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CHILDREN CHEER
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May 2003.
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In the weeks following
the invasion of Iraq,
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American troops were welcomed
onto the streets of Baghdad.
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No Saddam. No Saddam.
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That sense of joy was
a definite truth.
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Now, the question is -
how long did it last?
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And that was not long.
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Iraq was in absolute chaos.
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What's been going on here?
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A fucking war's going on.
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GUNSHOTS
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GEORGE BUSH: The regime of
Saddam Hussein is no more.
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America's more secure.
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The world is more peaceful.
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And the long-suffering people
of Iraq are now free.
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The politicians have had their say.
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The evidence about Saddam having
actual biological
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and chemical weapons
has turned out to be wrong.
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In this series, the story
of the Iraq War
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is told by the civilians,
journalists and soldiers
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who lived through the 2003 invasion
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and the years of chaos
that continue to this day.
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Through their eyes,
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we'll see how events in Iraq
have changed the world.
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Ultimately, war -
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it's a kind of laboratory
of the human condition in extremis.
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YELLING
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You see the best of people
and you see the worst.
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You see moments of
incredible heroism,
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and also hatred and
irresponsibility.
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You know, I think back to
Iraq 2003 kind of as the best year
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and worst year of my life.
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When I got back,
I mean, my kids didn't know me
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and I didn't know them.
At all.
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It was weird being back here.
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Yeah, and I didn't do good with
the reintegration.
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I mean, you drive on a highway,
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all I could think about for a while
was waiting for the IED blast.
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And I'm driving,
this guy comes around
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and totally gives me the finger,
and I swear to God,
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if I'd had my 9mm, I would have
blown his brains out right there.
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It would've taken me two seconds.
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I was out of control, man.
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And I'll never fire a weapon again.
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Ever.
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Protect and strengthen
this band of brothers
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as we endeavour to do your will.
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A month after the invasion, there
were 150,000 US troops across Iraq.
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It is for you that we battle.
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Lt Col Nate Sassaman led a battalion
of almost 1,000 soldiers.
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Send along your congratulations to
Sgt Howard, as well.
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OK, men, that's all I got.
You guys are doing a great job.
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Yeah, I'm good, I'm there.
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I'm right there.
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I'm back in Iraq right now.
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I rarely go back there.
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And frankly, I don't talk about it
at all. Ever.
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Unless I'm with a veteran.
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Nate Sassaman, son of a Methodist
minister, star quarterback,
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total star in the Army,
destined to be a general.
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Sassaman was the most impressive
officer I met in Iraq.
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Dexter Filkins covered the Iraq War
for the New York Times.
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He wrote about Sassaman's
year-long tour.
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What Sassaman, I think, experienced
was perfect microcosm
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for what happened in the war
at large.
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Hi, I'm Lt Col Nate Sassaman,
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former West Point quarterback
for 1984,
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and the battalion commander for
1st Battalion 8th Infantry Regiment
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serving here in Balad, Iraq.
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I'd like to introduce you
to my special friend...
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I seem to be a likeable fella.
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I kind of wanted to meet everybody.
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How about a little raki coffee here
to go with my prayers?
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I knew virtually almost nothing
on Iraq and the Muslim culture,
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as a commander who then
got to control
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one of the main provinces in
the country of Iraq.
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Yeah.
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In the early days, I actually think
we were trying to go in there
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and make it right for the folks.
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Get some stability.
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We would be doing the noble thing
of helping reconstruct this country.
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This place is Adhamiyah District.
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First of all, it's a very old
district here in Baghdad.
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Second of all,
it's very, very public...
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After the invasion,
things were changing so fast.
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Like, you turn from a kid into...
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..someone that has to be rigid,
cold, you know,
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and it's like, just to survive.
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Waleed Nesyif lived in Baghdad
and was 18 when the war started.
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As an English speaker,
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he managed to secure a job as a
translator for foreign journalists.
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We're going to go now for
a very, very public place,
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so we have to be careful, OK?
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One of the things that I used to do
is basically drive around the city.
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Take a journalist with me
and we'd just drive around.
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It's a ghost town...
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..that is destroyed -
either by bombs or looting.
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And then Iraqis were under
this impression, it's like,
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"OK, this is the greatest
power in the world.
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"They're going to come and rebuild
everything in, like, months."
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Month one passed, there's still no
electricity, there's still no water.
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Baghdad became like a city
of garbage.
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You know, like, even during
Saddam's time, man,
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like, I remember Baghdad was clean.
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There was sanitation.
And now, it's just like...
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And you're meant to continue
functioning as a sane human being.
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Six weeks after the invasion,
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George W Bush landed on an aircraft
carrier off the coast of San Diego.
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Major combat operations in Iraq
have ended.
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In the Battle of Iraq,
the United States
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and our allies have prevailed.
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CHEERING
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"Mission accomplished."
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Yeah?
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Seriously?
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And now, our coalition is
engaged in securing
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and reconstructing that country.
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That was the time, again,
when people started questioning.
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You know, it was like, "OK, well,
since mission is accomplished
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"and everything is good right now,
when is security going to be there?"
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Because there is no security.
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GUNSHOTS
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You know, all this by
American support.
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It happen by the American support.
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People started taking matters
within their own hands, right?
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So, for instance,
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security starting being imposed
by the people of the neighbourhood.
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EXPLOSION
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Everybody had a gun.
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Strange car comes in, it's like,
"Who the fuck are you?
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"What do you want?
Who are you coming to visit?"
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Americans will pass by,
they didn't really give a shit.
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I remember this image, literally,
of a guy with a donkey
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pulling a cart with Katyusha
rocket launcher on it.
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Just driving on the street,
you know,
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and the Americans passing by,
"Hello."
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What is he going to do with it?
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Use it or sell it, right?
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Simple things are what
we were asking for.
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Very simple.
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Dignity, electricity,
and some semblance of security.
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These things, had they happened,
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Iraqis would not have reacted in the
way they did to the American Army.
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MUSIC: The Star-Spangled Banner
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OK, please be seated. We'll have
a few words from Col Sassaman.
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I pray for a lot of things
every day.
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But mostly, I pray for wisdom.
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I pray for wisdom...
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There's this euphoria feeling that,
wow, you're in a foreign land...
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..we got a bunch of forces here,
we've got a mission.
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You know, what is my... What is...
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You know, how am I going
to make...
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..the best progress
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in this 750 sq km area that I've
been given as my area of operation?
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Sassaman's battalion was stationed
just over 50 miles
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north of Baghdad,
in the city of Balad.
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It's right there in the heart
of the Sunni Triangle.
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We're smack dab in the middle, and
this is our home now for the next...
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..for the next year.
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On a map, if you start with Baghdad
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and go out to basically
the Jordanian border,
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and then up to Mosul, and then down
the Tigris,
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it looks like a triangle.
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That's where... That's where
the majority of the Sunnis are.
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Saddam Hussein was born in
the Sunni Triangle.
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Sassaman and his men
found themselves
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amongst his most ardent supporters.
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How you doing?
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That, I think, is like
the first time
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I accepted an invitation
from a sheikh.
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Trying to, like, set up
some kind of dialogue.
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Right here?
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It was believed that if the Army
won the hearts and minds
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of the Iraqi people,
that security, democracy,
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and the reconstruction efforts
would all fall into place.
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The way I was winning hearts
and minds
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was engaging with you in dialogue.
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I don't know, I was always trying
to find some common ground
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and to talk to the sheikhs
or the leaders.
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Frank, can you get it... Can you
get it any closer to me, Frank?
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That's what I want to know.
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All the soldiers that
I was talking to, they said,
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"You've got to spend some time
with Col Sassaman."
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Like, "He's the guy."
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And you could tell he had
kind of a wider view of the war.
