Live from Baghdad (2002) Movie Script

1
-What's going on?
-I don't see anything.
Are you okay?
That's how they get you.
They're under the goddamn ground.
What the hell are they?
Sons of bitches!
...from Iraqi shelling.
Troops and tank divisions poured across
the virtually undefended...
...dying in front of their eyes.
Iraqi troops and tanks
continue to roll into Kuwait...
the desert nation Saddam Hussein...
-Baghdad is me.
-You're supposed to be in Berlin.
Fuck Berlin. The wall's down.
-Baghdad is me, Eason.
-You've never even been to Baghdad.
-Close enough. Jerusalem.
-I wouldn't bring up Jerusalem if I were you.
It's not a point in your favor.
So what happened in Jerusalem?
-They stoned his car.
-Is that why Ted Turner wants to fire him?
That's fine.
Good field producers sometimes elicit
that response.
His crew wasn't killed and he got the story.
He can do this.
Robert, I want you to meet Tom Johnson,
the new president of CNN.
You're the man
that turned around the LA Times.
-Nice of you to characterize it that way.
-So who are you gonna fire here?
Robert, heel.
Actually, Ted's memo only mentioned you.
But it's not so much about
a change of personnel.
CNN has assets we haven't fully utilized.
You want to know what I think?
We're a 24-hour news network
looking for a 24-hour story...
and one just fell from the sky.
People won't wait till 7:00 p.m.
to find out if we're at war or not.
-They'll tune into CNN.
-I understand you want Baghdad.
-Yes, I do.
-Baghdad's tricky.
The element of finesse here
may not be your strongest suit.
I'm the right man for the job, Eason,
and you know it.
I agree, Robert, it's a 24-hour story,
and the whole world will want to see it.
ABC and CBS are already in there,
so we've gotta play catch-up.
We've gotta own this story.
Ted Turner's guaranteed me
we'll have everything we need to do that.
Now we need somebody
with guts and good judgment.
That's me.
We know you've got the guts.
Now, you prove you've got the judgment.
I want all my employees
to come home standing up. Understood?
Understood.
-All right.
-All right.
-Farzad Bazoft.
-I know.
London Observer journalist, doing his job.
Got a little ambitious.
The Iraqis hung him as a spy.
Just want you to know
what you're up against.
Borders are sealed.
They're not letting people out.
Right, I know.
Police state on the brink of war,
state censorship up the gazoo.
I'll tell you something.
If there's a war and we're there...
reporting live behind enemy lines...
that's the journalistic equivalent
of walking on the moon.
-Who do you want?
-Murphy.
Murphy's good. I like him.
I want Ingrid Formanek, too.
-She's in Rome.
-On the map, it's an inch.
He needs a watchdog, not a cheerleader.
The woman practically hates me.
She second-guesses every move I make.
-Sleeping with her?
-No. I want her head, not her ass.
She keeps me honest.
All right.
I went out on a limb for you back there.
Let's don't fuck it up.
I know. Thank you.
Ed...
I need a shitload of cash.
So we smoke cigars now?
Ingrid!
You look great.
A little pale. You eating all right?
-Yeah. So, what's with the cigars?
-Joe Wilson smokes them.
And he is who?
He's our man in Baghdad.
Ranking US diplomat.
-Is there a problem?
-He confuses dollars with liras.
-What would I do without you?
-Die a lonely death.
Is there any other kind?
Wiener! You dick!
Joe!
-You know the man?
-Nyet.
Ingrid Formanek, CNN!
Joe Erlichman, CBS Evening News.
-Where are you going? Why're you leaving?
-They're throwing us out.
They like to flex the muscle.
It's the Iraqi mind-fuck.
Dan Rather's been making sheep eyes
at Saddam Hussein to land an interview.
So far, all we got is a rug.
-Where are you staying?
-The Sheraton.
Shithole. Check out the Al-Rasheed.
Why did they let a scumbag like you in?
Who do you think
they get their news from? You?
From us, they get the news.
From you, they get access.
-'Bye!
-See you later.
Yeah, and fuck off!
We've gotta nail that Saddam interview
before CBS.
Modem?
Battery pack. They're for the camera.
-Modem?
-Walkman.
You got another one of those?
They're expensive.
Are those...
Barf bags.
For later?
For later?
No, I collect barf bags from airlines
all over the world.
Kind of a cool thing to have.
Gonna be a tough gig.
-23 bottles of vodka?
-There was supposed to be 24.
-For personal use?
-Yeah.
-You are an alcoholic.
-You're a customs inspector.
We all have our parts to play.
-Eight hours in customs!
-Are these gonna be safe up here?
-This is worse than Kinshasa.
-Better than Romania, though.
Yeah, at least here,
the men have the moustaches.
His Excellency, Saddam Hussein,
does not ask for paintings.
He's a simple man. But people love him,
so they rush to put them up.
Excuse me...
-Who are you?
-I'm Mr. Mazin...
from Ministry of Information.
I'm here to help you.
-Stunning job so far.
-Thank you.
-Where to go?
-Al-Rasheed.
-I thought we were staying at the Sheraton.
-It's a shithole.
So what? I like shitholes.
Look at this.
Straight out of "Ali Baba."
-I think I'm getting one of those rugs.
-I think I'm getting cystitis.
They can throw us out of here
any time they want.
We're gonna have to be crafty.
-We can do crafty.
-Good.
People are headed the other way.
Looks like ABC.
Nice cars.
Must be talent.
-I've gotta go the bathroom.
-You just think you have to.
-Ingrid, find a phone.
-Yeah.
-Maybe Mr. Mazin can help you with that.
-Of course.
And call the US embassy,
let them know we're here.
No. Nothing is available.
-Not possible. I have a reservation.
-I find no reservations.
Five rooms and a suite.
Check under "CNN, American television."
You know who this is? This is CNN!
24 hours a day. Is it news or is it Muzak?
Inky, how're you doing?
What are you doing?
I saw your boys leaving.
They're throwing us out.
We're doing better than NBC,
they haven't got in yet.
The Iraqi mind-fuck? Try under "Wiener."
-You heard?
-W-l-E-N-E-R.
At least we're allowed out.
How much latitude
do they give you to report?
You can't take a picture
of a guy eating lunch without the okay.
Serious. Yesterday...
no kidding, we're trying to shoot a guy
having a sandwich...
they pulled the plug. I mean, come on!
I know the food is bad.
-What's the local feed point like?
-Nightmare.
So I figured. How are we doing?
I've checked all the lists.
I don't have a reservation for you.
You need help with him?
Unlike you, I have clout.
I'm a big boy, I got it.
Where'd you get that rug?
-Don't worry, you'll get a rug.
-All right, see you later.
-Here. See what you can do.
-I will make every attempt.
Thank you, sir.
I told him to take it to your room.
All right? So don't worry.
I talked to Joe Wilson at the embassy,
and it's all set up.
Great! Good work. Excuse me for a second.
Pardon me, what's your name?
-Fatima.
-Meet our new translator, Fatima.
Fatima, Ingrid. Ingrid, Fatima.
But I am not a translator.
I'm an Egyptian student.
Really? How'd you like to be a translator?
$100 a day.
-$100?
-Yeah.
-All right.
-Presto, you're a translator.
What's your room number?
-Everything's smooth?
-Smooth? I don't know about that.
-I've found your reservation.
-Perfect.
-Smooth.
-Now, how will you be paying?
American Express.
Kidding. Okay, how about cash?
-We accept cash.
-I figured you would.
"Cash is king." Donald Trump.
