Baghdad Boy

Available for over a year

Seven years after an American rocket attack destroyed his home, killed 16 members of his family, and left him without arms, Ali Abbas returns to Baghdad. Ali became an icon of the Iraq War when images of him with arms amputated were beamed around the world. This sparked a tidal-wave of sympathy, and a charity fund was set up which brought him to Britain for treatment. In this two-part documentary, Hugh Sykes catches up with Ali at his family's home on the outskirts of Baghdad. Ali has lived in the UK since he was 12 years old and - although now a British citizen - he would like to return to Iraq permanently. The continuous heat and fasting for Ramadan is tough on a teenager who has become used to a western lifestyle. Now aged 19, Ali rarely wears prosthetic arms and is dependent on the care of others. But as he faces the possibility of an arranged marriage and uncertain future, what kind of independence can he expect, especially in an unforgiving Baghdad?