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It's my job, along with the sheikhs,
to maintain the peace
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so that we can rebuild Iraq
with dollars.
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Along with everything else, we want
to be able to get electricity
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to everybody all the time.
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The Iraqis, like, loved him.
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They were, like, gathering
around him.
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He was incredibly charismatic.
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If there's any country in the world
that needs a little peace,
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it's right here in Iraq.
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They quickly realised I enjoy
a Coca-Cola.
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And I would hold it up
and I would go,
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"Man, what a great world
we live in."
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That, like, a Judeo-Christian
white man
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can come over into your country
and we can drink Coke together.
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Now, I thought that was funny,
I don't think they did as much.
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You can see in the video, there's
some sceptical dudes in that group.
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There was kind of like this,
"What just happened?"
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It's kind of like the Martians
have just landed.
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You know, we were trying to do
some reconstruction
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for the local clinics.
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I can remember the first one
I went to in that area,
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and I'm telling you,
the woman running it
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had to have been 50 or 60.
She was hard as woodpecker lips.
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She goes, "I don't want any of your
stuff. I don't want you here.
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"I want you to go back to
the United States.
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"I never want to see you again."
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That's my first personal effort
to reconstruct the area.
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They were not interested
in the Americans being there
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and whatever we were bringing
for reconstruction.
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And they were definitely not
interested in hearts and minds.
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In May, George W Bush's
presidential envoy arrived.
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Paul Bremer was appointed
to oversee reconstruction
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and implement democracy in Iraq.
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He was to become the most powerful
man in the country.
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We're not here to be
a colonial power.
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We're here to help turn over,
as quickly as we can
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efficiently do it, to the Iraqi
people their country.
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Thank you very much.
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Within days of his arrival,
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Bremer issued two orders that would
irreversibly change Iraq's future.
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Saddam Hussein was a truly evil man.
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And those who were on high before -
in particular the Ba'athists,
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who used their power to repress
the Iraqi people -
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will be removed from office.
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Shortly, I will issue an order
on measures to extirpate
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Ba'athists and Ba'athism
from Iraq forever.
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They did this whole sham of
the de-Ba'athification.
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You've got to go and renounce
the Ba'ath Party
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so you can basically re-engage.
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But I was a Ba'athist.
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And I was. Everyone in Iraq
was Ba'athist.
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You cannot not be a Ba'athist.
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It's like... It's basically
saying no to Saddam.
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And who's going to say no to Saddam?
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Like, everybody was in
the Ba'ath Party, you know?
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If you were a school principal,
you joined the Ba'ath Party.
243
00:15:52,523 --> 00:15:55,203
If you were a teacher,
you joined the Ba'ath Party.
244
00:15:55,203 --> 00:15:58,403
Iraq was a functioning,
sophisticated,
245
00:15:58,403 --> 00:16:03,643
middle-class society, and it
essentially gutted the Iraqi state.
246
00:16:03,643 --> 00:16:06,243
It just put all those people
on the street.
247
00:16:07,643 --> 00:16:09,483
I haven't any money.
Do you have a family?
248
00:16:09,483 --> 00:16:10,803
Do you have children?
249
00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:12,963
Yes, I have, a big family.
11. 11.
250
00:16:12,963 --> 00:16:14,963
11 persons.
251
00:16:17,883 --> 00:16:20,843
The de-Ba'athification
was the crippling blow
252
00:16:20,843 --> 00:16:22,363
to the reconstruction.
253
00:16:23,963 --> 00:16:26,283
Not only does the whole country
come to a standstill
254
00:16:26,283 --> 00:16:29,643
because the teachers can't teach,
the hospitals are shutting down,
255
00:16:29,643 --> 00:16:32,003
I mean, we're not letting
anybody do their job,
256
00:16:32,003 --> 00:16:33,843
because they have a Ba'athist card.
257
00:16:36,803 --> 00:16:39,363
Who's going to reconstruct
the country? Me?
258
00:16:39,363 --> 00:16:41,283
Me and my soldiers, are we going to?
259
00:16:41,283 --> 00:16:43,043
We're going to be the guys to...
260
00:16:45,083 --> 00:16:49,003
..to restore power
and teach the kids?
261
00:16:49,003 --> 00:16:51,203
And set up the police stations?
262
00:16:51,203 --> 00:16:53,523
We're not staying there
for the rest of our lives,
263
00:16:53,523 --> 00:16:56,003
so it has to be the guys
who have the Ba'athist cards.
264
00:16:58,603 --> 00:17:02,123
Soon afterwards,
Bremer issued order number two -
265
00:17:02,123 --> 00:17:04,843
to dissolve the entire
Iraqi military
266
00:17:04,843 --> 00:17:07,883
that was seen by many
as loyal to Saddam.
267
00:17:07,883 --> 00:17:10,563
SOLDIERS CHANT
268
00:17:16,163 --> 00:17:20,763
This meant there were another
400,000 men out of work.
269
00:17:22,523 --> 00:17:26,443
Every family in Iraq had an
army personnel in it, you know,
270
00:17:26,443 --> 00:17:29,203
this was our salaries,
this was their job.
271
00:17:29,203 --> 00:17:32,123
This is the only thing that they
knew, like, my father being one.
272
00:17:32,123 --> 00:17:33,803
Here's my dad.
273
00:17:36,003 --> 00:17:37,963
Assalaamu alaikum.
274
00:17:37,963 --> 00:17:40,163
THEY CONVERSE IN ARABIC
275
00:17:40,163 --> 00:17:41,483
Erm...
276
00:17:41,483 --> 00:17:42,643
Colonel.
277
00:17:42,643 --> 00:17:44,883
He was a colonel in the army.
278
00:17:44,883 --> 00:17:47,563
CONVERSES IN ARABIC
279
00:17:47,563 --> 00:17:51,043
So you have people like my father,
who spent all of his life
280
00:17:51,043 --> 00:17:52,883
serving in the army.
281
00:17:52,883 --> 00:17:54,763
He knew nothing but that.
282
00:17:54,763 --> 00:17:57,643
Now, all of a sudden, you have
hundreds of thousands
283
00:17:57,643 --> 00:18:00,163
of individuals with actual skills,
284
00:18:00,163 --> 00:18:05,003
abundance of weapons, abundance.
285
00:18:06,403 --> 00:18:10,083
What I just remember is
the streets had been lined
286
00:18:10,083 --> 00:18:13,283
with hundreds if not thousands
of young men.
287
00:18:15,003 --> 00:18:17,483
And they couldn't
support their families.
288
00:18:17,483 --> 00:18:18,803
I mean...
289
00:18:20,403 --> 00:18:22,243
Oh, man.
290
00:18:29,403 --> 00:18:32,603
You need to help us.
I don't need to help you with shit.
291
00:18:32,603 --> 00:18:34,603
Get away from me. Let's go.
292
00:18:34,603 --> 00:18:36,963
THEY CONVERSE IN ARABIC
293
00:18:38,403 --> 00:18:44,523
A lot of young, bearded, man-robed
folks that were not happy.
294
00:18:46,963 --> 00:18:49,643
VEHICLE HORNS BLARE
295
00:18:56,443 --> 00:18:59,163
They're not, like,
older generation people.
296
00:18:59,163 --> 00:19:02,923
These are the most physically
able men in Iraq.
297
00:19:07,563 --> 00:19:10,403
And they're from
a long lineage of warriors
298
00:19:10,403 --> 00:19:14,283
who have fought for centuries
to protect their homeland there.
299
00:19:15,923 --> 00:19:18,083
Dude, their country's not
200 years old.
300
00:19:21,883 --> 00:19:23,803
We set up the perfect conditions.
301
00:19:23,803 --> 00:19:26,323
It's the perfect storm
for an insurgency.
