Watch this: "Beneath Iraq and a Hard Place"

This is the third in a series of hour-long specials by satirist and impressionist (he plays Blair, Bush, Cheney & Saddam) Rory Bremner which aired last week. The previous two, whilst filled with facts, were more sketch and joke based and featured John Bird and John Fortune ("The Long Johns").

From the More4 website:

"In 2003 the BBF team delivered two shows that book-ended the Iraq War; Between Iraq & A Hard Place and Beyond Iraq & A Hard Place . Together they drew wide acclaim and showed that the story of Middle East politics could be entertaining and revealing in equal measures. With a new constitution and talk of western withdrawal the story has moved on. Blair has drawn his line in the sand. Meantime George Bush has floods and global warming and a failing economy to keep him occupied. The reality though, despite the politicians talking things up, is a country in which violence and insurrection is everyday and prospects bleak. So what has happened in the two years since the troops arrived and Rageh Omah became the world's most unlikely pin up? In one hour of sketches, monologue, animation and reworked archive Rory bring us up to date and tells the tale of life between Iraq and a hard place. The contracts, the scandals, the oil, the mistakes, the corruption, the history that has simply repeated itself yet again. And yet there is hope. With more and more Iraqis signing up and army recruitment reaching the same levels as under Saddam a solution can be glimpsed. If only Iraq were to become a military power then surely things will be fine. Okay it didn't quite work out as everyone hoped under the last guy, but we're not likely to make the same mistake again. Are we? Completing the trilogy, this is a compelling and well researched account of the folly of power."

Click below for links to stream or download the programme (if you don't like Realplayer, check out "Real Alternative"):

http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/01/1794821.php

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For the two previous programmes, check out:

Between Iraq and a Hard Place (5 Jan 2003):
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/05/1681646.php

Beyond Iraq and a Hard Place (11th May 2003):
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1715574.php