Title:OPERATION CITADEL, IRAQ, 21 JULY 2005 (ORIGINAL) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:BFV 215
Other titles:BRITISH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ, 2005 [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: Scenes from Operation Citadel, a small scale search and arrest operation on a target house in Basra. It takes place at night, and is largely shot using an image intensifier.
Description: Grainy views of Land Rovers and other vehicles being prepared at base prior to the operation. Soldier puts on his helmet and adjusts his night vision eyepiece. Personal weapons are prepared at unloading point. Soldiers assemble prior to departure; with them is an explosives dog. Open air briefing prior to departure. Section commander describes preparation and the setting up an area where the force can muster their vehicles before regrouping and entering the target building. Soldiers get into their vehicles and prepare for departure; they set off (view from top cover) and inside Snatch Land Rover. (Screen goes blank for a couple of minutes, although sound can still be heard.) At the suspect house: soldiers and camera enter. Camera view switches to full colour as the soldiers search the house, the interior of which is spacious, well-furnished and in good decorative order. Paperwork is discussed with interpreter. Occupant, a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the floor, is questioned with the aid of an interpreter. Paperwork is filled in. The search uncovers large quantities of US dollars, Kuwaiti dinar and Iraqi dinar; this is inventoried. Exterior of the house (image intensifier: soldiers and vehicles (Saxon. Land Rovers) in the street outside. Car is searched. Arrestee (not the man seen earlier) is led from the house, his hands tied, and placed in the back of a Snatch Land Rover. Two other men are brought out, but their hands are not bound. Saxon vehicle parked outside the house. Convoy drives away. Final shot shows British driver asleep behind the wheel of a (stationary!) Land Rover.
Alternative Title:BRITISH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ, 2005 [Allocated Series Title]
Colour:Colour
Digitised:
Object_Number:BFV 215
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Featured Period:
Production Date:2005-07-21
Production Country: GB
Production Details: Defence Media Operations Centre, RAF Uxbridge (Royal Navy Combat Camera Team) (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: Basra, Iraq (geography)
Operation Telic, Iraq War 2003-2009 (event)
British Army post-2000 (theme)
Iraq post-2003 (theme)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: None
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: DVCam
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Tape length: 40; Running time: 34 mins