we watched The Hurt Locker last night, a tremendous film showing what it is like to be a soldier in Iraq. The three-man bomb disposal unit face death every day, every time that they leave the compound to disable bombs. The stress and pressure on the team is enormous. It's a tremendous film, understated, well acted, and very engrossing.
Earlier that day it was reported that Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, the youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi had been killed by a NATO strike in Libya. The media had photos of an unexploded bomb in Gaddafi's compound which of course looked the same as the bombs which the three-man unit in Iraq was facing.
Then today, it was announced that US ground troops had launched an attack on Osama bin Laden's base in Abbotabad, Pakistan, killing bin Laden. The man behind the 9/11 attacks on the USA has finally been hunted down.
This doesn't mean that al-Qaeda is finished, but for the people who lost family & friends in 9/11, and in the London bombings on July 7th, there must be a strong sense of relief.
The Hurt Locker 4 stars ****
US special forces -every one of them a star.
