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  That's right, Saddam Hussein, also known as "Uncle Saddam" and "The Great Hammurabbi" and "The Mind of the Revolution." President Saddam and his secret police are uninvited guests in the lives of all Iraqis, even at the spirited, joyful wedding we were privileged to record for U.S. public television. Viewers get a feel for life and love under the embargo -- and under renewed threats of war. Our cameras follow a young couple in the city called "the smiling face of Iraq" as they cope with their own totalitarian government and the world community that stands against it. United Nations disarmament specialists tell us why they've drawn a sharp distinction between the Iraqi people and officials of the Iraqi regime, and why UNSCOM's mandate remains unfulfilled. And civilians inside and outside Iraq explain the realities of life under a government which Amnesty International charges has "sanctioned mass killings and torture as a matter of policy and violated its obligations under international law." Diplomatic threats -- and cruise missiles -- could be flying again soon, but have Western powers done anything to improve their aim ? Or will Saddam Hussein continue to tighten his grip on the people of Iraq ? A WEDDING IN BASRA is a co-production of Fast Forward Films Limited and the LARK group of public television stations: Detroit Public Television, KERA Dallas, KUHT Houston, KETC St. Louis and KCTS Seattle. |