302
00:19:29,043 --> 00:19:31,403
HE SIGHS
303
00:19:33,283 --> 00:19:37,163
So, in the beginning,
the insurgency was overwhelmingly,
304
00:19:37,163 --> 00:19:41,283
almost exclusively driven
by the Sunni Arabs.
305
00:19:44,323 --> 00:19:47,483
The Sunni Triangle, that was
the epicentre of the insurgency.
306
00:19:57,683 --> 00:19:59,483
We knew we were going
to be attacked.
307
00:19:59,483 --> 00:20:01,763
Wasn't a matter of if, it was when.
308
00:20:03,763 --> 00:20:08,283
We started seeing a lot of different
insurgency cells attacking us.
309
00:20:08,283 --> 00:20:12,243
They started in July,
and once the fight started,
310
00:20:12,243 --> 00:20:15,363
I think we started averaging
about seven or eight a day.
311
00:20:15,363 --> 00:20:17,403
Guidons, guidons, guidons.
312
00:20:17,403 --> 00:20:18,803
This is Eagle Six,
313
00:20:18,803 --> 00:20:21,563
and welcome to the Friday night
Fighting Eagle FM update.
314
00:20:21,563 --> 00:20:23,883
EXPLOSIONS
315
00:20:26,883 --> 00:20:30,483
So you might have
small arms, mortars,
316
00:20:30,483 --> 00:20:32,923
IEDs or a combination thereof.
317
00:20:35,963 --> 00:20:38,203
Three to four mortar rounds
were reported
318
00:20:38,203 --> 00:20:40,483
as to landing within the vicinity.
319
00:20:40,483 --> 00:20:43,323
We have 18 soldiers
who are wounded.
320
00:20:52,483 --> 00:20:56,243
I had some folks that were wounded
early on, you know, badly.
321
00:20:58,203 --> 00:21:01,443
Yeah, you know you're in it. I was
always like, never underestimate...
322
00:21:01,443 --> 00:21:02,843
I've always been
323
00:21:02,843 --> 00:21:05,283
a never underestimate your enemy
type of guy.
324
00:21:05,283 --> 00:21:08,403
I don't care if they're
running around in, like,
325
00:21:08,403 --> 00:21:10,683
black pyjamas or rags,
326
00:21:10,683 --> 00:21:13,483
and they're, you know,
they're not outfitted.
327
00:21:13,483 --> 00:21:17,843
It's their land, it's their
territory, it's their turf.
328
00:21:17,843 --> 00:21:20,563
HELICOPTER BLADES WHIR
329
00:21:26,003 --> 00:21:28,803
During the summer,
the fledgling insurgency
330
00:21:28,803 --> 00:21:32,563
spread from the Sunni Triangle
to cities across the country.
331
00:21:34,923 --> 00:21:38,363
Waleed witnessed the aftermath of
one of the first insurgent attacks
332
00:21:38,363 --> 00:21:40,963
on American forces in Baghdad.
333
00:21:40,963 --> 00:21:44,003
In fact, we're going
for Haifa Street in order to do
334
00:21:44,003 --> 00:21:46,963
a follow up for a story
335
00:21:46,963 --> 00:21:51,083
of an explosion happened
for a Humvee for the...
336
00:21:51,083 --> 00:21:53,363
I remember going
and doing this story.
337
00:21:55,083 --> 00:21:58,003
There is an attack
near an American Humvee
338
00:21:58,003 --> 00:22:00,683
but then kids were there
and they all got basically
339
00:22:00,683 --> 00:22:04,043
shredded by shrapnel, some of them
died, some of them survived.
340
00:22:04,043 --> 00:22:08,363
And something happened that
just fucked me up that day
341
00:22:08,363 --> 00:22:09,883
for a long, long time.
342
00:22:10,963 --> 00:22:12,803
WALEED SPEAKS ARABIC
343
00:22:12,803 --> 00:22:16,003
Waleed visited the families
three weeks after the attack.
344
00:22:16,003 --> 00:22:20,283
The whole casualties of this was
17 child, 5 of them get killed.
345
00:22:21,723 --> 00:22:23,443
And 12 of them were injured.
346
00:22:24,443 --> 00:22:26,803
A girl lost her eye.
347
00:22:26,803 --> 00:22:28,523
Completely lost her eye.
348
00:22:29,683 --> 00:22:31,323
This is the child.
349
00:22:31,323 --> 00:22:32,923
She lost her eye.
350
00:22:34,083 --> 00:22:35,283
Hello.
351
00:22:51,243 --> 00:22:53,403
WOMAN WEEPS
352
00:23:00,283 --> 00:23:01,643
Alaa...
353
00:23:10,643 --> 00:23:11,763
OK.
354
00:24:08,763 --> 00:24:10,803
WOMAN SHRIEKS
355
00:24:22,843 --> 00:24:24,243
That's it.
356
00:24:30,403 --> 00:24:34,323
Her daughter was seriously
injured in this attack.
357
00:24:34,323 --> 00:24:36,083
They were in the street.
358
00:24:37,923 --> 00:24:40,483
WOMAN WAILS
359
00:25:01,803 --> 00:25:04,443
WOMAN WEEPS
360
00:25:39,443 --> 00:25:41,803
FOOTAGE PLAYS
361
00:26:34,763 --> 00:26:36,163
Ai...
362
00:26:46,763 --> 00:26:50,803
This generation have seen absolutely
nothing but this now.
363
00:26:50,803 --> 00:26:54,523
If I was lucky enough to live
throughout the '80s and the '90s,
364
00:26:54,523 --> 00:26:56,443
where we had some
semblance of security,
365
00:26:56,443 --> 00:27:00,563
safety, we had fun with our friends
and all of that,
366
00:27:00,563 --> 00:27:03,923
these kids have seen
absolutely nothing.
367
00:27:11,803 --> 00:27:15,963
I mean, that girl represents
the beginning of the end...
368
00:27:17,563 --> 00:27:18,683
..for me.
369
00:27:18,683 --> 00:27:22,843
In a sense, that marked to me,
like, the destruction of the country
370
00:27:22,843 --> 00:27:26,843
from... in a way
that made it irreparable.
371
00:27:32,723 --> 00:27:37,603
The country was disintegrating
and getting darker by the day.
372
00:27:37,603 --> 00:27:41,483
And then we would go in and listen
to Bremer tell us how good it was.
373
00:27:41,483 --> 00:27:44,523
We have met all of our goals
in restoring essential services.
374
00:27:44,523 --> 00:27:47,123
All the schools
and hospitals are open.
375
00:27:47,123 --> 00:27:49,723
Electricity is back
at pre-war levels.
376
00:27:49,723 --> 00:27:51,643
We're moving ahead with our plan.
377
00:27:51,643 --> 00:27:53,843
Increasingly over time,
378
00:27:53,843 --> 00:27:56,763
it bore absolutely
no relationship to reality.
379
00:27:56,763 --> 00:27:59,243
Like, at all.
It was like Alice in Wonderland.
380
00:27:59,243 --> 00:28:02,523
The overall thrust is in the right
direction and good days outnumber
381
00:28:02,523 --> 00:28:05,683
the bad days, and that's the thing
we need to keep in perspective.
382
00:28:08,483 --> 00:28:10,883
PRESIDENT BUSH: Every day,
Iraq is making progress.
383
00:28:10,883 --> 00:28:12,683
Every day,
Iraq draws closer to the free
384
00:28:12,683 --> 00:28:16,043
and functioning society
its people were long denied,
385
00:28:16,043 --> 00:28:19,283
and we will complete
the great work we have begun.
386
00:28:19,283 --> 00:28:23,003
The moment when I realised that
we were in a situation that we
387
00:28:23,003 --> 00:28:27,043
probably couldn't get out of,
was the morning of...