-Did you say Donald Trump?
-Yes, I read his book. Amazing.
Your room has a view of the mosque,
and of the swimming pool.
Really?
That about covers
the range of human endeavor.
There you go.
No way!
Check it out.
"Ladies and gentlemen...
"the Rolling Stones!"
-That's great.
-Wait.
Privacy is not what's going on here,
Marky-boy. Consider that before speaking.
Tell me about it.
There's this blinking, red-light thing
in the bathroom ceiling.
I'm gonna have to get dressed
to take a shower.
-Room service.
-Could you send up a Pepsi?
-I'll take a Pepsi.
-I'll have a Coke.
There's no Coke in Baghdad.
Bottling plant's in Dixie.
Israel.
I'll take a Yoo-hoo.
-It's a chocolate drink.
-I didn't say anything.
Make it seven Pepsis.
Iraq has imposed restrictions
on innocent civilians...
from many countries.
This is unacceptable.
Release all foreigners now...
give them the right to come and go
as they wish.
Fuck!
-Anybody else's back hurt?
-Not me.
I brought a pillow with me from home.
Robert, look at this.
This is interesting.
Saddam... I don't know what.
-Where's the Egyptian girl?
-Fatima!
-Mark, push the record button.
-Come quick.
-What's he saying here?
-Call CNN, tell them to stand by.
-Murphy, come here!
-What's he saying?
He's saying, "These people are British.
"They are our...
-"guests."
-Guests?
He's saying, "Stuart will, I'm sure...
"be happy that he played a role
in maintaining peace."
Are you getting your milk, Stuart?
With cornflakes, too.
He's scaring the shit out of that kid.
He's scaring the shit out of that kid.
-This is great TV.
-Yeah, it is.
You got kids?
No. My wife's seven months pregnant.
-You?
-Yeah, I got two.
Atlanta's standing by.
Have Mazin book some satellite time.
Feels like a photo op to me.
"Compassionate Saddam."
"Iraqi children, unfortunately,
do not have any milk."
-This kid's petrified.
-A generous person may call it propaganda.
Fuck them.
Let them say what they want.
The story is not here.
The story is right there.
"The boy is 5 years old.
His name is Stuart Lockwood.
"He is a British subject."
"The boy, 5-year-old Stuart Lockwood,
is a British subject..."
"...held at an undisclosed location.
"These families, like other foreign nationals,
have been denied exit visas from Iraq.
"Here, visited by President Saddam Hussein,
these people are, in effect..."
"Hostages"?
-Is there another way to say that?
-No.
You think that'll fly?
What else will you call them?
"Guests" won't crack it.
Okay, but we're in for the long haul.
-Let's not get kicked out our first day.
-How about this:
"In the rest of the world, they are called...
But here...
"they're called 'guests.'"
-Works for me.
-Okay.
We'll do a stand-up
with the mosque in the background.
-"Coffee snack."
-I think I'll take a shower.
-It's 3:00, satellite's at 5:00. Take a shower.
-You can put it right here.
-Here you go.
-Thank you.
Excuse me, were you in the army here, sir?
Yes.
Five and a half years.
-Did you fight Iran?
-Yes.
Now, maybe I fight America.
-You want to go?
-Mr. Mazin!
You're early. I like that in a man.
But you want to go, yes?
Satellite in 50 minutes.
-No, satellite's at 5:00.
-Change to 4:00.
-What did you just say?
-4:00.
Fuck! Call Iraqi TV. Murphy!
Let's go! We've gotta fly.
Holy moly!
My grandfather had stuff like this
in his basement.
Yeah, back in the 80s
before you were born? Converter.
Excuse me, gentlemen. Thank you.
We're on the bird in four minutes.
Where's the tape?
Don't worry, we're gonna be all right.
We're on it.
Does anyone here speak English?
-Who might the head honcho be?
-Where is Ingrid Formanek?
-I'd be Ingrid Formanek.
-I'm Mrs. Awatiff...
Director, International Department, Iraqi TV.
Delighted to meet you.
Robert Wiener.
Sorry to interrupt your plans...
but we've got a satellite feed--
What plans? I have no plans.
I am working here.
-What is your purpose?
-I'm the producer--
I understand Ms. Formanek is the producer.
Yeah, and she needs a satellite feed in--
I'm here to supervise your transmission,
Ms. Formanek. What do you need?
We need a phone to contact Atlanta.
That would be the phone in my office.
Eason, Baghdad on for you.
What's going on? We're at two minutes.
We got it.
Ingrid's with the censor,
going over the spot.
Sisterhood is powerful here in Iraq.
And placed in private homes
in and around...
secret military and industrial sites.
In the rest of the world, they're called...
It's the dust.
...they're simply called "guests."
What route are we bringing Baghdad in on?
-35, but all we got is hash.
-We're not seeing you.
Shit!
Here, take this.
Mrs. Awatiff, they're not seeing us
in Atlanta.
Judy, keep rolling.
-We've got chroma shit.
-Whatever that is, fix this!
Can I get in?
-One minute.
-We've got an image. Audio needs boosting.
-They get the picture?
-You need to boost the audio.
-How much?
- 12 dB.
-By 12 dB.
- 12 dB!
Judy, boost the audio 12 dB!
It's over-modulating.
-How much?
-2 dB.
It needs to come down 2.
You go tell them. I'll man the phone.
Thirty seconds.
Bring the audio down 2. Put 10 in the gate.
Mark, now!
-Fifteen seconds.
-Roll it.
Roll it!
-Twelve, eleven...
-Rolling!
Ten, nine...
-Seven, six...
-Come on.
Five, four...
three, two...
-one.
-Yeah, here we go.
Some extraordinary images
from the Iraqi capital today.
President Saddam Hussein
held a face-to-face meeting...
with a group of British hostages.
A meeting that was carried
on Iraqi television.
The boy, 5 years old, is Stuart Lockwood...
a British subject.
It was a good story!
It was bullshit.
It was minimum comment,
maximum content.
That is irresponsible.
You let Saddam spout off his garbage
without challenging it.
You hand Hitler a microphone,
and you call it journalism.
-Where's the editorial point of view?
-Trust the viewer.
They can judge this stuff,
and they have the right to see it.
Absolutely.
How can they know what they're seeing
without context?
I don't need some big lead-in.
I know how I feel about a dictator...
who puts his hairy hand
on a little hostage boy.
It's right there for anybody to see.
-Who are you to say what it means?
-Come on!
Who are we to say what it means?
We didn't say what it means.
What do you think it means?
I don't know what it means.
Tell you what it could mean.
If we could get both sides talking...
With peace, love, and understanding.
Come on, Wienerish. We're just the eyes.
You put this shit up there,
and people pull it down on their Sonys.
I think I'm quoting you.
No, I said "Zeniths."
Man.
Are you drunk?
Yes.
The moment we become the story...
It's over. I know.
Fuck 'em.
It was a good story.
We're gonna need another one tomorrow.
Another what?
Story. Local color. Mazin's got something
down at the embassy.
We've gotta get something
to feed the beasts.
Come please, time is counting.
Cigars!
Embassy man loves cigars, remember?
You give embassy man cigars,
he give you big access.
-Hangover?
-Brutal.
We're just gonna start wide on the crowd.
-Quick connect.
-We're on it.
Got it?
-These guys right here.
-Excuse us.
No photo.
Understood, okay.
Get the kid in the stroller. See it?
You know, they call the President "Bosh"
instead of Bush.
Bosh in Arabic means "nothing."
That's the joke.
They haul out a new group everyday.
