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Apr 2023
24m 57s

The Iraq I never knew

THE WASHINGTON POST
About this episode

What is it like to leave a country in crisis - only to return years later to a devastated homeland? Today, a Post photojournalist journeys back to Iraq after 24 years. 


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Salwan Georges, a photojournalist at The Post, left Iraq more than two decades ago. Georges and his family spent five years in Syria as refugees, eventually settling in Detroit, Mich. 


As The Post prepared to cover the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, Georges traveled back to his homeland for the first time since leaving. Through his camera lens, he rediscovered the Baghdad he left behind, and the sites of familial joy and tragedy that had long been left to imagination. Today on the show, Georges talks about his homecoming and what it meant to return to Iraq as a photojournalist. You can view Georges’s photo essay, “The Iraq I Never Knew,” here. 


The Post Reports team has two pieces of exciting news to share. First, we’ve been nominated for four Webby Awards, including best hosts. If you like the show, please consider voting for us! You can learn more about the Webby Awards and vote for our show here.


Second, don’t miss a chance to experience Post Reports live. Post Reports senior host Martine Powers will be in conversation with author Curtis Sittenfeld at Sixth & I in Washington, D.C., at 7 p.m. on April 13th. Get tickets here.

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