Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories Directed by Mike Shiley, 2006

Mike Shiley, an adventure traveler and filmmaker, decided to go to Iraq by himself to see what was really going on. Shiley, who previously spent a year in the Middle East, was upset with the way the media and the government focused on car bombs and press conferences. Shiley, with no media experience or political bent, struck a deal with his local ABC affiliate station in Portland, Oregon, to go to Iraq as a freelance journalist. He made a press pass at Kinko’s, rented a used bulletproof vest, and cashed in frequent flyer miles to travel unarmed through Iraq for two months. After a 90-minute training, he joined a tank unit and helped patrol the Syrian border, where the unit engaged in a live fire operation. For his effort, he was awarded a civilian combat award by the Colonel of the 3rd ACR in Iraq (Ft. Carson, Colorado Springs). Shiley produced a very balanced 84-minute documentary film, called INSIDE IRAQ: THE UNTOLD STORIES.