Teachers' union...
so-called writers and poets...
-Yeah?
-Cut.
You stop shooting, they all go home.
-This is a very good cigar, thank you.
-Thought you might like it.
-This is a very good cigar, thank you.
-Thought you might like it.
Is the ambassador coming back, or...
No, no way.
We're in a read-and-burn mode now.
-I saw your piece on the British hostages.
-Yeah? So?
Saddam was trying to manipulate the media.
He wanted that material aired.
But I think it backfired on him. Excuse me.
It's not just Brits that are trapped.
What about Americans?
I'd love to do a story on American hostages.
I just can't seem to find any.
That's because they're in hiding. Sorry.
Saddam's holding 41
at strategic bombing sites already.
The others are laying low.
We don't want them rounded up, too.
Besides, they got burned
by another news group.
-Said they were sending pictures home...
-Then they put it on the evening news.
All I know is they're camera shy.
Because nobody ever interviewed them.
I won't do anything misleading.
I'll tell a straight story, not a half-assed job.
I want to put a face with the story.
The American public needs to know
why they should care.
After careful consideration,
the State Department's gonna agree.
Can I use your phone? Thanks.
Are you getting your milk, Stuart?
-With cornflakes, too.
-See this?
-You watched Nightline last night?
-The hostage story, yeah.
A 20-minute charade.
"Mr. Saddam's Neighborhood."
-We're taking some serious hits on this.
-Come on.
If they had the technology back then,
Hitler would've been on Meet the Press.
Stuart Lockwood was a great story.
That's why they're screaming.
That's what great stories do.
Now this...
is not a great story.
...in Arabic. Tom Murphy, CNN, Baghdad.
I know. "Arabs denounce Bush."
Trivial news day.
You know what I want.
I know. I'm on.
Believe me, I'm all over it.
All right, make it happen.
Hi. Robert Wiener, CNN.
I've got an 8:00 a.m. with the director.
Yes.
-You are please to be seated.
-Yeah.
-Shortly, he will be with you.
-Okay.
He will not be long.
-Please, have some mint tea.
-Okay.
Nigel Babcock.
I'm here for my 11:00 appointment
with Mr. Naji Al-Hadikhi.
Please.
Mr. Wiener will have some tea?
Bloody hell!
This is rude and unacceptable.
Where is he? Is he here?
Bloody stupid!
Ben Dupont,
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
I'm a few minutes early for my 4:00
with Mr. Naji Hadikhi.
"Hadithi."
Naji Al-Hadithi.
-Yes, Mr. Al-Hadithi.
-He's not here.
-I'm in the wrong office?
-No.
This is his office. Mr. Naji is not here today.
Mr. Wiener will have some more tea?
You're leaving?
Yes.
No, please. You stay.
Here.
-It's me.
-It's you.
-Thank you. I'll show it to my son.
-All right.
Please. You stay here.
Okay?
Mr. Robert Wiener?
Please come in.
How did you know
how to pronounce my name correctly?
I took the trouble to find out.
-Thank you for the cigars.
-You're welcome.
I don't smoke.
But I'm impressed. The same brand
you gave Mr. Wilson, at the Embassy.
This is the Ministry of Information.
How can I help you?
A few things, actually. There's a request
for a couple of pieces of equipment.
-I need a four-wire and a flyaway.
-What is this?
The four-wire is an elaborate phone system
that will allow me...
to get through to my bureau in Amman.
The flyaway is more elaborate.
This has already been requested
by your Atlanta office.
What else?
I want an interview
with President Saddam Hussein.
-You've made me a written request?
-It's in there as well.
-I'll see what I can do.
-How soon?
You take liberties.
I'm an American.
We're the liberty people.
Tea?
Yeah.
What would be the purpose
for the interview?
I got to tell you, I think without dialogue
a war is inevitable.
No dialogue is possible.
Your government and the Zionists
have blackmailed the United Nations.
-Are you a Zionist?
-No, I'm not.
You depicted President Hussein
as a hostage taker.
These people were his guests.
Nothing more.
-The President got his message out.
-No, you got your message out.
The Koran says,
"Confound not truth with falsehood...
"nor knowingly conceal the truth."
Can we at least agree
on that guiding philosophy?
You think I'm so naive as to be charmed
by a fortunate turn of memory?
I lucked out.
That's the only quote
I remember from college.
That, and the impression
of a profound human document.
Divine.
Why would President Saddam Hussein
do CNN?
Because we're the only network
with global outreach.
Because we're in every foreign ministry.
And because he watches us.
According to US intelligence,
a number of Iraqi troops are now...
-What would be the interview's length?
-One hour.
-Ninety minutes?
-One hour.
-Unedited?
-Unedited.
Bernard Shaw?
That crosses the line.
We have to choose our own interviewers.
This is all a theoretical conversation,
you understand?
Mint tea!
Strangely enough, I like the guy.
Let's not be seduced by a British accent.
You don't get to where he is
without doing some heinous stuff.
I know. I'm just saying...
I like him. It's a human thing.
Do I smell like mint?
Yeah, vaguely.
BBC World Service.
Bush made a taped message direct
to the Iraqi people, going out on Iraqi TV.
We should go get some reactions
on the streets.
Once again...
Iraq finds itself on the brink of war.
Once again, the same Iraqi leadership
has miscalculated.
Once again, the Iraqi people face tragedy.
I do not believe that you,
the people of Iraq, want war.
You've borne untold suffering...
"An American woman far from home...
"trapped in a war zone."
Cut it out. Don't you get this?
He says we're on the brink of war.
We're in Saddam's neighborhood.
He's the number-one target.
They'll bomb the shit out of this place,
right here.
Not till we get this interview.
Come on, over here.
-Go. Towards the TV. Watch the cable.
-By the way...
just a reminder, Robert.
I'm leaving in two days.
What are you talking about?
I signed up for one rotation
and it's up in two days.
-This is news to me.
-He did say one rotation.
-I'd stay, but my wife's due in a month.
-But you're on a news story.
If it was just me, I'd stay, but it's not.
I'm going.
I've gotta think about my wife and my baby.
-I got a wife and two babies.
-That's your problem.
I signed up for one rotation,
it's one rotation, that's it.
All right, okay.
I got you. Great.
While you're here, can you go get
some reactions or something?
You could've made him feel
a little better about it.
Who'll we get to replace him?
Richard Roth, CNN. I'd like a room in which
no one has ever smoked a cigarette.
Richard Roth. Don't call me "Dick."
Robert Wiener. Don't call me "Dick," either.
-Good to see you. What's with the tuna?
-I'm not much for Mideast cuisine.
-Thanks for coming.
-No one else wanted to.
I didn't want to, either, but...
-You came just in time.
-How's that?
We're going to a barbecue.
Not bad, the life of public service.
They're just a bunch of
oil workers and businessmen.
They got their families out
and kept on working...
till things got a little too hot.
Now they're holed up here.
It's for their own protection.
If they leave, Saddam's men could kidnap
them and use them as human shields...
at potential bombing sites.
-Ready?
-Yeah.
In here.
-How you doing?
-Who the hell are you?
How you doing?
CNN. We're going to talk to you.
I'm Robert Wiener.
No interviews. Nobody here wants publicity.
Don't your people back home
want to see you?
-They need to hear you're okay.
-Heard that before.
It's important the American public
realizes you're being held hostage here.
What do you think I'll do?
Put you on camera...
and ask you if you'd like to see
Saddam being violated by a camel?
Who let you guys in here?
Hi. We're from CNN.
-We were gonna do some interviews.
