At the time I was already a veteran, enlisted as a cavalry scout. I knew then that when modern war happens innocent people die. My unit the 3/7 Cav was the tip of the spear, the first unit into Bagdad. The second I heard about the US going into Iraq, I knew many of my friends would die, and hundreds of thousands of innocent people would die as well, children included. I took the same stance when we invaded Afghanistan (another crime, btw). You don't invade a country just because they are harboring a terrorist. Why not just use special forces? Even if you have to violate a country's national sovereignty, like we ended up doing in Pakistan when we got Bin Laden. War has to always be the last resort.

There's something just as barbaric crushing that guys taxi with a 20 ton tank as the human carnage we typically picture. All over 80 bucks worth of wood, just to get by. That scene to me is really emblematic of our time in the middle east: punishing the inhabitants with an oil-fueled, raging overkill, with no regard for human dignity

Legend says bush is still trying to find Weapons of mass destruction

Thank you for the information.

A good example of How to Win Friends and Influence People...

That man scooping up the blood of a dead Iraqi screaming with so much ire and so much pain to the point that he ripped his shirt off, shocked me so much. I can’t imagine the pain and frustration that he felt. No wonder why suicide bombers came about; the US destroyed everything they had and killed their fellow brothers and sisters with impunity.

Frontline does great documentaries. We never should have been in Afghanistan in the first place.

Frontline reports, are in my judgement, First Rate, thans John

I clearly remember on a fall day in class discussing about the potential war with Iraq and we we're weighting in the consequences. I was absolutely against the war made my case based on everything here on this video! I was so right! One of my fellow classmates strongly believed saddam had weapon of mass WMD! The whole class agreed with him. I was saddened that day realizing how limited American student knowledge of geopolitic was and how easy they were manipulaed.

Watching those soldiers destroying that man's car for taking a pile of wood, truly destroyed my heart and filled it with rage at the moment. That is exactly the reason why you just do not have a military police a civil population, they are just not up to the task, their training is diferent, they are trained to use brutal force, deadly force to resolve a situation rather than de-escalate it. The level of irresponsability and the lack of strategy from our goverment to go "liberate" the iraqi people is unbearable.

This was told to me by a guy that I believe was on the up and up. 1983 Rumsfeld met with Sadaam and tried to get access to the southern Iraqi oil fields. Sadaam said no, that oil had been set aside for future generations of Iraqis. In the spring of 1990 oil production began in earnest of the Iraqi southern oil fields. Horizontally drilled out of Kuwait. Kuwait knew nothing about it and Saudi Arabia was cut in on the deal if they would “launder” the crude oil obtained. Sadaam found out about and rolled tanks down to the Kuwaiti border. Coalition forces drove the Iraqis back to Baghdad starting in August of 1990. Kuwait wanted to know what was going on and instead of shutting down the pilfered oil operation they wanted to be cut in on the deal. Operations resumed and this time Kuwait City was getting the bling. Sadaam again returned to the border with tanks, this time they rolled into Kuwait City and looted and plundered the ill gotten gains. A letter was sent to the King of Saudi Arabia by his son Osama bin Laden in 1995. He outlined many grievances but one big one was Saudi Arabia relying on the West for defense and the rampant corruption in the House of Saud. Things continued to escalate and in 1998 the House of Saud sent a letter to the United States that said we needed to start fulfilling our defense agreement as outlined in the Carter Doctrine. We needed to have boots on the ground in defense of Saudi Arabia’s northern border or the United States could say goodbye to the sweet oil prices we had been paying. 9/11 sure was convenient in helping fulfill Saudi Arabia’s defense treaty demands and it kinda explains why we went into Iraq first, why we didn’t find any WMD’s or chemical weapons and why the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi’s.

Its been 21 years, i was a kid back then and the pain will be there for the next tens of years to come

Let's gooo Frontline. Can't wait for it to start.