388
00:28:27,043 --> 00:28:28,243
..it was in October,
389
00:28:28,243 --> 00:28:31,483
it was the first day of Ramadan
in 2003.
390
00:28:31,483 --> 00:28:36,643
There was a double suicide
car bomb attack
391
00:28:36,643 --> 00:28:39,763
on the International Committee
of the Red Cross.
392
00:28:39,763 --> 00:28:42,203
CHAOTIC DIN
393
00:28:46,363 --> 00:28:48,923
SIRENS WAIL
394
00:28:54,603 --> 00:28:58,323
I mean, we got there minutes after
the bombs went off, enormous bombs.
395
00:29:00,403 --> 00:29:06,683
It was a horrible situation and
I remember standing in the rubble
396
00:29:06,683 --> 00:29:11,123
as people were kind of sobbing
and wailing over the bodies
397
00:29:11,123 --> 00:29:13,523
and the body parts
that they were finding.
398
00:29:15,123 --> 00:29:19,083
But hearing five other
car bombs go off
399
00:29:19,083 --> 00:29:21,523
within the space of
about three minutes.
400
00:29:21,523 --> 00:29:24,043
Get back!
401
00:29:24,043 --> 00:29:28,163
And I just thought, you know,
"Jesus," you know.
402
00:29:28,163 --> 00:29:31,443
"This is hell,
this is hell on Earth."
403
00:29:31,443 --> 00:29:33,563
MAN SHOUTS IN ARABIC
404
00:29:39,723 --> 00:29:41,963
ALARM WAILS
405
00:29:48,563 --> 00:29:53,523
This place is the most dangerous
place in Iraq, you know.
406
00:29:53,523 --> 00:29:56,923
I'm asking all the Americans here,
or in America or Mr Bush,
407
00:29:56,923 --> 00:30:01,123
because sooner or later
we will hate Mr Bush, you know.
408
00:30:01,123 --> 00:30:03,763
Because he is not trying
to help civilian people.
409
00:30:03,763 --> 00:30:05,363
SOLDIER: Stay out here.
410
00:30:05,363 --> 00:30:08,283
Why? Why?
411
00:30:08,283 --> 00:30:11,043
We were very safe
when Saddam was here.
412
00:30:11,043 --> 00:30:12,723
What happen now?
413
00:30:25,523 --> 00:30:28,963
The attacks spiked in
the October, November time period.
414
00:30:28,963 --> 00:30:31,243
Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.
415
00:30:32,763 --> 00:30:35,123
Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.
416
00:30:32,763 --> 00:30:35,123
DEAFENING EXPLOSION
417
00:30:37,803 --> 00:30:41,283
The RPGs and the IEDs, those are all
pretty good weapons of terror.
418
00:30:45,243 --> 00:30:47,683
LOUD EXPLOSION
419
00:30:47,683 --> 00:30:49,483
Those things are ruthless.
420
00:30:49,483 --> 00:30:52,523
I mean, it's terrifying,
it's paralysing.
421
00:30:52,523 --> 00:30:54,523
It's a paralysing fear.
422
00:30:54,523 --> 00:30:57,003
Allahu Akbar.
423
00:30:57,003 --> 00:30:58,523
LOUD EXPLOSION
424
00:31:05,243 --> 00:31:08,883
After a while, I would start
patrolling in the Bradley
425
00:31:08,883 --> 00:31:10,883
with my fingers inside the cupola -
426
00:31:10,883 --> 00:31:13,043
I just didn't want to lose
my fingers.
427
00:31:13,043 --> 00:31:14,763
Isn't that funny?
428
00:31:14,763 --> 00:31:18,163
I was always afraid my fingers
were going to get blown away.
429
00:31:20,603 --> 00:31:22,683
Despite his men
being attacked daily,
430
00:31:22,683 --> 00:31:25,603
Sassaman continued
to meet local leaders.
431
00:31:27,963 --> 00:31:30,203
He even took the initiative
to set up elections
432
00:31:30,203 --> 00:31:32,163
for the Balad Town Council.
433
00:31:32,163 --> 00:31:34,683
Lots of photos,
everybody's having fun.
434
00:31:34,683 --> 00:31:36,763
It's fun, it's exciting.
435
00:31:38,123 --> 00:31:40,683
The whole idea
was to like, you know,
436
00:31:40,683 --> 00:31:43,643
get this institution of, you know,
political reform.
437
00:31:43,643 --> 00:31:46,923
I mean, this was like,
people were walking for miles
438
00:31:46,923 --> 00:31:48,883
to, like, cast their ballot.
439
00:31:54,003 --> 00:31:55,683
We may have been the first area
440
00:31:55,683 --> 00:31:59,603
that ran the first
democratic elections in Iraq.
441
00:32:01,083 --> 00:32:03,283
They were, like, hungry
to govern themselves
442
00:32:03,283 --> 00:32:06,323
and not to be stomped on
all of the time, and you could tell.
443
00:32:10,483 --> 00:32:12,763
It was amazing, it was amazing.
444
00:32:12,763 --> 00:32:15,123
It was moving.
I was moved by it.
445
00:32:18,203 --> 00:32:22,683
It was, like, so exciting and you
could feel that they had never...
446
00:32:25,603 --> 00:32:29,523
..they just never had
that opportunity to vote,
447
00:32:29,523 --> 00:32:31,963
where they could have a voice.
448
00:32:33,483 --> 00:32:38,003
And this is, this is,
this is the core of being a human.
449
00:32:39,363 --> 00:32:41,763
Having a voice in where you live.
450
00:32:44,523 --> 00:32:46,523
Does that sound naive? No.
451
00:32:47,843 --> 00:32:48,963
OK.
452
00:32:54,603 --> 00:32:58,123
Witnessing that scene,
I thought, well, God,
453
00:32:58,123 --> 00:33:02,643
if we can do this everywhere,
you know, maybe it'll work.
454
00:33:20,043 --> 00:33:23,843
There's the colonel
with Hannah and Hashique.
455
00:33:23,843 --> 00:33:26,043
They're ready for another picture.
456
00:33:39,123 --> 00:33:44,283
So it was basically the effort
to build an Iraqi state,
457
00:33:44,283 --> 00:33:49,203
and at the same time,
this growing insurgency
458
00:33:49,203 --> 00:33:51,443
which threatens the whole thing.
459
00:33:51,443 --> 00:33:53,203
And it was like, you could see it,
460
00:33:53,203 --> 00:33:55,883
it was both of those things were
co-existing at the same time
461
00:33:55,883 --> 00:33:58,363
and they were in
a race with each other.
462
00:33:58,363 --> 00:34:00,483
You know, which one of these
was going to win?
463
00:34:01,763 --> 00:34:05,363
The problem is, we'd have the sheikh
meeting and then that night,
464
00:34:05,363 --> 00:34:07,603
they're picking up their weapons
and fighting us.
465
00:34:09,243 --> 00:34:11,643
It's like, come on, man.
466
00:34:09,243 --> 00:34:11,643
HE CHUCKLES
467
00:34:13,843 --> 00:34:15,563
LOUD EXPLOSION
468
00:34:15,563 --> 00:34:18,163
NEWS COMMENTARY:
Another attack in broad daylight.
469
00:34:20,323 --> 00:34:22,723
In one of the most volatile
parts of the country.
470
00:34:22,723 --> 00:34:27,323
Burning wreckage on the horizon
and more American dead.
471
00:34:27,323 --> 00:34:31,203
This, the latest of a string
of attacks in and around Fallujah,
472
00:34:31,203 --> 00:34:34,763
a killing ground for US troops.
