Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq (Hardcover)

by Dahr Jamail (Author), Amy Goodman (Foreword)
Key Phrases: likes the occupiers, car bomb detonated, United States, Saddam Hussein, Sadr City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Readers unsatisfied with mainstream coverage of the Iraq War will want to grab this, an up-close look at daily life in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. One of the few unaffiliated journalists in Iraq, journalist Jamail went to see the conditions for himself, and the compelling, heartbreaking stories he sent back over his eight month stay were carried in publications world-wide: from family houses destroyed with their inhabitants to mosques full of people held under siege to the ill-equipped medical facilities and security forces meant to deal with them. Emphatically populist and unapologetically dubious of the U.S. government's party line, Jamail sees "resistance" where "obedient" mainstream reporters see "insurgents," "the occupation" where others see "the war." Jamail is a courageous writer who relates fears and bouts of panic alongside jaunts to Fallujah and other hotbeds unapproached by the press at large. Though the writing can be clunky, and the stories hard to distinguish-without any characters to follow (besides Jamail) one is left with the picture of a terrible forest, but few of the trees-this fascinating, eye-opening document of Iraq's day-to-day has a unique perspective and moments of incredible impact.
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Product Description

"Dahr Jamail does us a great service, by taking us past the lies of our political leaders, past the cowardice of the mainstream press, into the streets, the homes, the lives of Iraqis living under US occupation. If what he has seen could be conveyed to all Americans, this ugly war in Iraq would quickly come to an end. A superb journalist."-Howard Zinn

We walk slowly under the scorching sun along dusty rows of humble headstones. She continues reading them aloud to me, "Old man wearing jacket with dishdasha, near industrial center. He has a key in his hand." Many of the bodies were buried before they could be identified. Tears welling up in my eyes she quietly reads, "Man wearing red track suit." She points to another row, "Three women killed in car leaving city by American missile."

As the occupation of Iraq unravels, the demand for independent reporting is growing. Since 2003, unembedded journalist Dahr Jamail has filed indispensable reports from Iraq that have made him this generation's chronicler of the unfolding disaster there. In these collected dispatches, Jamail presents never-before-published details of the siege of Fallujah and examines the origins of the Iraqi insurgency.

Dahr Jamail makes frequent visits to Iraq and has published his accounts in newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has regularly appeared on Democracy Now!, as well as the BBC, Pacifica Radio, and numerous other networks.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Haymarket Books (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931859477
• ISBN-13: 978-1931859479
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #480,314 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate Journalism, October 6, 2007

By	Mr. Bloom (New York) - See all my reviews

Dahr Jamail is one of the only unembedded journalists covering the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and this is his published report. 'Beyond the Green Zone' is a harrowing account of a brutal occupation which refuses to be covered and discussed honestly in the corporate media. Jamail has uncovered a record of war crimes and crimes against humanity that is difficult to stomach; he has finally brought us the much needed perspective of the Iraqis themselves as they struggle to live in a torn country under military occupation.

This book is a compelling documentation of war. Jamail has uncovered horrendous atrocities in Fallujah and elsewhere, and he has debunked the view that the military objectives include the submission of the warring factions and the implementation of a democratic government. On the contrary, Jamail has revealed that the U.S. has often delayed elections and decision-making processes in an attempt to escalate the sectarianism and increase their military presence in the region. He has exposed the intentions of the U.S. as well as its puppet government in Iraq with regard to its attempt to control the oil resources of the region. Jamail writes: "On February 26, 2007, Iraq's cabinet approved a draft of an oil law that would set guidelines for nationwide distribution of oil revenues and foreign investment in Iraq's giant oil industry. The law would grant regional oil companies the power to sign contracts with foreign companies for exploration and development of oil fields, and open the door for investment by foreign oil companies" (287). Jamail has unearthed the practices of an imperial project in a compelling and first-hand account. Beyond the Green Zone is indispensable literature for anyone who wants to understand what is actually happening on the ground in Iraq.

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Journalist with total integrity, October 19, 2007

By	Tom Markus "rural" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

Absolutely fascinating book and 100% accurate. I first heard Dahr Jamail in a documentary called "The Bases Are Loaded" about the American military mega-base/city/colonies in Iraq. Well he is one of the few to speak accurately about this subject. I spent 2.5 years as a civilian truck driver in Iraq and can attest to the HUGE GINORMOUS permanent bases (indoor swimming pools, outdoor pools, multi-story gyms, massage parlor, PX (as large as Walmart), 24hr AC barracks, big screen tvs, boxing rings, etc). We have set the stage to run Iraq and control our little puppets for centuries (not decades) to come. It is truly shameful and embarrassing. Thankfully there are still some credible journalists left willing to expose the truth.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for America, October 27, 2007

By	Tony Stacy (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Last Monday I saw Mr. Jamail speak in Philadelphia. Having returned from Iraq in April I am still hesitant to listen to what other people have to say about Iraq because most people simply do not know what is going on. Mr. Jamail does a great job in this book of looking at things with as an objective eye as he possibly can. He does not tout himself as the hero of the book which is what many journalists / travel writers have done. The book is much like his speaking style, direct, efficient, and clear.

All of America, starting with the highest levels of government, should read this book.

There are portions of the book I disagree with, but all in all, five stars.