"Phoenix" in the US Military: A War Diary of Wei Jingyi: A War Diary of Wei Jingyi

Author: Wei Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Most Chinese people around the world only saw the US-Iraq war on TV. Even the journalists who went to Iraq at the time were merely waiting on aircraft carriers to act as "second-hand" reporters of the battle situation. The only one who went deep into the US military base and experienced the frontline combat was the female reporter Wei Jing from Phoenix TV. On the first anniversary of the US-Iraq war, we present this extraordinary war diary to the readers, joining you in reviewing that extraordinary experience. On March 20, 2003, the US officially launched an attack on Iraq. About two weeks before the US declared war on Iraq, the author, as a reporter with Phoenix TV accompanying the US military, embarked on a journey from Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, with camera operator Xiao Yan on March 4, to the Gulf to report on the US-Iraq war. In the following two months, they were stationed at the US military base Arifjan in Kuwait to interview the US military preparing for battle; on March 26, when the Iraqis were still resisting fiercely, they entered Iraq for the first time; and on April 12, three days after the US captured Baghdad, they began traveling north from Kuwait along the coalition's supply routes to Baghdad. In Baghdad, the author witnessed the many differences between modern and traditional warfare through firsthand experiences living and eating with the US military, especially with the soldiers of the main combat unit, the Third Infantry Division. The author visited Saddam's palace and parade ground, which had been occupied by the US military, participated in US patrols in the city of Baghdad, and heard complaints from Iraqis about the US bombings. As the only female reporter from the global Chinese community who accompanied the military to cover this war, the author hopes to share this special experience with the readers: to tell you about the excitement, frustrations, sweetness, and fear she felt at the time; to reveal some untold stories behind the news. The book is vividly written and illustrated.