-Like hell you are!
Leave us alone and get out.
None of us want anything to do with you.
-Stu, calm down.
-I'm not calming down.
-Come on, don't be like that.
-Yeah, nobody likes a scumbag.
-What did you say to me?
-We won't interview you anyway.
We want the American side of the story
to be more sympathetic.
You let this clown in here, Wilson?
You got a Yankee score there?
Forget about the Yankees.
How about them Braves?
-Richard Roth, CNN.
-Bob Vinton.
-Hi.
-Hi.
You are nothing but a bunch of overpaid,
bone-picking vultures.
You're confusing us with CBS, pal.
We're the underpaid vultures.
That's the problem with you.
Everything's a joke.
You tamper with people's lives.
Let me tell you...
Are you frightened?
Sure I'm frightened, but I can't spend
my days cowering behind these walls.
And I can't worry about things
I can't do anything about.
This is something I can't worry about.
My company sent me here to do a job,
and I'm gonna get out and do it.
I feel totally safe in Baghdad.
Iraqis are wonderful people,
and I can't imagine them...
mistreating us at all.
I understand your feeling,
even though I don't agree.
Where did your people go?
And that's a cut.
-That's terrific.
-Anything else?
Great. I'd like to do a follow-up
in a day or two. What do you think?
Sure.
-Let me ask you something.
-The guy has a right.
How do you sleep at night?
You put that good man's life in danger.
How do you sleep at night?
Okay, thanks.
I sleep just fine!
Thanks!
Venezuela has vowed to increase
oil production by 15 percent.
But with Saddam Hussein
now effectively controlling 20 percent...
of the world's oil supply, experts predict
gas prices will continue to soar.
This is John Holliman reporting.
-Nice piece, John.
-Thanks.
You look nice today.
...withdraw from Kuwait.
"The Arab nation is one nation, "
he was reported as saying.
"We do not want war, although we know..."
I need a field assignment. I'm going crazy.
-Talk that over with Eason.
-He told me to talk to you.
-Talk that over with Eason.
-He told me to talk to you.
-What do you have in mind, John?
-Baghdad.
You don't know that part of the world.
I didn't know Tiananmen Square.
Look, I've been on the oil desk for a year--
That's a very important desk right now.
I don't think we have anybody
to take your place.
-I've put in my time, I deserve this.
-Hold on a sec.
...if you should become a human shield
at some strategic site.
I pray every day that this crisis is over.
I sure miss my wife.
See you real soon, honey.
Not bad!
John, I hear you. I know what you're saying.
I'll keep it in mind.
But you're valuable here,
and frankly, Baghdad...
It doesn't fit you like a glove.
-Did you see it?
-Terrific. Good story.
John, let me give it some thought. All right?
That was good work, by the way. The hand.
-Thank you.
-So how did it play?
Terrific story, Robert. Great work.
We're out there alone with it...
we aced everyone. Well done!
Great work.
Iraqis are wonderful people.
I can't imagine them mistreating us.
And he'll have a Yoo-hoo.
That's a chocolate drink.
I'll have a beer. It's a malt beverage.
Thanks.
Look at this.
I didn't get a moment to rest on my laurels.
So many reporters, one little story.
You have any notion
how to get us back in front?
A Saddam Hussein interview.
I'm building what's called a relationship
with the Ministry of Information.
Is that a good thing?
Inky! Saddam let you back in?
He throws us out for no reason,
lets us back for no reason.
He could double for my second wife.
DSB season has officially begun.
-DSB?
-"Deadly Sperm Backup."
You on-air guys never stick around
long enough to feel its pain.
Excruciating.
Robert, can I have a word?
What's the matter?
That's clear enough. I'll go get some tuna.
Bob Vinton has been taken prisoner
by the Iraqis.
-What?
-He went back to work and they got him.
He's missing.
More allegations of Iraqi brutality
emerged today...
as Kuwaiti refugees testified
before a Congressional committee.
They took the babies out of the incubators.
Took the incubators,
and left the children to die on the cold floor.
Other witnesses told of torture and violence
at the hands of Saddam's troops.
You didn't kidnap that guy.
The Iraqis did.
I put him in jeopardy.
It was his call.
Doesn't let me off.
Egomaniac.
You think everything's about you.
Bob Vinton is not about you.
Bob Vinton is about Bob Vinton.
You think he's somewhere obsessing
about you, Robert Wiener, right now?
Trust me, Wienerish.
He has other fish to fry.
He is in his story and we're in ours.
-I don't like my story very much.
-That's all right.
You can work on it.
You didn't make me feel any better.
No. I'm not after cheap emotion.
What are you after, Ms. Formanek?
Drink.
This is a CBS News exclusive report.
Dan Rather and Saddam Hussein.
-Shit!
-Shit!
-That was my interview.
-I never said you'd get it.
-No. You gave it to Dan Rather on CBS.
-These decisions are made in a high place.
-I'll jump from a very high place.
-Is it really so important?
-I'll jump from a very high place.
-Is it really so important?
Yeah, it is really that important to me.
It makes me look bad back home.
Plus, if you give it to CNN,
we give it more time, more play.
They'd only give us half an hour.
-Who?
-Your people. CNN.
-I said, an hour.
-But your people said half an hour.
Naji, you trusted some schmuck in Atlanta.
Why didn't you come to me?
Don't dwell on it.
Other subjects:
Your request for a four-wire
telephone system and a flyaway.
Now, for the flyaway, the answer is no.
But for the four-wire...
it looks promising
that permission may be received.
Come on, this could be significant for you.
There's something else.
Bob Vinton.
-You knew him?
-Past tense?
You know him?
Yeah, I put him on TV and now he's missing.
-Having a hard time sleeping.
-When it's your countryman.
-When it's my country, you don't care.
-Please.
You and I are trying
to prevent something here.
You take a guy like Bob Vinton,
that doesn't help anyone's cause.
I just want to know, is he safe?
I want you to look at me and understand me.
I can tell you nothing about this man.
Is he safe?
I can tell you nothing.
I could do something for you.
What are you talking about?
You've heard the outrageous allegations...
of Iraqi soldiers taking babies
from incubators.
Yeah. Are they true?
Maybe I can let you and your crew
go to Kuwait.
No one but the Army is there.
You'd be the first.
For you.
We're going to Kuwait.
Where is she?
Sorry.
-Hang on, we're going to Kuwait?
-Yeah.
-Says who?
-Naji.
-The guided tour?
-With a couple of ground rules.
We can only cover the incubator story,
three hospitals.
So now they're telling us what the story is.
You'd rather have Dan Rather report it?
Plus, we're in Kuwait.
You flip on the camera, it's news.
And Bob Vinton is safe.
How do you know?
Naji sort of nodded his head.
He sort of nodded?
Yeah.
You really trust this guy, don't you?
Jesus!
Don't! It's not worth it.
I can't believe we're staring
at the rape of Kuwait with a camera...
and we're not shooting.
We'll get a story.
We're in Kuwait.
Nobody's in Kuwait. Come on.
We're in hell.
This was the biggest forest
in the history of the world.
Dinosaurs.
Then it all died, rotted, and turned into oil.
Now we're here.
Basically, we're fighting to see
who gets to desecrate the cemetery.
Who gets the oil.
No wonder there's been so much bad blood.
It's always been lousy karma
to be a grave robber.
Maybe I'll meet this obstetrician,
says the Iraqis have been eating babies...
these military types
will riddle him with bullets.
What's he gonna say?
"Good morning, welcome to Kuwait?"
Listen, we're going to
three different hospitals.
