Witness Iraq

“What will follow will not be a repeat of any other conflict, it will be of a force and scope and scale that has been beyond what has been seen before.”
—Donald Rumsfeld

Witness Iraq: A War Journal February-April 2003 documents the lightening-swift, U.S.-led military campaign Iraqi Freedom from the perspective of some of the world’s most renowned and respected photojournalists who possessed extraordinary first-hand access to this unprecedented display of military precision, planning, and containment. Captured in Witness Iraq are the trials and tribulations of the coalition forces and the Iraqi people as the universally recognized terror of Saddam Hussein’s regime is brought to an end by U.S.-led coalition forces.

Showcasing dramatic and compelling scenes of the three-week war, the book begins with the missile launch on Iraqi leadership targets and continues through the massive roll-out of tanks and troops in the desert, and from the fight of the Kurds in the North to the anticlimactic—but no less dramatic—fall of Baghdad. Witness the desperation of Iraqi soldiers as they attempt to surrender. Witness in unprecedented detail the jubilation in Baghdad when the famed huge statue of Saddam Hussein is toppled. Feel the empathy of a U.S. soldier as he cradles a gravely injured Iraqi child. Although this has become history’s most photographed military conflict, most photographs in this book have not been seen before. These images take you inside the war and show courage, tragedy, humor, and compassion, portraying the chaos of conflict as well as the respect and empathy for human life. Through these images, you will witness not only the realities of war but also the triumph of the human spirit.

Marcel Saba began his photographic career with Gamma Liaison Agency, working his way up to Senior International Representative. Seven years later, he became director of the Picture Group photo agency. In 1989, he formed his own agency, SABA Press Photos, which represented the some of the finest journalists and portrait photographers worldwide. In 2000, Saba sold his company to Corbis and joined them as Vice President for Editorial Photography. Saba resigned his position at Corbis in February 2002. Saba has helped produce and edit books including Sarajevo and Christmas Around the World. He has judged competitions such as The Overseas Press Club and Pictures of the Year. He has participated in workshops such as Photo Fusion, The Atlanta Seminar and The World Press Master Class. For the last several years, Saba has taught a summer course at the ICP, and currently sits on the board of the W. Eugene Smith Foundation.