473
00:34:34,763 --> 00:34:37,403
You know, there were units
in other places that were just
474
00:34:37,403 --> 00:34:40,003
getting their teeth handed to them
through softer tactics,
475
00:34:40,003 --> 00:34:42,403
and some of those units
got hurt bad.
476
00:34:42,403 --> 00:34:44,363
That was not how
I wanted to run the battalion.
477
00:34:47,843 --> 00:34:49,803
If anyone shot
at one of our soldiers,
478
00:34:49,803 --> 00:34:52,523
I was going to do absolutely
everything in my power to
479
00:34:52,523 --> 00:34:58,243
make sure that was going to be their
last day on the face of the Earth.
480
00:34:58,243 --> 00:35:02,283
And I went to extraordinary lengths
to make sure that happened.
481
00:35:02,283 --> 00:35:05,083
You've got to meet aggression
with controlled violence.
482
00:35:05,083 --> 00:35:08,043
A lot of people will say violence
leads to more violence.
483
00:35:08,043 --> 00:35:11,483
I'll tell you that controlled
violence leads to no more violence.
484
00:35:11,483 --> 00:35:13,483
Yesterday,
they fired from north west.
485
00:35:15,723 --> 00:35:17,843
SOLDIER CHEERS
486
00:35:18,963 --> 00:35:22,403
There was a large proportion
of attacks that were emanating
487
00:35:22,403 --> 00:35:24,283
out of this area.
488
00:35:24,283 --> 00:35:26,123
And guess what?
489
00:35:26,123 --> 00:35:28,043
The attacks went down.
490
00:35:38,883 --> 00:35:42,763
Sassaman's battalion had yet
to suffer a fatal casualty.
491
00:35:42,763 --> 00:35:45,563
His aggressive tactics to quell
the insurgency
492
00:35:45,563 --> 00:35:48,803
were endorsed by the US Army's
most high-ranking officers.
493
00:35:50,083 --> 00:35:53,803
We had three- and four-star generals
coming through on a regular basis.
494
00:35:53,803 --> 00:35:56,963
There's only ten four-stars
in the entire army, you know,
495
00:35:56,963 --> 00:35:58,883
and we had several come through,
496
00:35:58,883 --> 00:36:00,923
to say, "Look at the model
of progress these guys
497
00:36:00,923 --> 00:36:01,963
"have worked through."
498
00:36:01,963 --> 00:36:05,043
First thing is that I'm absolutely
proud of you all,
499
00:36:05,043 --> 00:36:06,683
all of you, and what you've done.
500
00:36:06,683 --> 00:36:09,003
What I don't want you to do is
to lose your edge,
501
00:36:09,003 --> 00:36:13,003
and to remember that, you know, that
there are still bad guys out there,
502
00:36:13,003 --> 00:36:17,163
and that you've got to remain
balanced and aggressive,
503
00:36:17,163 --> 00:36:18,883
and, er, to keep your head up.
504
00:36:18,883 --> 00:36:22,003
But you're...
you've just done magnificently.
505
00:36:22,003 --> 00:36:25,283
My standard was, everyone was
going to come back alive.
506
00:36:25,283 --> 00:36:28,443
But, you know, the plan is great,
and it's like Mike Tyson -
507
00:36:28,443 --> 00:36:30,563
the plan is great till somebody
hits you in the face,
508
00:36:30,563 --> 00:36:32,923
and then, you know,
the plan kind of changes.
509
00:36:32,923 --> 00:36:35,723
VOICE ON RADIO: 5406.
510
00:36:37,243 --> 00:36:41,123
On 17th November, Sassaman's men
were patrolling
511
00:36:41,123 --> 00:36:43,763
a few miles outside of Balad
in Abu Hishma.
512
00:36:45,803 --> 00:36:49,563
Abu Hishma's hardcore Sunni, dudes
want to fight all the time.
513
00:36:49,563 --> 00:36:51,763
But it's a little, sleepy village.
514
00:36:53,283 --> 00:36:55,843
Yeah, there are some bad things
that go down there.
515
00:36:58,043 --> 00:36:59,883
And that's when,
and that's when, um...
516
00:37:01,123 --> 00:37:02,883
..Staff Sergeant Dale Panchot
is killed,
517
00:37:02,883 --> 00:37:06,243
in what's pretty much the most
sophisticated ambush I think we saw,
518
00:37:06,243 --> 00:37:09,763
which was launched with a volley
of RPGs, eight or nine.
519
00:37:12,723 --> 00:37:16,563
Staff Sergeant Dale Panchot,
I mourn him as a brother.
520
00:37:16,563 --> 00:37:20,883
I will always have a special place
in my heart for Dale Panchot.
521
00:37:20,883 --> 00:37:22,483
God bless him and his family.
522
00:37:25,323 --> 00:37:29,843
There is no greater honour than
to lead men and women in combat.
523
00:37:29,843 --> 00:37:33,763
But there is no sense of greater
failure than to come home...
524
00:37:36,043 --> 00:37:38,163
..with men on your command
that died.
525
00:37:40,163 --> 00:37:41,723
Please rise for roll call.
526
00:37:45,163 --> 00:37:47,603
Private Short.
Here, First Sergeant.
527
00:37:47,603 --> 00:37:49,123
Specialist Hamilton.
528
00:37:49,123 --> 00:37:51,043
Here, First Sergeant.
529
00:37:51,043 --> 00:37:52,283
Sergeant Panchot.
530
00:37:54,843 --> 00:37:57,003
Staff Sergeant Dale Panchot.
531
00:37:59,643 --> 00:38:02,363
Staff Sergeant Dale A Panchot.
532
00:38:09,763 --> 00:38:13,723
MUSIC: Last Post
533
00:38:15,483 --> 00:38:20,323
I think 17 November would be
an accurate date, 2003,
534
00:38:20,323 --> 00:38:23,843
to say when, er,
some of my optimism went away.
535
00:38:30,523 --> 00:38:32,563
This is where
Dale Panchot was killed,
536
00:38:32,563 --> 00:38:34,683
just on the outskirts
of Abu Hishma.
537
00:38:36,603 --> 00:38:38,043
Yeah, Dale was killed right there.
538
00:38:38,043 --> 00:38:39,803
Hell, yeah, baby!
539
00:38:39,803 --> 00:38:42,283
Burn, motherfucker, burn.
540
00:38:42,283 --> 00:38:45,083
We cleared a square mile
of palm trees,
541
00:38:45,083 --> 00:38:47,603
so it couldn't be used again
to attack.
542
00:38:47,603 --> 00:38:50,043
That was fucking sweet!
543
00:38:50,043 --> 00:38:51,483
Yeah!
544
00:38:51,483 --> 00:38:53,523
It's just weird, James,
because I'm just,
545
00:38:53,523 --> 00:38:55,563
I'm just back in the fight, dude.
546
00:38:55,563 --> 00:38:58,283
I'm just back, I'm back there.
I'm like... I'm back.
547
00:39:11,283 --> 00:39:16,203
Rashid Al Hishmawi comes from
a family of farmers in Abu Hishma.
548
00:39:26,243 --> 00:39:28,763
Things got real Draconian
after that.
549
00:39:28,763 --> 00:39:30,843
We, like, barbed-wired
the entire village.
550
00:39:34,043 --> 00:39:37,523
So, we wired them in, with curfews,
551
00:39:37,523 --> 00:39:41,003
and they had to have an ID card
to leave and come back in.
552
00:39:43,843 --> 00:39:46,603
We would not have done that
if Dale hadn't died.
553
00:39:46,603 --> 00:39:50,563
It was more of just like punishment
and retribution for the attacks
554
00:39:50,563 --> 00:39:53,163
that they had been committing
on American forces.
555
00:39:53,163 --> 00:39:56,283
DOG BARKS
556
00:39:58,283 --> 00:40:01,083
I was driving around
the Sunni Triangle.