I'm sure we'll get the truth.
-Let's do it.
-Okay.
All the incubators are here...
and none of our babies are missing.
But you are aware
of the allegations, Doctor?
I have heard these stories.
-This sucks. He's scared.
-Yeah, this is bad.
I can tell you...
nothing has happened at this hospital...
that I know.
But at other hospitals?
-I cannot tell about other hospitals.
-Finish. We go now.
-What? To the other hospitals?
-No, back to Baghdad.
-That wasn't part of the deal!
-That is story!
Don't push!
You knew this was gonna happen,
didn't you?
Did you have it in the works
from the outset?
How much do you get paid, anyway?
For being reprehensible.
What? Are you threatening us, mister?
He was a spy and we hanged him.
He was a journalist, and you murdered him.
Leave it alone.
-What's that on the radio?
-It's the BBC.
Turn it up.
...by the official Iraqi news agency...
-that a CNN correspondent and crew...
-That's us.
...and determined there is no truth to
recent allegations that Iraqi soldiers...
-Shit!
-Fuck!
We didn't even file the story yet.
You know what just happened?
We just became the story.
-They're here.
-Let's move!
NBC News. Is it true
you've just come from Kuwait?
What's the situation in Kuwait?
Iraqi news media says
you reported no babies were murdered.
-Is that accurate?
-We never reported any such thing.
Anybody who says we did is a liar!
Help me get him out of here!
Excuse me! Just leave him alone!
Hello. Yeah...
Naji, you're goddamn right we had
a problem. What the hell was that?
What do you mean, "clarify"?
It's Atlanta.
No, those were not the ground rules.
-We never agreed to that.
-It's Atlanta.
You say you can only report
the hospital story, and it's bullshit?
That's what I'm saying.
You must've gotten other stuff.
You were in Kuwait!
We saw fucking amazing stuff.
We can talk about it--
We can't talk about it.
We didn't shoot it. We can't report it.
Only the hospital story.
Those weren't the parameters you told us.
The parameters have just been reclarified.
Reclarified?
We can report the story if we choose.
But we lose any chance
of the Saddam interview.
And we could get kicked out.
We'd never have agreed to those conditions.
This is the darkest day
in this network's history.
It was a risk.
It didn't work out, but we're still here,
in for the long haul.
By the way, who the fuck
cut my Saddam interview?
We offered an hour.
We're not handing Saddam Hussein
unlimited access.
CBS gave him an hour.
Are they taking the fucking heat?
-Or are we the networks' whipping boys?
-It's not about--
Hold it!
Other news organizations
would've jumped on this trip...
under the same circumstances...
but in the future, if we see it, we report it.
If the Iraqis have a problem with that,
they can kick us out.
But at least they'll kick us out
with our credibility intact.
Understood?
What are you gonna do with the story?
What do you think I'm gonna do with it?
I'm gonna run it.
This is Tom Johnson.
I've only got one question.
Yes?
Why were we the ones
the Iraqis chose for the Kuwait story?
What the fuck are you looking at?
I trusted you.
-I did what I had to do.
-No, you set me up.
-All governments use the press.
-Bullshit. That's too easy.
That's reality. I use you, you use me.
We're the same.
I'm trying to cut through this bullshit
and have an honest conversation.
-Honest? You want honesty?
-Yeah.
Americans don't care
about the people in Kuwait.
This is about oil, for you.
We care about very different issues.
Dignity, pride.
Much more important to us than oil.
More important than survival
in this mortal realm.
-Okay, so straighten this out, then.
-All right.
An English general carved a piece
from our country after WWI...
and called it "Kuwait."
You people know nothing
of the history of this region.
-So straighten us out.
-What do you mean?
If we're getting it wrong,
put Saddam Hussein on the air.
Let him tell us how we're wrong.
My people don't understand yours,
so put your man on.
CBS did it. Nothing changed.
You've got to keep doing it.
You just can't walk away.
Think about what's at stake here, Naji.
Think about what we're talking about.
People are going to die.
I'll tell you exactly
when they're going to die.
They're going to die when the talking stops.
So we've got to keep talking.
We've got to keep talking till we're old men.
Okay?
Because as soon as the talking stops,
we're dead.
Maybe I'll never understand you.
Maybe we're not supposed to
understand each other.
But as long as we stay talking, we stay alive.
It's worth an interview.
-Watch it!
-Empty pockets.
Reminds me of getting booked.
-How many times have you been arrested?
-In America?
I'm getting stimulated.
I welcome you in Baghdad.
Yes. Can the car wait?
I'm flying out after the interview.
You guys hearing me?
Yeah.
Why don't we do a roll call? Bernie.
-Good flight?
-Good flight.
Hi, can I hook you up?
One. How are the levels on your end, Mark?
Good.
Atlanta's good, too. They're rolling tape.
We're there!
-Hold on a second.
-Here we go.
Robert Wiener, CNN.
Mr. President. Pleasure.
Ingrid Formanek.
And, of course, Bernard Shaw.
Mr. President, my pleasure.
Put a microphone on you.
Nice tie.
Very nice tie.
Okay, we're at 10.
Nine, eight, seven, six...
And five, Bernie...
Four, three, two...
Mr. President, thank you very much
for joining us.
Almost three months have passed
since this crisis began.
To prevent the embargo
from destroying your country...
will you withdraw from Kuwait?
If an embargo could force the Americans
to withdraw from one of their own states...
say Hawaii...
then, maybe, the Iraqis would consider
withdrawing from Kuwait.
So your answer is, "No."
Naturally.
Oh, my God! Look at this.
We're looking in the eyes of a murderer.
He's murdered relatives.
I mean, I've been there, but I didn't act out.
Cheers, everyone. Great job all around.
Mark, you got a souvenir. Come see it.
-Those things fly?
-No, we're just collecting.
-I guess he gave up on barf bags.
-Good.
-We did good.
-It's no good.
Didn't say anything new. We bust our ass
to get a story, it's not news.
Come on. if an interview
with Saddam Hussein isn't news, what is?
War.
What we're confronting is a classic bully.
He thinks he can get away
with kicking sand in the face of the world.
But Saddam is making
the mistake of his life.
We're not here on some exercise.
This is a real-world situation.
And we're not walking away
until our mission is done.
Until the invaders get out of Kuwait.
Theoretically, you have me for another hour.
I already briefed Holliman.
Want me to grill anybody
or head to the airport?
When this story breaks,
you'll really hate yourself for not being here.
Come on. I'm not a regretful person.
If I'm going to die, I'd rather die in Israel.
Nobody dies while I'm in charge.
Where's Bob Vinton?
I don't know. But I know he's all right.
So they tell you. Lest you forget,
they always tell you what you want to hear.
Then they round the Jews up.
They always do that, too.
When in doubt, round up the Jews.
Good-bye, Richard.
-I think you're really smart.
-Good-bye, Judy.
I think I'm really smart, too.
Richard, safe travels, amigo.
Good working with you.
Take care.
-Safe journey.
-God be with you guys.
I mean that. I'll call you from Jerusalem.
You're a brave man.
Don't ever forget that, Dick.
-Don't call me "Dick."
-All right, Dick.
What's happening over there?
Fatima. Will you come over here?
Can you see what's happening over there?
Okay, say this.
-Pretty good.
-What did I say?
"Don't shoot. I'm a journalist."
The hostages have been released.
I heard it on the radio.
-All the foreigners can go. I can go.
-Okay, wait.
Go to the Al-Rasheed,
tell John Holliman to meet us at the airport.
Airport.
