They ought to make a film on the suicide bomber who is forced into it. Or the boy who sells pirated dvds. It's these Iraqis who deserve to be seen/heard/understood. But then not many American producers would be willing to distribute, let alone fund it.
Interesting how the Iraqis are unnamed. The boy is called after a white man (after whom, a million brownies swooned over, a blockbuster film made by brownies as well, Bend it like...). There's a thin line of identity and personal association. For that matter, every line of communication fails. Utterly. He tries doing a covert operation. Every attempt of trying to make it personal. A revenge? How loose is that self-indicted delusion. We realize that when there's the boy selling pirated DVD again. Is that Beckham or a different boy? A prompt choice to leave it unresolved. for us, the audience. Ultimately, what makes him fight? IT is not this righteous attempt to 'stand up' for Iraqis. It's that deep pit of emptiness in his mundane civilian life. This seems the be the intention. While we could argue this to be a shortcoming, to not go down in route of Homeland (Brody-Issa relationship), was absolutely vital here. I could understand the choices taken.