Ahmad Chalabi must be burning in hell. This guy started a huge long war where death, misery and poverty came to thousands of people. I feel sorry for the people and Iraq and the American Soldiers that die for no reason.

Good Morning Steve Laboy...Thanks NYPD

Don't worry. They're totally telling the truth about Ukraine war.

Difficult to watch this video without feeling sorry for the ordinary people of Iraq who suffer the consequences of US policy on regime change.

Got my popcorn ready! Love you FRONTLINE!

Very good documentary ❤

The narrators voice is one I’ll remember hearing on the tv quite a bit as a kid

Why smash the mans car.. that's stupid.. we had no plan for those ppl.

There is so much to be learned from this on so many levels.

I We thank you All

I love this show

I've seen this one before. Worth watching again. All Frontline documentaries are.

superb documentary hope you guys drop more of your classic stuff.

"You can help yourself by being truthful."

When US soldiers arrived in Iraq, they were told to protect the Iraqi 's oil fields were their first priority, NOT WMD.

This is the best show out there.

None of the documentaries of this type is 100% perfect, but Frontline comes closest to perfection. Martin Smith is my top favorite warzone correspondent and interviewer; he goes where danger lurks. I believe, all in all, Frontline is the best documentary series of all of them. Thumbs up. Subscribed. Notifications enabled. Even so, it sometimes, rarely, promulgates false information. So... Everyone watching should be careful. Everyone listening should check for the facts.

I was 9 when the 9/11 attacks happened. I’ll never forget where I was. I was in school and they brought in the television for us all to witness the tragedy. This documentary was so gripping and really a testament to the tenacity of America.

I had to respond to FRONTLINE's error,...but I am a regular fan of your reporting...I look forward to any new investigation/s...BUT had to state the fact?

So, basically, one Iraqi ambitious man used US to get rid of his political opponent.

When you have no idea as who the enemy is, you can't win.

Just shared on Truth Social App

WOW! Talk about dragging suppressed rage to the forefront. I'm going to have to take this one a pinch at a time.

This week has been a frontline week with uploads and more uploads. Love it, keep it coming.

Frontline making the best documentaries in the industry!!!! Love love love them all!

I found it mind blowing that a foreign country decides of the future of another sovereign country without consulting the people of the said country..and they still wondering what went wrong.

PBS always give facts and figures

Thank you PBS for finally open your awesome documentries to people outside of the US. This was a fine move!

This is maddening. I am still stuck on we were duped into this. And our own government needed to convince us this was the right thing. They needed the American people to feel this was just. I remember it happening. And I was sold. I was fooled. It changed my view of our government forever. I was 20 years old. Thank you Frontline for even going further. So well done.

"Feels no discomfort" 😢

Taxi driver picks up customer with pieces of wood as baggage. Soldiers think it's justice to crush and destroy the taxi cab. The poor taxi driver lost his only form of income. That is just wrong. This a war crime and they should be held accountable. Courts Marshall for every soldier that participated.

But yet Bush says, he has no regrets as President. Hundreds of thousands Dead and Injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was informative

You say I have to be a good person to be a great person but I am a good person and I am a great man. I learned from the experience and I learned all the lessons of the programming that I have to teach myself and I will continue learning from the experience of the people who have taught me how I can help them succeed

Anyone who has the power 2 make u believe absurdities has the power 2 make u commit injustices. -Voltaire. Greetings from Kenya 🇰🇪. Let's pray for peace ✌️

Thank you, PBS Frontline team, for putting together such quality productions packed full of facts and insights and presented in a narrative that is comprehensible. 🙏🏽

Man of excellence from the Bronx, Powell.

War has to STOP.

Generals tell their men to win the hearts and minds of the people.Soldiers,naw let’s run over this guy’s car for grabbing a little bit of wood.

Thank you, Frontline. Outstanding.

We have beheld him, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH. "The truth is not in him." He's completely full of truth, according to the 1953 Calhoun Georgia (J. Fred Muggs) definition.