-Saddam Hussein is now...
-...amazing scenes here in Baghdad.
-... freeing all the hostages...
-... CBS News, at 10..00.
These are freed hostages.
You ready to work, John?
-I think so.
-Better get started, Mr. Holliman.
You're our man in Baghdad now.
-John Holliman. CNN.
-We're rolling.
-May I ask you your name, sir?
-Raymond Page, St. Louis.
By all measures, Mr. Page,
you must be a happy man today.
May I ask what you were doing
when you found out you could go home?
I was shaving. See, I actually cut myself.
Where were you being held hostage?
Are you aware of how many people
were there?
Bob Vinton?
Do I know you?
Robert Wiener, CNN.
I did an interview with you.
-Interview! Yeah, hi.
-It's all right.
You're all right?
Yeah. They just moved us
to this office building. It wasn't that bad.
-You know, I'm really glad you're all right.
-Thanks.
-Because I hadn't heard--
-Excuse me. I got to catch a plane.
-Take it easy, okay?
-You, too.
-He's doing pretty good.
-He's all right.
-Who?
-Bob Vinton.
-How do you know?
-I just saw him.
-You're kidding? Should I get the crew?
-No. Forget that.
I mean...
he's all right.
-You okay?
-Yeah.
I was just standing there, you know...
-Ready to go back to work?
-Yeah.
-Does this mean Saddam is backing down?
-I don't think so.
What I'm hearing is,
he's got 500,000 troops in Kuwait.
Looks like we're going in.
Could be a matter of weeks.
We're still there, Tom.
Robert's inside, we're in position.
Today, President Bush reiterated
Security Council Resolution 678...
stipulating that Iraq leave Kuwait
by January 15.
Better get Arnett ready.
This further authorizes
all necessary means against Iraq...
if it fails to comply.
We're dealing with Hitler revisited.
If you've done what he's done, I don't see
that there's room for concession...
there's no room for giving something
to save face.
That's not the way
you treat with aggression.
We shall not accept...
to be treated, as a nation, as underdogs.
We are a proud nation...
and we would like to be treated
in a dignified and just manner.
That's scary.
You know, they're talking
through us now, both sides.
-They're talking through CNN.
-Yeah, they're talking, but not listening.
-What the fuck are we doing here?
-It's called our job.
Really? Grab a sound bite.
We've got a little sound bite of Saddam,
a little sound bite of Bush.
-That's not enough.
-What happened to trusting the audience?
We got to give them the tools to understand
the story. We've got a role to play here.
We don't solve the world's problems.
We report them.
Really? Is that what it's come down to?
Just keep those cameras rolling,
wait for bombs to drop. Nice fucking job.
What ain't we got?
We ain't got laid!
They're going to close all the air space.
No flights in or out.
They're mining the roads to Basra.
-The bathtub.
-The bathtub is cast iron.
The safest place to be
if a bomb hits the building.
I'm too young for this shit.
-What shit?
-Dying.
Come on, enjoy the party.
Mark, listen to me,
you should get out of here.
Why me?
Because, clearly, you've not had a life,
and it would be really tragic for you to die.
-At least I, you know...
-You think you've done things I haven't?
Yes.
Like what?
Let's dance.
Tell me the truth, now.
You and I have gotten drunk together
in 10 countries.
-Yeah?
-We've covered a million stories.
Eaten up by loneliness,
throw your inhibitions out of the window.
And you know I think you're great looking.
So, you know...
I've gotten drunk, passed out, had dreams...
I think they were dreams.
Like, really realistic.
Are you making a pass?
No, I'm asking you a question.
-Did we ever...
-No.
-Never?
-No.
Because they really seem... You're sure?
-Almost?
-Almost, yeah. Two or three times.
Everybody thinks we did do it.
Fuck 'em.
Fuck 'em.
I've got a wife and kids.
-Wienerish...
-Yeah?
There's a lot of kinds of love, ain't there?
Yeah.
All right, there are a lot of kinds.
I have a surprise for you.
Voil!
You requested four-wire,
and Mr. Naji arranged it for you.
Thank Mr. Naji, as will I. Thank you.
Fuck me with a hot poker.
Mr. Naji says:
"My government says
you are fair and balanced."
-I go now. Enjoy.
-Thanks.
-Enjoy.
-Thank you.
Saddam Hussein thinks us
fair and balanced.
That's one for the resum.
What does it do?
It's a dedicated phone line.
There's no switchboard, no operators.
Runs straight under the desert to Amman.
From there...
-Which means, ladies and gentlemen...
-We just went live.
-Crank that baby up.
-Turn on the radio.
Baghdad to Atlanta.
Baghdad to Atlanta.
That's anticlimactic.
We're being bombed.
There's bombs falling every...
People are screaming.
There's limbs flying in the window.
The four-wire's up.
Baghdad, is that you?
Here we go.
Baghdad, what did you say?
You guys will have to monitor this thing
more closely.
-Will do.
-I'm gonna get Ed.
Let's go with "crisis."
Make that "Persian Gulf."
Middle America might think
we're bombing Mexico.
Wiener got the four-wire up.
We've got a direct link to Baghdad.
Good.
If it comes to war, we can still report.
The bombers will go after
the telecommunications first.
The four-wire isn't routed through the grid.
It's a cable going under the desert. It's safe.
The Iraqis agreed to that?
They think we're talking to Amman.
I don't think they thought it through.
Nobody else has them?
-We're the only ones.
-Baghdad's online.
Can you hear me?
We can, Ed. What do you think?
If the shit hits the fan,
we'll have a distinct advantage.
You'll have to have somebody there
listening in.
We'll have somebody.
Just want to say congratulations.
Thank you.
You deceived us.
-What do you mean?
-The four-wire.
It allows you to speak directly to Atlanta.
How did you find out?
We are the Ministry of Information.
Are you going to take it back?
No, we trust you...
to use it responsibly.
Does that make you uneasy?
No.
We keep them talking, there's still hope.
Isn't that what you said?
God willing.
Regrettably, in over six hours,
I heard nothing that suggested to me...
any Iraqi flexibility whatsoever.
We pass the brink
at midnight on January 15.
How do you rate a direct line,
that's what I'd like to know.
Answer's obvious.
The Iraqis know Wiener's in their pocket.
That is totally uncalled for.
Is there some kiss-ass room at the Ministry?
You've no idea what's going on.
Really.
Good.
No, I'll make the call.
Great. Okay.
What?
-Great.
-What?
What?
And we're off the air.
Bernie?
You gentlemen look rather agitated.
The Iraqis are dangling an interview
with Saddam Hussein...
in Baghdad, at the deadline, January 15.
Could be very dangerous.
But if Saddam is going to back down,
it's gonna be during that interview.
It's up to you, Bernie. It's your call.
Make it so.
Maybe he's already checked in.
There he is. Peter! Arnett!
-Ingrid, you gorgeous creature!
-You fucking liar!
Robert. This is fantastic, incredible.
Meet Nick Robertson.
My technical ace in the hole.
This is it, opening night.
I can't get over this setup.
First-rate hotel...
-great lounge, decent food...
-What'd I tell you?
-...terrific views of the city.
-While there is still a city.
What more could you want
of an enemy capital?
This is much better than anything
in Vietnam.
I loved Vietnam.
I cried when that damn war ended.
I got you a case of Tanqueray
from the BBC guys.
You make me feel at home, Ingrid.
There's a bomb shelter in the basement.
Bomb shelter?
Fat lot of good.
A 2,000-pound bomb with a laser guiding
system would cut this place in two.
