Dispatches: Bravo's Deadly Mission

[Yuri]

Channel 4, 9pm

In February 2010, US Marines launched the biggest operation since the start of the war in Afghanistan: Operation Mushtaraq. Bravo's Deadly Mission covers hour-by-hour the entire operation to liberate the strategically vital town of Marjah in February and contains some of the most intense fighting footage ever caught on camera.

Filmed under extremely dangerous circumstances and in the toughest conditions imaginable, this Dispatches special is an extraordinary human story and an unflinching portrayal of war at first hand.

Operation Mushtaraq was massive news all over the world when it happened. But only one journalist was with the Marines inside Marjah. Ben Anderson spent two months with Bravo Company 1/6 Marines, eating, sleeping, running and sweating alongside them every step of the way.

The access he achieved and the 50 hours of battle footage he obtained is intimate and unprecedented and forms the basis of this extraordinary film. The result is unlike any other war documentary: personal, intense, incredibly close-up and dangerous.

Bravo Company was the first and only platoon dropped into the centre of Marjah. These young Marines found themselves in a maze of IEDs, bunkers, trenches and ambushes, set by very well-trained fighters.

The film features strong characters such as Captain Sparks, a Special Forces veteran of Falluja, Haditha and Afghanistan who's charged with seeing the young Marines in his charge through to the bitter end of the operation. Thoughtful and insightful, Sparks knows this is the most dangerous mission of his life. He knows they will lose men. He knows he takes responsibility when that happens.

Made by a BAFTA and Grierson award-winning team, the film returns to Marjah four months after the original invasion to find IEDs again being laid just 2km from the Marines' base, Taliban fighters, including snipers, still active and mobile, and a local population that is far from won over.

Bravo's Deadly Mission is a breathtaking film that shows just how dangerous and difficult the situation in southern Afghanistan has become, and how hard it will be to turn around.

Looks serious.

[Frank.]

About to start. Bwn Andersons done some good stuff before. should be good.

[Thun]

This is Vietnam all over again

Its not like they will ever win over there

[Mythy Collins]

lol at the feeble attempt to kick that door off

[Yuri]

It's crazy how they have to sit there and watch themselves get surrounded because they're not allowed to take the first shot.

US soldiers/marines always seem poorly disciplined and undertrained to me. A guy I know who went to Afghanistan said a lot of people out there think that about american soldiers as well.

[Frank.]

lol at this little kid/man thing.

[Yuri]

LOL

"I hit that f*ck*ng guy. I hit that f*ck*ng guy right in the f*ck*ng head. f*ck. That was intense"

[Frank.]

lol gotta love their enthusiasm

[Thun]

SMH

Give him a bundle of money for wiping out his fam

[Yuri]

SMH

Give him a bundle of money for wiping out his fam

What else are they gonna do?

They actually seemed genuinely upset about it, plus do you know how much money 10,000USD is to an Afghan? It's like 12 years wages or something.

[tino]

russia failed to turn that country into something with brute force, it didnt work, the british got they ass wiped during colonisation. pple need to live that country alone.

[Frank.]

oh sh*t that weird little midget guy was beheaded.

[M.Dot]

Peak.

When did they say he was found, and when was that all filmed?

[djbmc]

can't believe that little guy got beheaded. f*cked.

[Frank.]

Dont think it mentioned when, just said he was found beheaded.

That was filmed feb 2010 i think.

[Yuri]

russia failed to turn that country into something with brute force, it didnt work, the british got they ass wiped during colonisation. pple need to live that country alone.

lol @ thinking the ussr were trying to "turn it into something". the objective was basically to support the communist elements of the country, and wipe out everybody else.

/

afghanistan has been conquered many times in history, it's not inhabited by superhumans

[Mythy Collins]

That afghan cranky

ttkk

[Yuri]

No one can subjugate uts people

Great program... Really highlighted what a futile war

The taliban are as much ghe afghan people as anyone else... 10k for killing an entire family tgat was vulgar and crass offeribng pittance blood money

That agghan cranky got beheaded.. Says it all to me

Little man had heart so they took his head now no one gives lip back

Sad state of affairs

when you say "afghans/afghan people" are you talking about pashtuns? or are you including the uzbeks/tajiks/hazara as well?

you're a pashtun right?