Civilization

Part 5 is a history lesson. Iraq after all was the cradle of Western civilization. Zainab Baharani is an art historian at Columbia University who was born in Baghdad. With her we retrace the famous civilizations of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Her colleague historian Victoria de Grazia relates the events that shaped the history of today's Iraq, such as World War I, and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. NYU Middle East expert Timothy Mitchell and investigative reporter Greg Palast examine more recent events such as the Iran-Iraq war, the relationship of the Reagan and Bush Administrations with Saddam Hussein, and the events leading up to the first Gulf War. That war was followed by sanctions against Iraq imposed by the UN and enforced by the US and the United Kingdom with aerial bombardments. The sanctions resulted in the deaths of a half million Iraqi children and a public health disaster due in part to the use of depleted uranium during the war. Also destroyed in large part was Iraq's infrastructure, as well as its architectural and artistic heritage. Amongst those featured are Victor Sidel of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Norman Solomon of the Institute for Public Accuracy, William Hartung of the World Policy Institute, filmmaker and activist Jacqueline Soohen, and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Also speaking at demonstrations we hear from Harry Bellafonte, Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover.