Baghdad Nights: How Australia funnelled $300 million to a dictator

September 11, the Iraq War and John Howard’s prime ministership were among the most pivotal news events of the early 2000’s.

But did you know that during that same period, Australia lived through its biggest corruption scandal – where Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was paid kickbacks for lucrative Australian wheat contracts?

Today, investigative reporter Richard Baker launches a major new LiSTNR podcast, Secrets We Keep: Baghdad Nights, diving deep into the scandal, offering new revelations and focusing on the humanity of the people caught up in it.

He joins Bension Siebert on The Briefing to reflect on how Australia’s politics and media can fail to capture the nuance of a major scandal, and the lessons he’s learned getting to know the real people involved.

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