557
00:40:01,083 --> 00:40:03,403
We came across Abu Hishma.
558
00:40:03,403 --> 00:40:07,603
I remember Dexter as saying,
"Some colonel is doing, like,
559
00:40:07,603 --> 00:40:10,763
"Israeli tactics, and I think
we should go and do a story on it."
560
00:40:13,283 --> 00:40:16,483
There's nothing funny about what
happened at Abu Hishma at all.
561
00:40:18,043 --> 00:40:20,563
Ashley Gilbertson
photographed the war
562
00:40:20,563 --> 00:40:23,643
on assignment for
the New York Times.
563
00:40:23,643 --> 00:40:25,083
God, it was so fucked up.
564
00:40:27,843 --> 00:40:30,043
The tactics of wrapping
a town in barbed wire
565
00:40:30,043 --> 00:40:35,083
imprisoned an entire
Iraqi population in their own homes.
566
00:40:35,083 --> 00:40:38,483
"It was like, "Whoa,
what is going on here?" you know?
567
00:40:43,883 --> 00:40:47,883
So, there were signs that said,
"If you cross this fence,
568
00:40:47,883 --> 00:40:49,763
"you'll be shot."
569
00:40:51,723 --> 00:40:55,443
I didn't want to put up
with any kind of resistance to us.
570
00:40:55,443 --> 00:40:57,003
We were the law.
571
00:41:05,483 --> 00:41:08,003
Man, what are you going to do? Are
you going to do this
572
00:41:08,003 --> 00:41:11,043
to every village? You know, are you
going to do this to Baghdad?
573
00:41:11,043 --> 00:41:13,483
Like, what are you doing?
You know, this is crazy.
574
00:41:13,483 --> 00:41:15,523
And this, I found really troubling.
575
00:41:15,523 --> 00:41:18,523
This is a guy who's
having his ID made.
576
00:41:18,523 --> 00:41:21,403
I can only imagine what
that must do
577
00:41:21,403 --> 00:41:25,163
to the civilian...occupants
of that town - their town.
578
00:41:40,683 --> 00:41:42,323
20357.
579
00:41:42,323 --> 00:41:44,243
Sassaman was enraged.
580
00:41:44,243 --> 00:41:48,203
Sassaman was...feared in the area.
581
00:41:48,203 --> 00:41:50,363
We're having to drop
a bomb right now for...
582
00:41:50,363 --> 00:41:53,123
..for where they shot at us
yesterday.
583
00:41:53,123 --> 00:41:55,483
Five-minute window, sir.
They want to drop it now.
584
00:41:55,483 --> 00:41:57,923
OK. We're good.
585
00:41:57,923 --> 00:41:59,603
MISSILE WHIZZES
586
00:41:59,603 --> 00:42:00,803
MISSILE EXPLODES
587
00:42:00,803 --> 00:42:03,763
We were trying to eliminate
all these different threats.
588
00:42:03,763 --> 00:42:06,883
The rules of engagement were
such that, "You can smoke them."
589
00:42:07,883 --> 00:42:09,523
"You can take them out."
590
00:42:09,523 --> 00:42:12,643
This is one of the houses that was
destroyed by Sassaman,
591
00:42:12,643 --> 00:42:14,243
er, in an air strike.
592
00:42:29,163 --> 00:42:31,883
Did you have to deal with civilians
that had been killed?
593
00:42:31,883 --> 00:42:32,923
Yeah.
594
00:42:34,323 --> 00:42:38,443
Yeah, we dealt with the first one
in Abu Hishma, which was...
595
00:42:38,443 --> 00:42:39,803
..which was, which was,
596
00:42:39,803 --> 00:42:42,403
which was...it was devastating.
597
00:42:42,403 --> 00:42:46,403
Um, you know, it wasn't
an attack on their family compound,
598
00:42:46,403 --> 00:42:49,363
it was on targets,
but the meteorological data
599
00:42:49,363 --> 00:42:51,883
hadn't been updated,
so the rounds fell short.
600
00:42:54,243 --> 00:42:55,603
You know, it's just, I don't know,
601
00:42:55,603 --> 00:42:59,243
it's got to be that way
in all of the history of warfare.
602
00:42:59,243 --> 00:43:02,243
That's...that's...that's part of
when you push the button
603
00:43:02,243 --> 00:43:06,163
and decide we're going somewhere,
that, um...
604
00:43:07,963 --> 00:43:09,963
Yeah, the folks of that land
are going to...
605
00:43:09,963 --> 00:43:11,523
There's going to be suffering.
606
00:43:11,523 --> 00:43:13,883
There's going to be
a lot of pain and suffering.
607
00:43:18,523 --> 00:43:21,963
GUNSHOTS
608
00:43:21,963 --> 00:43:24,243
Good morning, dickheads.
Wake up!
609
00:43:25,363 --> 00:43:27,163
Ladies, get out of the way.
610
00:43:27,163 --> 00:43:28,363
Move out of the way.
611
00:43:46,483 --> 00:43:49,163
Yeah, you fucking speaking English,
too, don't you, you little prick?
612
00:43:49,163 --> 00:43:50,483
HE RESPONDS IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE
613
00:43:50,483 --> 00:43:52,403
AMERICAN MIMICS PRISONER
614
00:43:50,483 --> 00:43:52,403
Yeah, fuck you, too.
615
00:43:52,403 --> 00:43:54,763
You speak English,
and I know you speak English,
616
00:43:54,763 --> 00:43:57,443
and I'm not your boyfriend,
so don't smile at me.
617
00:43:57,443 --> 00:44:01,883
Yeah, they took all the guys away,
you know, zip-cuffed them.
618
00:44:01,883 --> 00:44:06,563
This is not just futile, this is,
er, this is a catastrophe.
619
00:44:07,603 --> 00:44:08,883
The company jail.
620
00:44:08,883 --> 00:44:12,083
Say hello to everyone back home!
Hello! Hi.
621
00:44:13,323 --> 00:44:16,523
Oh, he loves America.
Awww, isn't that sweet?!
622
00:44:24,603 --> 00:44:26,763
They spend all day
in the prison cells,
623
00:44:26,763 --> 00:44:29,483
so they need to get out
and do some stretching.
624
00:44:29,483 --> 00:44:31,683
One, two, three.
625
00:44:31,683 --> 00:44:33,843
One, two, three.
626
00:44:38,083 --> 00:44:41,563
ON TAPE: Not too often
they see rain, huh? Probably not.
627
00:44:44,883 --> 00:44:46,603
HE SIGHS
628
00:44:48,083 --> 00:44:51,083
This is tough.
I watch that clip, I'm like...
629
00:44:51,083 --> 00:44:53,523
INTERVIEWER:
Is this something you find sort of
630
00:44:53,523 --> 00:44:55,243
personally a bit troubling?
631
00:44:55,243 --> 00:44:56,723
Yeah.
632
00:44:56,723 --> 00:44:58,123
Yeah.
633
00:44:59,203 --> 00:45:04,843
Just set up for some friction there,
and dehumanising kind of deals.
634
00:45:06,563 --> 00:45:09,163
Yeah, yeah. On your knees.
On your knees. Come on! Get down!
635
00:45:09,163 --> 00:45:12,563
These tactics weren't limited
to Sassaman's battalion.
636
00:45:12,563 --> 00:45:14,363
No. Down. Get down!
637
00:45:14,363 --> 00:45:16,083
MAN GROANS IN PAIN
638
00:45:16,083 --> 00:45:19,603
Other American forces were doing
the same across the country.
639
00:45:21,803 --> 00:45:23,803
Get...down.
