10 Days to War: Tell us what you think
- 12 Mar 08, 06:17 PM
From 10 to 19 March before Newsnight each night 大象传媒 Two is showing a series of mini-films dramatising the build up to the start of the Iraq war.
Editor Peter Barron explained why Newsnight has supported these dramas on his blog. The lead up to war in Iraq is one of the most requested stories Newsnight receives and we've covered it extensively over the last five years.
Through drama we get an opportunity to focus on stories that otherwise we could do not either because cameras were not present or key people in the events do not want to be appear directly. Drama is also a way to reach an audience that would not normally watch the documentaries or news programmes.
We're keen to hear what you think of . The purpose to the stories is to explore how we went to war, not why. Have you found them gripping? Have you discovered something new? Have you wanted to find out more or watch them again online? Can you not wait for the next one? Or perhaps you've hated them. Tell us here.
We want to know what you think of the dramas, please - not the decision to go to war.
Much has been made of the warning that Alistair Darling was not going to incite a quickening of the pulse with today's budget. The chancellor was probably delighted. The more we called him 鈥済rey鈥, 鈥渄ull鈥 and 鈥渇lat鈥, the easier his job became - like a football manager downplaying his team's chances before a cup final. 
Our film tonight revisits the argument over post-war planning in Iraq. Clare Short, the International Development Secretary of the time, is one of the characters in the film. She will then appear in the studio alongside Major General Tim Cross - played by Stephen Rea in the drama - whose task was to re-build Iraq after the war. We'll be asking where the planning went wrong. 
A few weeks ago Newsnight approached the film director Ken Loach for an interview for one of my films about the split inside George Galloway's Respect party - Loach himself is a keen Galloway supporter. 
It's Alistair Darling's first Budget day. Can he rescue his reputation after the bad reception he received for his pre-budget report and Northern Rock? The 大象传媒's learned that an increase in tax on fuel won't be imposed next month. The Chancellor had been planning to confirm the two pence rise when he delivers his first budget at lunchtime, but has now shelved the idea for six months because of the rising price of crude oil. Will he go for green taxes and higher duties on alcohol? How will he help reduce child poverty, as Gordon Brown has promised? What will be the effect of the credit crunch and the recent nationalisation of Northern Rock on government spending?