They won't bomb the Al-Rasheed.
Right, they won't bomb the Al-Rasheed,
not on purpose, anyway.
It's bad PR to kill reporters and hostages
and the like.
You still think you're indestructible,
don't you?
Thirty years as a combat journalist,
never a mark on me.
That could change on January 15.
It's amazing it can still come to this.
High Noon.
With George Bush as Gary Cooper.
They are getting ready. War.
What must be done will be done,
not for you or for me.
For the greater glory of Allah.
It is all written in a book somewhere, yes?
Who will live, who will die...
who will awake in Paradise.
Do you believe in Paradise?
No.
We do.
What's that phrase again, Mr. Robert?
The final seconds of the countdown
to possible war...
ticked off on the Baghdad
railway station clock this morning in Iraq.
That deadline has now expired.
The mood here is somber.
Iraqis are preparing as best they can
to defend their property.
The famous downtown Baghdad market
is virtually shut down.
Stores are locked up and shuttered...
as shop owners
wait fruitlessly for business.
Some commodities are in demand.
Candles and protective tape for windows...
because of fears of US air strikes
on the capital.
Peter Arnett, CNN, Baghdad.
He says, "I wanna shake your hand."
I said, "Why? Jeez!" He says:
"Most guys leave her
hanging out in vineyards."
The kids have got the sniffles.
We just got the call from Washington.
-Who's got the sniffles?
-The kids.
-Come on, I'm out of here.
-Guys, go!
The deadline has now expired.
-Naji's working on it.
-They're cutting it close.
January 15 is just another day
on the calendar, that's what he said.
We'll get this interview.
Guys, something's up. Everybody's saying
we've gotta get out of here.
-Something about the "sniffles."
-Sniffles?
-Sniffles? Bingo, they're coming.
-This is it.
ABC and CBS are pulling out.
BBC and ITN haven't decided.
Most of the print guys left last night,
NBC's on the fence.
If the phones go out in Baghdad,
we've still got the four-wire.
We could be the only ones able to report.
I lost two reporters at The Times.
I can't go through that again.
Excuse me, Tom,
it's the White House on Line 2.
It's the President.
Send the bill to New York!
I'll pay it then! I gotta get to the airport.
Send the bill to New York.
All right, we have a 727 with 126 places.
I strongly suggest
you take advantage of the opportunity.
This will be the final evacuation.
I know this isn't a press conference--
I'm going to say this one last time.
We are pulling out.
Exit visas and other documentation
are your responsibility.
Use your heads. Stay in Baghdad,
you may find yourself dead.
Look, it's a terrific opportunity, Robert.
But no story is worth risking your life.
No story is worth risking your life.
But...
this is a story of a lifetime.
I'm not telling you what to do.
I don't know what you should do.
What would you do, Ed?
Shit, Robert, what do you want me to say?
I just spoke with President Bush
about taking you out of there.
What about Ted Turner?
He's said we're an international news
service and we'll continue to broadcast.
Ed, can you pick up the phone?
What do you think?
I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna ride it out.
It's my walk on the moon.
I've seen this panic before.
Saigon, same thing.
White House spooked everyone.
Reporters got in helicopters and left.
You know what I'm talking about.
If we're here,
the White House can't control the story.
It goes to the world live.
But I say we stay and report and prevail.
Okay, two things.
First of all, remember where we are.
We're within walking distance
of the Iraqi parliament...
Presidential Palace, Ministry of Defense,
telecommunication centers.
All of these are prime targets, every one.
So what are we going to do?
Okay, second:
The folks at CNN say the decision
to stay or leave is ours.
It's up to us. Each of us.
-Great, so we're free to stay.
-Or go.
I'm staying, that's that.
Any journalist worth his salt...
I'm in no matter who's out. I'll be outside.
Chartered plane will go out in the morning
with Bernie.
He's the Washington anchor.
They want him in his chair
Monday morning, and that's where he'll be.
It's pretty clear there won't be an interview.
As for the rest of us...
it's your call.
So?
I'll stay. I just got here.
I don't know.
If you really don't need me, I would like to...
I got people at home.
I got people at home.
So you'll leave in the morning with Bernie?
-Yeah.
-Good.
-I'll stay.
-What?
-I'm staying.
-No.
Then I'm staying.
-Why?
-I thought we had to make a decision.
-Why?
-I thought we had to make a decision.
You've done nothing but complain
since we got here.
I was venting. I'll stay.
I don't want to miss the fireworks.
Nick's here, he can do your job.
-Thanks for the ego boost.
-No, you've been great.
I'm just saying we can afford to...
barely, get along without you.
All right.
So you're leaving.
Yeah.
Good.
John?
-I'll do what you do.
-I'm staying.
Can I make an observation?
You have nothing to say.
We need to have a private conversation.
Can the rest of you leave?
I need to speak with Ingrid.
-How'd it go?
-We're leaving.
We're staying,
we don't know about Ingrid yet.
Look at them run.
Hurry!
-What's this about?
-You know what it's about.
You were gonna stay.
No, actually, I was gonna go.
You were?
I'm not the suicidal type.
I suggest you go, too.
Nothing you can do to stop this...
especially dying.
I can't go.
Saigon?
Damn it, that was a different war
in a different time.
I'm not gonna walk away from a great story.
Not again.
Egomaniac.
This is not just about you.
You have a wife and kids.
I have nothing. You go and I'll stay.
That's not gonna work.
Then we'll both stay.
Listen...
How many times have you caught me
before I hit the ground?
You've done nothing but protect me
since I met you.
This is different.
I want you to stay.
But I'm asking you to go.
So?
I'm taking that flight out of here.
-I like shitholes, not deathtraps.
-You sure?
Peter, look at me. I'm no hero.
See you after the war.
Shit.
-Are you all right?
-Yeah, I'm thrilled. You're stuck with me.
This is it!
-The four-wire!
-I have it here.
-Are we still on?
-It's up.
-Tell them it's going down.
-We're not. Atlanta, come to us.
-The phones are dead. That was fast.
-There is something happening outside.
Jesus Christ!
I need a camera at the window. Come on.
Something is happening.
-Bernie's on the line.
-Get a map! Get a picture of Bernie up there.
Tell Prince we're going live to Baghdad.
Bernie's on the four-wire.
Says something's happening.
-I need the second and third line.
-...Bernard Shaw in Baghdad.
Hello, Atlanta.
There is something happening outside.
Peter Arnett is here.
Peter, come join us...
so we can describe to the viewers
what we're seeing outside the window.
The skies over Baghdad
have been illuminated.
Give me the sticks over here.
-There are bright flashes all over the sky.
-Are we on?
-Let me get that other mike.
-There's anti-aircraft fire going up.
Starbursts in the black sky.
A tremendous lightning-like effect
in the sky.
Now the sirens are sounding
for the first time.
Robert, we need to get the crew
down to the shelter.
The noise is deafening.
All of you, go down to the shelter.
-Go with Ingrid.
-What are you doing?
-I'm staying.
-Then I'm staying, too.
There's something like 200 guns firing
from the rooftops around us here...
Now we can see explosions in the distance.
Huge flashes of light.
-It sounds as if the explosions, the attacks...
-Robert, what are we gonna do?
...are at the Saddam International Airport
and several parts of the city.
Fuck! Everybody non-essential get down
to that bomb shelter, myself included.
-Right now!
-Come, Nick.
-Do it!
-Judy.
-I'll be back.
-Don't worry. The war will still be here.
This is extraordinary.
The bombs are falling,
and the lights are still on.
