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The Gulf War seems to have ended nearly as soon as it began. After weeks of relentlessly pummeling Iraqi positions from the air, ground troops moved in, the Iraqi military folded, and Allied soldiers were soon on their way home to heroes' welcomes.
Secrets of War looks at the technology and tactics that went into the overwhelming victory. The "Steel Rain" segment looks at the top- secret surveillance aircraft and electronic measures that went into neutralizing Iraq's air defenses and made the skies safe for the hundreds of air strikes carried out by the Allies. "Secrets in the Sand" documents the efforts of Special Forces behind enemy lines, the German spy who worked for the Iraqis, and the role of the U-2 spy plane in helping to locate and destroy Iraq's mobile missile launchers. The armored campaign of the ground war was spectacularly successful, with Allied tanks demolishing Iraq's Soviet-era armor at will. Disturbingly, much of that success was due to "depleted uranium" rounds, shells that were constructed using nuclear waste, with health consequences that remain to be seen. Another negative consequence of the war is discussed in the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power, to cause trouble for many years to come. Narrated by Charlton Heston's stentorian tones, this is of interest to military buffs, but is rather dry viewing for anyone else.
--Jerry Renshaw
Product Description
"Steel Rain" - They were the best-kept secret in the air campaign in the Gulf War--the controversial strategic plan to wipe out Iraqi targets, the classified missions of airborne spy planes and the clever deception that used harmless decoys to overwhelm Baghdad's air defense network. "Secrets in the Sand" - The real stories of secret operations behind enemy lines in the Gulf War. The German undercover agent who worked for Iraq, the secret role of the U-2 spy plane and the hunt for mobile scud missile launchers. Narrated by Charlton Heston
