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Iraq's teenage war reporter

Meethak al-Khatib came of age on Iraq's frontlines as a teenage war reporter, but he became desperate for a life away from conflict.

Iraqi journalist Meethak al-Khatib has spent most of his life surrounded by war. His first memories are of invading American soldiers arriving in his home town of Ramadi in 2003, and he wouldn't experience peace again for the rest of his childhood. Having survived the Iraq War and the insurgency that followed, Ramadi was taken by the Islamic State group. Meethak decided to experience this conflict on his own terms, as a teenage reporter working on the frontlines. But soon he became desperate for a life away from conflict.

Presenter: Harry Graham
Producer: Sarah Kendal

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Meethak al-Khatib during the battle of Mosul. Credit: Meethak al-Khatib)

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41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 7 Apr 2025 11:06GMT
  • Mon 7 Apr 2025 17:06GMT
  • Mon 7 Apr 2025 21:06GMT
  • Tue 8 Apr 2025 02:06GMT

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