(9 May 2003) SHOTLIST
1. Pan from a road to Iraqi MIG fighter on the ground in rural area
2. Jet sitting in the open on farmland
3. Fighters' tail fin sticking out of the ground
4. Fighter in the background with a farmer working by an irrigation canal nearby
5. Various of sheep grazing near plane
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox Pop, local farmer:
"The Iraqi army brought the airplanes over here and they stayed with them for a while dismantling them. There were some officers who used to do the rounds and check that the guards were still here. After the collapse of the regime on April 9 they left them and everyone has gone."
7. Farmers walk past grounded fighter planes
8. Various of the aircraft and components nearby
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox Pop, local farmer:
"Even though these planes are playing no role, we feel they are endangering us. They (coalition) will do us a big favour if they come and take them away. This is a military plane which might form a serious danger for us if it was misused or children played with it."
10. Planes in the background with irrigation canal in the foreground

STORYLINE

Farmers from the village of Ad Dulu'iyah have been watching their fields with a growing sense of unease - ever since the Iraqi military attempted to hide remnants of its airforce among their herds and crops.

On Friday, APTN travelled to the village, 100 kilometres north of the capital, Baghdad.

Villagers gave a tour of the area where, up until the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, armed soldiers stood guard over Mig fighters dispersed around local farms.

The farmers said the planes were transported to their land before the US-led attack on Iraq started.

They added that soldiers guarding the jets had actually begun dismantling them and hiding components in an attempt to protect them from the coalition bombing.

The planes were found partly dismantled and parts could be seen buried.

The villagers said they wanted US or British forces to remove the fighter planes as they fear they could contain unexploded ordinance or fuel which could blow up if tampered with by curious local children.

The local farmers said they had already seen children playing with and around the aircraft.

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