640
00:45:25,163 --> 00:45:28,323
This is not liberation activity,
it's not peacekeeping,
641
00:45:28,323 --> 00:45:31,163
rebuilding, no. It's an all-out war.
642
00:45:32,403 --> 00:45:33,963
They were just hardcore.
643
00:45:39,803 --> 00:45:44,003
American forces had difficulties
distinguishing insurgents from
644
00:45:44,003 --> 00:45:48,923
civilians, so the order was to treat
everyone as a potential threat.
645
00:45:50,283 --> 00:45:52,443
We went in for some night raids.
646
00:45:52,443 --> 00:45:54,283
There was no discrimination.
647
00:45:54,283 --> 00:45:58,403
They went to every house
and, man, they did not knock.
648
00:45:58,403 --> 00:46:00,083
BANGING
649
00:46:02,563 --> 00:46:05,203
You know, they'd go in there and
they'd just tear the house up,
650
00:46:05,203 --> 00:46:06,723
like, looking for guns.
651
00:46:06,723 --> 00:46:08,083
Outside!
652
00:46:08,083 --> 00:46:11,123
That was happening
across the Sunni Triangle
653
00:46:11,123 --> 00:46:12,523
several times a night.
654
00:46:12,523 --> 00:46:14,843
You know, in villages everywhere,
every night.
655
00:46:14,843 --> 00:46:16,843
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
656
00:46:18,403 --> 00:46:19,803
Hey, lay the BLEEP down.
657
00:46:19,803 --> 00:46:23,803
Lay the BLEEP down. Lay down.
Lay the BLEEP down! Lay down!
658
00:46:23,803 --> 00:46:25,883
FEMALE SOBS
659
00:46:25,883 --> 00:46:29,723
Then three times in a week, you have
40 men go through your house,
660
00:46:29,723 --> 00:46:32,043
go through your wife's
underwear drawer.
661
00:46:32,043 --> 00:46:33,283
SHE WAILS
662
00:46:33,283 --> 00:46:34,683
It's humiliating.
663
00:46:38,403 --> 00:46:41,643
PEOPLE SHOUT IN OWN LANGUAGE
664
00:46:48,523 --> 00:46:49,923
SHE SOBS
665
00:47:03,203 --> 00:47:06,243
Every day, all over the country
at any given time,
666
00:47:06,243 --> 00:47:07,683
there were doors being kicked in,
667
00:47:07,683 --> 00:47:11,363
there were guys being dragged
outside, detained, taken away.
668
00:47:12,923 --> 00:47:14,603
There is humiliation, degradation.
669
00:47:14,603 --> 00:47:16,803
We don't have jobs,
we don't have security,
670
00:47:16,803 --> 00:47:20,483
we don't have anything, and now you
come and you break down our homes?!
671
00:47:24,043 --> 00:47:26,843
Iraq is a very tribal,
patriarchal country.
672
00:47:26,843 --> 00:47:30,643
You know, our honour is represented
by those whom we protect.
673
00:47:31,883 --> 00:47:34,643
You know, atop of which
stands our women.
674
00:47:37,003 --> 00:47:42,203
And it's also a society in which
you are obligated to avenge
675
00:47:42,203 --> 00:47:43,883
a wrong or a humiliation.
676
00:47:43,883 --> 00:47:46,323
You are absolutely required
to do that.
677
00:47:49,083 --> 00:47:54,483
Anyone who was not
a member of the insurgency
678
00:47:54,483 --> 00:47:56,403
when you went into that village
679
00:47:56,403 --> 00:48:00,083
would sure as hell be a member of
the insurgency by the time you left.
680
00:48:03,603 --> 00:48:09,563
You took this tiny insurgency,
uh, tiny in the beginning,
681
00:48:09,563 --> 00:48:12,563
and then just, you know, like
pumped it up.
682
00:48:12,563 --> 00:48:15,443
It was like a wildfire.
You know, it was everywhere.
683
00:48:15,443 --> 00:48:20,443
We make some...calamitous mistakes.
684
00:48:20,443 --> 00:48:23,803
You're making folks
enemies for life,
685
00:48:23,803 --> 00:48:24,963
like that.
686
00:48:24,963 --> 00:48:27,083
Fire in the hole!
687
00:48:52,403 --> 00:48:55,123
SHE LAUGHS
688
00:49:15,003 --> 00:49:17,963
SPEAKS TEARFULLY IN OWN LANGUAGE
689
00:49:20,283 --> 00:49:23,163
SHE SOBS
690
00:49:40,923 --> 00:49:43,803
Sassaman and his men were placed in
an impossible situation.
691
00:49:43,803 --> 00:49:46,843
They didn't speak the language,
they were surrounded by a population
692
00:49:46,843 --> 00:49:49,763
that loathed them,
and their mission was to, like,
693
00:49:49,763 --> 00:49:53,523
bring order and, like, build
a democracy, or build a new state.
694
00:49:55,243 --> 00:49:58,163
Like... Good luck, man. You know?
695
00:50:02,683 --> 00:50:05,203
So we deal with Dale's death...
696
00:50:05,203 --> 00:50:07,843
And then I got orders
to take the battalion to Samara.
697
00:50:11,643 --> 00:50:16,443
Samara, 80 miles north of Baghdad,
had a largely Sunni population.
698
00:50:17,643 --> 00:50:21,203
Saddam Hussein had been captured
in December 2003...
699
00:50:21,203 --> 00:50:24,083
MACHINE-GUN FIRE
700
00:50:24,083 --> 00:50:28,323
..which led to an upsurge
in violence against US forces.
701
00:50:28,323 --> 00:50:31,003
PEOPLE CHANT
702
00:50:32,643 --> 00:50:34,763
Now I was going to have to
pick up the battalion
703
00:50:34,763 --> 00:50:36,083
and go up to this place,
704
00:50:36,083 --> 00:50:38,803
because the unit up there
couldn't get it done.
705
00:50:38,803 --> 00:50:40,563
"Send Sassaman."
706
00:50:40,563 --> 00:50:42,363
Yeah. Send Sassaman.
707
00:50:43,843 --> 00:50:46,163
The only reason we were asked
to go up there is
708
00:50:46,163 --> 00:50:48,563
cos we were aggressive,
so it was like...
709
00:50:48,563 --> 00:50:50,003
Showdown.
710
00:50:50,963 --> 00:50:54,843
Samara, for too long,
has been pushing folks around,
711
00:50:54,843 --> 00:50:58,363
and terrorising it, and it ends...
it ends this morning.
712
00:50:59,763 --> 00:51:03,003
NEWSREEL: The soldiers blew
their way into house after house,
713
00:51:03,003 --> 00:51:07,003
each door pushed in by a
quarter pound of plastic explosive.
714
00:51:07,003 --> 00:51:09,323
Samara's completely out of control.
715
00:51:09,323 --> 00:51:11,883
They openly defied
American authority.
716
00:51:11,883 --> 00:51:15,843
So what day is today?
It's Christmas. It's Christmas.
717
00:51:15,843 --> 00:51:18,363
And so, what's the mission...
718
00:51:15,843 --> 00:51:18,363
AUDIO FADES OUT
719
00:51:20,883 --> 00:51:23,363
# Holy night... #
720
00:51:23,363 --> 00:51:25,683
Yeah, so Christmas in Samara
was not where I thought
721
00:51:25,683 --> 00:51:27,363
we would spend Christmas.
722
00:51:27,363 --> 00:51:30,683
The missions sucked
and the people hated us.
723
00:51:30,683 --> 00:51:33,923
We hunkered down in this warehouse.
724
00:51:33,923 --> 00:51:41,883
# Round yon virgin mother and child
725
00:51:41,883 --> 00:51:47,003
# Holy infant so tender... #
726
00:51:47,003 --> 00:51:50,443
Dude, it was chaos, man.