Things are though. Cant join right now but will follow

"All Governments Lie" I.F. Stone - This is why a Free Press is so important to The People.

Destabilizing a region is never a good idea.

“The wealth that is extracted from imperialism goes into the pockets of a selected few whereas the costs of empire are paid out of the common treasure of the people" - Michael Parenti

The US government has one of the most negative effects on other countries and people in this world.

I see what you done here Frontline, but that doesn't blemish the absolute high quality and highly respected documentary work that you produce, excellent work guys

Martin Smith is such a fantastic journalist. 👏

Be resilient and take your joy.

I very much remember at the time having a feeling that this was a mistake.

Well, clearly a much needed and informative documentary. The multiplicity of forces in action during the pre invasion environment makes it a real challenge to understand the whole picture, yet its worth it.

Thankyou @FRONTLINE PBS | Official I really enjoy your videos, for many reasons. Keep up the great work.

This is beyond sad 😔

It's an absolute disgrace that those who died in 9 11, all of those deaths were used in this way.

Very thorough and truthful broadcasting!!

Frontline over here killing it with the daily drops

حتى مشكلتي انتم من تتحلووها باصحاب الفخر والاعزاز

This will not go on for long 🌙 💫

One of the lessons that could be learned from war is not to trust the ego fear’s perceptions. This would save America billions which are needed to help seniors and bridges at home in US

As an American citizen, I can honestly say that I don't know what to believe anymore concerning the various wars that America has engaged in. What is the truth, why did America get involved in these various wars, what was America trying to gain from these wars. There seems to be so many lies and false flags surrounding these wars.

"It's not something you say."

I love the narrators voice! It just grabs your attention hands down no interruptions. Great work Mr. Smith and all your team

This documentary leads me to believe that the problems today in the Middle East is still tied to what happened in the early 2000's and allot by what America did in Iraq!

These government officials need to be charged

Almost died here in 2005 driving Halliburton Executives around. I got out shortly after. I joined a Patriotic young man in 1999. By 2005 I was disgusted with our corrupt evil politicians and the multinational billionaires / criminals that control them. I lost friends there. I lost myself there. For what? So somebody could have a percentage?

Thank you for this content Frontline Staff!!! Very well put together and narrated. 💯 Very informative.

Man these Frontline Documentaries are very good. I’m totally hooked on them.

The current conflicts and crises in places such as Gaza and Yemen serve as a stark reminder that the atrocities of war are not just history but are tragically unfolding in front of our eyes. The devastating impact of these events cannot be overlooked, especially when we witness soldiers laughing while inflicting destruction and suffering upon innocent lives. It is deeply unsettling to witness such disregard for human suffering, and it undoubtedly fuels the resentment and aversion towards those responsible for the violence. The poignant reference to an Iraqi adult who was a child during the Iraq War serves as a poignant reminder of the long-lasting repercussions of conflict. The trauma and scars left by war continue to haunt individuals and communities for generations, and the visual evidence of soldiers callously causing harm only magnifies the pain and anguish experienced by those who have endured similar horrors. It is crucial for the international community to acknowledge and address these ongoing tragedies, and to work towards finding peaceful and humanitarian solutions. By bearing witness to these distressing events and recognizing the human cost of war, we can hopefully galvanize greater efforts towards promoting empathy, understanding, and lasting peace.

Appreciate frontline for their work 👏👏👏👏 You people are great

I’m Iraqi-Assyrian and man all this hits home. I hope my country will come to know peace but tbh it’s been a battlefield for thousands of years it just sucks that there’s no end in sight.

The Iraqi people were the last consideration in their equations. Political and military careers were worth thousands of lives a piece.

I was once a small boy when this war began. Eventually I grew into an adult, shocked and appalled by our aggressions and failure to do just about anything... for what? What did we achieve? We killed civilians with blankets of bombs and "precious" missles. Our young come back scarred and changed, yet there is no "victory".