Iraq drama
In New York I also saw the British play Black Watch, about that Scottish regiment‘s service in Iraq in 2004. For my money it is the best piece of art to come out of the Iraq War. It is no diatribe. Again and again, I nodded as they got things right, about how soldiers talk, ...
In New York I also saw the British play Black Watch, about that Scottish regiment's service in Iraq in 2004. For my money it is the best piece of art to come out of the Iraq War. It is no diatribe. Again and again, I nodded as they got things right, about how soldiers talk, walk, and think. My wife was nervous that the play would bring back too many Iraq memories for me, but I found it cathartic -- and very funny. The only time I felt uneasy was when some soldiers were hit by a bomb. Even that was done extremely well, and artfully. But if I had staged that scene, I would have made it all white light and no sound, which was my experience of being in a convoy that was bombed and ambushed at night south of Baghdad in 2004 -- it occurs to me now that the incident occurred actually not far from where the Black Watch was operating then.
Photo: ESSAM AL-SUDANI/AFP/Getty Images
In New York I also saw the British play Black Watch, about that Scottish regiment‘s service in Iraq in 2004. For my money it is the best piece of art to come out of the Iraq War. It is no diatribe. Again and again, I nodded as they got things right, about how soldiers talk, walk, and think. My wife was nervous that the play would bring back too many Iraq memories for me, but I found it cathartic — and very funny. The only time I felt uneasy was when some soldiers were hit by a bomb. Even that was done extremely well, and artfully. But if I had staged that scene, I would have made it all white light and no sound, which was my experience of being in a convoy that was bombed and ambushed at night south of Baghdad in 2004 — it occurs to me now that the incident occurred actually not far from where the Black Watch was operating then.
Photo: ESSAM AL-SUDANI/AFP/Getty Images
More from Foreign Policy
Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.
So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.
Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.
Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
