# Dirty War (film)

Dirty War is a single British television drama film, co-written by Lizzie Mickery and Daniel Percival and directed by Percival, that first broadcast on BBC One on 26 September 2004. The film, produced in association with HBO Films, follows a terrorist attack on Central London where a "dirty bomb" is deployed. Principal cast members for the film include Louise Delamere, Alastair Galbraith, Waleed Elagdi, Martin Savage, Koel Purie, Helen Schlesinger, Ewan Stewart and Paul Antony-Barber.
Following its broadcast in the UK, a live questions & answers session with the writers of the programme broadcast on BBC One at 22:50 GMT. In the United States, the film was made available on HBO on 24 January 2005, and the broadcast for the first time on PBS on 23 February 2005. The film was later released on DVD in the United States on October 6, 2005. Percival later won a BAFTA Award for Best New Director for his work on the film.

## Production

Percival was tasked with creating the film by BBC executives, whose outline for the project was "think about what the new generation of terrorism actually meant". Percival stated that "The challenge of Dirty War was to tell the story of the attack from the intimate perspective of several different characters. We want to get the messages of this film to the widest possible audience."
Mickery was asked if she would like to co-write the script. She said of her contribution; "I think drama has the capacity to touch more people. If you are caught up in the emotions of the characters involved - and not just the statistics - the effect it has on you will last longer and be more intimate. Dirty War's aim is to try to make sense of the situation we all face, to ask questions on our behalf, and most importantly, to move us."

## Plot

An Islamist terror cell based out of London plot to detonate two large, radioactive, dirty bombs in Central London. The cell imports radioactive material, hidden in vegetable oil containers, from Habiller, Turkey, through Sofia, Bulgaria, onwards to Deptford, then to an East End Indian food takeaway restaurant, and finally to their rented house in Willesden, where the radioactive material and other components are assembled into the bombs. Deputy assistant commissioner John Ives of the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch, Detective Sergeant Mike Drummer, and Detective Constable Sameena Habibullah, lead the police investigation to stop the terror cell, under the watchful eye of their boss, Commander Paul Hardwick. Nicola Painswick, Minister for London, increases funding for equipment, gear, and training to the London Fire Brigade to prepare for a CBRN attack. However, LFB Watch Commander, Murray Corrigan, and his wife, Liz Corrigan, openly express their concerns and frustration to Ives and Painswick that the equipment, gear, and training that they have received is not adequate enough against a major attack, but his concerns are not taken under consideration.
Despite the efforts of Ives, Drummer, and Habibullah who detain some members of the terror cell, the terrorists successfully detonate one of the dirty bombs in front of Liverpool Street station, causing mass death and destruction, as it releases a large cloud of radiation over the City of London. Murray's unit is one of the first to respond to the scene but is forced to pull back after their mobile dosimeters pick up the rapidly spreading radiation. Liz who had just dropped Murray off at work earlier, finds herself trapped in the area and exposed to the radiation. Ives reviews CCTV footage to track down the other bomb, and also tracks down the ringleader of the cell, Abu Abassi, who exited the first van as it entered the Ring of steel. Drummer and Habibullah tortures one of the terror suspects and finds the license plate number of the van being used for the secondary attack, which Ives tracks down to Westminster, and the location to a second terrorist hideout which Drummer and Habibullah raid. Ives sends a SO19 team to eliminate the second team of terrorists before they detonate their bomb.
Back at The City of London, Emergency Services setup decontamination units but find themselves overwhelmed by large, angry, and fearful crowds eager to exit the hot zone. They also struggle to contain the spreading fires that are burning out of control because of high radiation levels. Murray is sent back into the hot zone wearing CBRN equipment to contain the fire and rescue survivors. However, radiation levels continue to surge and spread outside The City and into the surrounding neighborhoods of the East End, prompting the Emergency Services to pull back and evacuate, further enraging the growing crowds. Murray, frustrated at the lack of support and wanting to continue to fight the fires and help survivors, defies the evacuation order, removes his suit, and stays behind.
Two weeks later, Drummer and Habibullah interrogate Abu Abassi at Belmarsh Prison. They inform him that Pakistan's ISI have arrested his wife and have forced his child into an orphanage. Abassi does not show any care or concern for them and reiterates his devotion to jihad against the west for perceived crimes against Muslims. Liz visits Murray in the hospital where she learns that he was exposed to large doses of radiation that may lead to major health problems for him in the future including cancer and loss of fertility for herself. A radio broadcast states that over 300 people were killed in the attack and that due to the high levels of radiation released, parts of the City of London will remain closed for up to 30 years as the local economy begins to suffer.

## Cast

* Louise Delamere as Liz Corrigan
* Alastair Galbraith as Murray Corrigan
* Waleed Elgadi as Abu Abassi
* Martin Savage as Detective Sergeant Mike Drummer
* Koel Purie as Detective Constable Sameena Habibullah
* Helen Schlesinger as Nicola Painswick
* Ewan Stewart as Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Ives
* Paul Antony-Barber as Commander Paul Hardwick
* Louise Breckon-Richards as Detective Constable Vicky Loman
* Kameal Nisha Bisnauthsingh as Razla
* Shamshad Akhtar as Falzah
* Fuman Dar as Mohammed Ibn Harrara
* Houda Echouafni as Fatima
* George Georgiou as Usman Selcuk
* Dorian Healy as Harper
* David Horovitch as Lambert
* Amar Hussain as Imran Nazir
* Raza Jaffrey as Rashid Dhar
* Hosh Kane as Yousef Ghamidi
* Narinder Samra as Barber Asharf
* Jonty Stephens as Detective Inspector Justin Lane
* Joe Tucker as Detective Inspector Lance Brook
* Graeme Ford as Detective Constable Chris Scott
* Paul Maddaford as Detective Constable Richard Phillips