With guys who want to fight.
727
00:51:53,163 --> 00:51:58,603
We were in a godforsaken place, and
I'm clearly on the dark side now.
728
00:52:04,243 --> 00:52:07,843
When I say
going over to the dark side,
729
00:52:07,843 --> 00:52:12,043
I get really focused
on combat operations.
730
00:52:12,043 --> 00:52:13,723
Are you more dangerous?
731
00:52:15,003 --> 00:52:18,603
Yeah. We were...
Yeah, we were lethal.
732
00:52:23,883 --> 00:52:26,163
What do you do
if you're Colonel Sassaman?
733
00:52:26,163 --> 00:52:27,923
You, like, take the gloves off,
734
00:52:27,923 --> 00:52:29,403
and you kill more people.
735
00:52:36,963 --> 00:52:38,563
He lost it. You know?
736
00:52:38,563 --> 00:52:41,723
Man, he like,
spun out of control, you know?
737
00:52:41,723 --> 00:52:43,843
Nobody's getting away with nothing.
738
00:52:46,723 --> 00:52:48,803
GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS
739
00:52:52,483 --> 00:52:55,283
It was akin to killing an ant
with a sledgehammer.
740
00:52:56,923 --> 00:52:58,963
They were going to disappear.
741
00:53:01,003 --> 00:53:03,203
You're surrounded by this death.
742
00:53:03,203 --> 00:53:06,763
Not just death,
but then this...just carnage.
743
00:53:06,763 --> 00:53:08,243
HE WAILS
744
00:53:10,483 --> 00:53:11,883
What I hoped to believe,
745
00:53:11,883 --> 00:53:17,083
all in the name of giving the Iraqi
people an opportunity for a...
746
00:53:17,083 --> 00:53:19,683
..for a better...
For a better deal for them.
747
00:53:22,163 --> 00:53:24,603
But, man,
sometimes it's hard to see that.
748
00:53:29,603 --> 00:53:34,683
My whole experience over months
with Colonel Sassaman was,
749
00:53:34,683 --> 00:53:36,963
it was a kind of descent,
750
00:53:36,963 --> 00:53:43,763
but it was totally clear that that
was the kind of logical progression
751
00:53:43,763 --> 00:53:45,883
of where things were headed,
you know?
752
00:53:45,883 --> 00:53:48,083
And not just with him,
but like everywhere.
753
00:53:48,083 --> 00:53:51,323
It was becoming more violent
everywhere, everywhere.
754
00:53:52,483 --> 00:53:54,523
GUNFIRE, SHOUTING
755
00:54:06,363 --> 00:54:10,563
And so, it became this kind of
psychotic, bloodthirsty, you know...
756
00:54:10,563 --> 00:54:12,563
"Begin the apocalypse of Iraq."
757
00:54:12,563 --> 00:54:15,523
GUNFIRE
758
00:54:17,203 --> 00:54:20,443
Once you think that
you've hit that threshold of, OK,
759
00:54:20,443 --> 00:54:22,883
this is the bottom now,
we've reached it...
760
00:54:24,163 --> 00:54:26,523
..obviously things
are going to get better.
761
00:54:26,523 --> 00:54:30,843
But no, got worse and worse
and worse and worse and worse.
762
00:54:40,523 --> 00:54:43,363
CAR HORNS
763
00:54:56,283 --> 00:55:00,723
In 2004, Nate Sassaman was
officially reprimanded
764
00:55:00,723 --> 00:55:02,443
after some of his men were convicted
765
00:55:02,443 --> 00:55:04,963
for the assault
of two Iraqi detainees.
766
00:55:07,243 --> 00:55:09,923
A year later,
he retired from the army.
767
00:55:09,923 --> 00:55:13,963
You know, I'm retired military.
I had the...
768
00:55:13,963 --> 00:55:18,483
..just the honour to lead
over 1,000 men and women in combat,
769
00:55:18,483 --> 00:55:22,283
and lucky us, we got to be right
in the middle of the Sunni Triangle,
770
00:55:22,283 --> 00:55:23,723
so it was really exciting.
771
00:55:23,723 --> 00:55:27,603
I had about five years of leadership
experiences packed into about
772
00:55:27,603 --> 00:55:29,883
13... 12, 13 months.
773
00:55:29,883 --> 00:55:31,363
Do you consider yourself a leader?
774
00:55:32,603 --> 00:55:35,523
AS VOICEOVER: I like just to say I
teach leadership. Yeah, I really
775
00:55:35,523 --> 00:55:38,643
enjoy being in the classroom. I have
a passion for people, you can see.
776
00:55:38,643 --> 00:55:42,403
It's relationship-based leadership.
You got to know your people.
777
00:55:42,403 --> 00:55:44,043
You got to know each other.
778
00:55:44,963 --> 00:55:49,643
VOICEOVER: As I sit here now
16 years later, I'm still trapped,
779
00:55:49,643 --> 00:55:53,243
commanding my battalion in Iraq,
and I can't get out of it.
780
00:55:56,243 --> 00:55:58,363
HE SIGHS
781
00:56:00,563 --> 00:56:03,203
It's not a physical fight,
it's a mental fight now.
782
00:56:07,963 --> 00:56:10,803
Trucks, as far as you can see.
783
00:56:10,803 --> 00:56:13,363
And there comes the new guys!
784
00:56:14,443 --> 00:56:16,363
Sad for them.
785
00:56:16,363 --> 00:56:19,003
Two little kids wandering by.
786
00:56:19,003 --> 00:56:21,363
You know what,
the kids were great.
787
00:56:21,363 --> 00:56:22,883
The kids were great.
788
00:56:22,883 --> 00:56:24,643
Right now we've got a whole...
789
00:56:26,043 --> 00:56:29,523
Kids just want to be kids,
and we robbed those kids of that.
790
00:56:29,523 --> 00:56:31,363
We did.
791
00:56:31,363 --> 00:56:32,683
We did that.
792
00:56:33,843 --> 00:56:37,083
We did that when we pressed
that button and we put everybody...
793
00:56:37,083 --> 00:56:38,723
And that's just...that's just it.
794
00:56:38,723 --> 00:56:42,203
War as an institution is pure evil.
795
00:56:42,203 --> 00:56:44,963
It's pure evil. But I just...
796
00:56:44,963 --> 00:56:47,563
You know, this is really
the sole reason I'm sitting
797
00:56:47,563 --> 00:56:50,763
in this chair,
is that when we get to 2038,
798
00:56:50,763 --> 00:56:53,723
and there's a whole nother
generation of lawmakers,
799
00:56:53,723 --> 00:56:58,283
instead of us rushing into things,
I feel like we rushed so badly,
800
00:56:58,283 --> 00:57:02,523
that we sit back and we go through
a whole bunch of other options
801
00:57:02,523 --> 00:57:06,163
before we set the force in action,
802
00:57:06,163 --> 00:57:10,043
because once the force is put into
action, you can't pull it back.
803
00:57:10,043 --> 00:57:12,283
SHOUTING AND SCREAMING ON VIDEO
804
00:57:17,443 --> 00:57:19,163
LOUD SCREAM
805
00:57:22,083 --> 00:57:23,963
SHE SNIFFS
806
00:57:31,003 --> 00:57:32,803
SHE CRIES
807
00:58:13,123 --> 00:58:15,683
Fallujah was bad from the beginning.
808
00:58:15,683 --> 00:58:18,603
It had become, like,
a giant car bomb factory.
809
00:58:30,203 --> 00:58:33,443
Every time I look at
the number of deaths,
810
00:58:33,443 --> 00:58:37,003
I see that one of those guys died
because of a decision that I made.
811
00:58:38,283 --> 00:58:40,683
I'm here today
because another man died.