Baghdad Airport
Gabriel Gatehouse hears the extraordinary tales of people coming into and out of Iraq - the international gateway of Baghdad Airport reveals a country that is still troubled.
Gabriel Gatehouse hears the extraordinary tales of the people coming into and out of Iraq - and paints a portrait of a still troubled country through its international gateway.
It's not been the safest of places: one worker describes seeing a car bomb attack on the airport road and you still need to pass through five checkpoints to enter the terminal. Gabriel meets the people entering the country - like British and Ugandan security men, and pilgrims from Iran, bound for Iraq's Shia holy sites. There are the people leaving Iraq, including a Christian family who fear for their lives if they stay. And then there are the people who live in the airport compound - like the American air traffic controller who never leaves, except to return home on holiday.
Producer: Becky Lipscombe.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Thu 24 Mar 201111:00BBC Radio 4 FM
- Thu 24 Mar 201116:32BBC World Service Online
- Fri 25 Mar 201100:32BBC World Service Online
- Fri 25 Mar 201104:32BBC World Service Online
- Mon 28 Mar 201120:30BBC Radio 4
Featured in...
![]()
Tales from Iraq
Listen to our pick of insightful programmes as background to the Iraq crisis.
Podcast
![]()
Crossing Continents
Stories from around the world and the people at the heart of them.


