In March of 2003 the United States invaded Iraq under the pretense that the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein housed weapons of mass destruction.The Bush Administration also went in the hopes of freeing the Iraqi people from their authoritarian government. Many people in the international community and within the country disagreed with the US and UK going to war. Intervention, especially by militaries, often does not benefit the groups that it proclaims to help. In this case, one of those groups were the Iraqi civilians.

The image I chose to analyze was taken by Anja Niedringhaus ten days after the invasion began. It features two mothers and their seven young children fleeing for cover as British tanks open fire on Iraqi positions in Basra. The piece makes an argument about the true victims of war.The main focal points of this photo are the children, their mothers, and the landscape. 

The image shows civilian lives, particularly women and children, as collateral damage of military intervention. The family are the lone figures surrounding the debris and destroyed infrastructure. They were the people that the US government promised to protect upon their invasion. Between March 2003 and June 2006, over 151,000 civilians died as a result of the direct military violence. Many death estimates are thought to be deflated, with some approximations being as high as 601,027 deaths due to military violence. This image is stating that civilians should be the people who are most protected during a war. 

The image highlights the resilience and tenacity of the family structure. The children holding hands represents the interconnectedness of their family. Each person in the photo is clinging to another family member so that they stay together and do not get separated. The tallest boy, who presumably is the eldest is leading his family and guiding his other siblings along. The interlocking of their hands represents the shared trauma of living in a war-torn country. The lack of grown men in the photo demonstrates that the most vulnerable populations during a war are women and children.

The background is not a major object of the photo, but it provides great context for the conditions of Basra. It is evident that within the short period that the city has been occupied, military forces destroyed much of it. Smog fills the air and adds to the dullness of the photo. The beige, grey, and black color scheme mutes the photo and creates a feeling of disconsolation and sadness for the family.