-The camera's set to automatic and rolling.
-The lights all over south Baghdad...
are still on.
Peter, we have John Holliman here.
-John, what can you see?
-Good evening, or rather good morning.
This is John Holliman...
The four wire's dead.
We've lost the line.
-What happened?
-It's dead.
All right, back to David Prince. On David.
We've lost that for now.
Back to the Pentagon...
-Quick, get the batteries.
-I think it's on the desk.
-I can't see.
-Where is it?
-John, it's over the desk.
-I got it.
You've got to plug it on the left-hand side.
Can you see it?
We're back up.
-Hallelujah.
-Baghdad's back up.
We're going back to Baghdad.
Right now. Go.
This is John Holliman
reporting from Baghdad...
Holy cow! That was a huge airburst
just filling the sky.
That was the biggest blast of air so far.
I'm moving away from the window now.
If you're still with us,
you can hear the bombs now.
They're hitting the center of the city.
-What's that noise?
-Is it from the line or the bomb?
I don't know. I'm checking.
Sounds like the hotel's under attack.
Check on the crew.
-Are you all right? Everybody here?
-Yeah, I think so.
Watch out.
Head down and go right to the shelter.
Let these people in.
Just let these people in, please.
Come on, let's go.
-I've got to go.
-No, man.
I've got to go upstairs.
-...might be more than 48 hours.
-Let me just stop you there...
because I know that the telecommunications
tower in Baghdad has been hit.
We do know
that was one of the primary targets...
-Couldn't get a flight.
-... of the allied forces.
We have a report now
from the American Cable News Network.
Their reporters, John Holliman
and Peter Arnett, are in Baghdad.
The last explosion
was in the western part of the city...
near the Defense Ministry.
-Bernie.
-If this is surgical bombing...
I don't like being this close
to the operating table.
-Good one, Bernie.
-Tremendous noise...
-You killed us, Wiener.
-...as rounds of gunfire go up in the sky...
-from batteries all over...
-You own this war.
We have the sense
that people are shooting towards the sky...
that they're not aware, or cannot see,
what they are shooting at.
Bet you wish you were up there.
No.
This is not about me.
-Are you all right, mate?
-Yeah.
We are seeing outside
the government building downtown...
that at this moment there are plumes...
- and a dark black smoke rising--
-Soldiers!
-Hide!
-John, get behind the desk.
-We lost Baghdad.
-Go to Roth in Tel Aviv.
We've been advised to wear these masks...
however, there seems to be
little danger of gas at this time.
This is Richard Roth...
I'm sorry to inform you
that we've lost contact...
-with the CNN reporters at the Al-Rasheed.
-Fuck!
Wait!
Good evening, gentlemen.
Yes, that's all well and good,
but I do not speak Arabic.
-You go to shelter now.
-Shelter?
No shelter.
Shelters frighten me. It's better up here.
Can you feel it?
-It's safe.
-It's good up high.
I feel safe here. Don't you feel it?
We can all go up on the roof, gentlemen.
No? Well then, I'll light a candle for peace.
That was one for the Academy.
-Thought you were insane.
-I must be. What am I doing here?
-You guys all right? We were worried.
-We're fine. How's everything?
Good. They're in the shelter...
-Are you all right?
-Yeah.
-Are we still on?
-Four-wire.
It's up.
We're back on the air now.
-We're back.
-The last explosion...
-was in the western part of the city...
-Ed, Tom, come look at this.
...near the Defense Ministry.
The fact that...
throughout the night, CNN was
the only news operation in the country...
-which could hang on to...
-The only telecommunications out of there...
continue to belong to CNN...
...what we have now
is a report by CNN from Baghdad...
...Bernard Shaw representing
the very enterprising CNN...
...live to Cable News Network...
...the best reporting I've seen on
what transpired in Baghdad was on CNN...
CNN used to be called
"the little network that could."
It's no longer a little network.
I'm gonna stick this microphone
outside the window now...
so you can hear some of these explosions...
and the anti-aircraft fire that goes with them.
Now there's a very bright flash
near a refinery building.
There's much activity on the ground...
...of black smoke are rising from the city
from government buildings...
...8 to 10 white sharp explosions...
obviously aimed at destroying
that particular refinery, one of several...
obviously aimed at destroying
that particular refinery, one of several...
That was the explosion
close to the Presidential Palace...
here in downtown Baghdad.
It seems as though the waves of bombing
are coming every 15 minutes now...
It's obvious that the people
who are doing the attack here...
It's 5:00 a.m. here in Baghdad.
I honestly don't know what time it is
back in the States, where you are...
but I imagine around this time
I would probably be on my desk...
eating a turkey sandwich on whole wheat.
Maybe 12-grain bread.
And...
And we can't assess the damage officially.
There's no word from Iraqi officials...
but from our vantage point
on the 9th floor of the Al-Rasheed...
the devastation seems formidable.
What were buildings now are shells...
like boxes
crushed by someone's giant hands.
Smoke rising everywhere,
the streets are full of debris...
and devoid of a living soul.
None of us here, I am sure,
will ever forget this night...
or what happened here.
This is Peter Arnett with Bernard Shaw...
John Holliman, producers Robert Wiener
and Ingrid Formanek...
and our crew of Judy Parker,
Nick Robertson, and Mark Biello...
returning you to the relative tranquility
of the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are off the air.
What the hell was I talking about?
Turkey sandwich?
You were making me hungry!
Don't worry, Bernie.
It was real, it was stunning, it was great.
Folks...
it's Ed here.
I think I can speak for all of us when...
When I say...
it was simply incredible...
and you can rest assured
that you are the envy...
of every journalist around the world.
Congratulations.
I mean, there really aren't words to...
I'll see you soon. Get some rest.
Great job, Robert.
Set up a rotation.
Everybody's going to need sleep.
Jesus.
Listen, everybody...
I mean, it's great work.
Thank you.
Shit!
Move away from the equipment, now.
I'm sorry, but I have orders.
Stop your reporting immediately.
You can record your stories
but we must review them.
Naji, that's not going to work.
We're into it now, man.
Robert, these are my orders.
Baghdad, this is Atlanta.
-Hands up!
-Get back!
Can I just...
Baghdad, this is Atlanta. Come in.
This is John Holliman
reporting from Baghdad.
Our executive producer, Robert Wiener,
has an Iraqi official here.
Robert, can you tell us
what's happening here?
We've been ordered by the Iraqi government
to cease transmitting.
We've been informed
that any future reports are subject to--
Stop that!
Under the new regulations we cannot report
that the latest attack is continuing...
and that black clouds of smoke
can be seen...
in the direction
of Saddam International Airport.
The Ministry of Information
has informed us...
that we can't report this
without their approval.
This is Robert Wiener, CNN,
reporting live from Baghdad.
-That is enough!
-Okay, it's off.
See? It's off.
Do not let the drivers stop.
The air force knows you're crossing.
But it's war, people forget.
-If you have to pee, pee in a bottle.
-My aim's not good.
The cars have to stay in order.
It's white car, blue car, red car.
-Blue car, red car, white car.
-What did I just say?
I'll be all right.
Thirty hours, I'll be home.
I'll be kicking back with a glass of Stoli.
Watching all this on television.
Thank you.
Don't stay too long.
Your family?
They're safe, thank you.
So you're leaving?
Yeah. It's time for me to go.
-And we have become friends.
-Yeah.
You kept your word. You've been fair.
I can't ask for more than that from a friend.
And you got your story.
I know.
-Not the one I wanted.
-Isn't it?
I will see you when this war is over.