Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Decision | 20230313 | 20230710 (R4) 20260309 (R4) 20260310 (R4) |  Why did the US want regime change in Iraq? Was it really about the threat of terrorists getting hold of weapons of mass destruction after the September 11th 2001 attacks, or was the desire much deeper? And what was the British government's reaction? Why did the US and UK really go to war in Iraq? And what is the legacy? This series was first broadcast in March 2023, to mark the 20th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Why did the US and UK really go to war in Iraq? And what is the legacy? The BBC's security analyst Gordon Corera speaks to those at the heart of the decision-making. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 02 | The Commitment | 20230314 | 20230717 (R4) 20260310 (R4) 20260311 (R4) | The US was set on war with Iraq. But why did Tony Blair commit Britain to joining it? Twenty years on, how does the former Prime Minister reflect on his decision? Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 03 | The Spies | 20230315 | 20230724 (R4) 20260311 (R4) 20260312 (R4) | The case for war would be made based on the idea of a threat from Weapons of Mass destruction. And spies would be used to help sell it. It would leave some on the inside of British intelligence feeling deeply uncomfortable. How spies sold the idea of threat from weapons of mass destruction. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 04 | The Inspectors | 20230316 | 20230731 (R4) 20260312 (R4) 20260313 (R4) | While politicians were making bold claims about weapons of mass destruction, inside Iraq UN inspectors were hunting for them and finding nothing. Why did this not stop the march to war? UN inspectors hunt for weapons of mass destruction and find\u2026 nothing. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. UN inspectors hunt for weapons of mass destruction and find - nothing. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 05 | No Way Out | 20230317 | 20230807 (R4) 20260313 (R4) 20260314 (R4) | As the clock ticks down Tony Blair's options begin to run out. Diplomacy fails and the limits of British influence are revealed. So was war really the only option? Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 06 | The Day After | 20230320 | 20230814 (R4) 20260316 (R4) 20260317 (R4) | Saddam's regime in Iraq was removed quickly. But what came after proved disastrous as the country was plunged into chaos and violence. Was it always inevitable? As Saddam's regime is removed, Iraq plunges into chaos. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 07 | Terror | 20230321 | 20230821 (R4) 20260317 (R4) 20260318 (R4) | The invasion of Iraq was supposed to be about dealing with security threats but the chaos would turbo-charge extremism both within Iraq and in the UK. How far did Iraq make the threats worse and were warnings ignored? Did the invasion turbo-charge extremism in Iraq and the UK? Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 08 | The Retreat | 20230322 | 20230828 (R4) 20260318 (R4) 20260319 (R4) | The failures in post-war Iraq would have wider consequences for the Western desire to intervene in crises. As first Libya and then Syria slip into violence, how far did Iraq lead to a retreat and were the right lessons learned? The failures in post-war Iraq have far reaching and unexpected consequences. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 09 | Broken Trust | 20230323 | 20230904 (R4) 20260319 (R4) 20260320 (R4) | The widespread view among the British public that they had been misled about the reasons for war would leave deep scars. What is the legacy of the Iraq war on trust in public life and politics, and what has been the toll on individuals and societies? As public trust disappears, deep scars begin to take their toll. Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy |
| 10 LAST | 10. Legacy | 20230324 | 20260320 (R4) 20260321 (R4) | Have new generations of Iraqis got the freedom they were promised? What is the legacy within Iraq today particularly for a new generation seeking democracy? And the BBC's Security Analyst Gordon Corera asks how those directly involved in events reflect on the legacy of war twenty years on? Presenter: Gordon Corera Series Producer: John Murphy Producers: Ellie House, Claire Bowes Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore, Naked Productions Production coordinators: Janet Staples, Brenda Brown Series Editor: Penny Murphy Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. |
| 10 LAST | Legacy | 20230324 | 20230911 (R4) 20260320 (R4) 20260321 (R4) | Have new generations of Iraqis got the freedom they were promised? What is the legacy within Iraq today particularly for a new generation seeking democracy? And how do those directly involved in events reflect on the legacy of war twenty years on? Have new generations of Iraqis got the freedom they were promised? What is the legacy within Iraq today particularly for a new generation seeking democracy? And the BBC's Security Analyst Gordon Corera asks how those directly involved in events reflect on the legacy of war twenty years on? Essential listening...' Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. |