Cannon Fodder - Iraq

Aug 2004
Outgunned and under-resourced, the new Iraqi security force is forced to operate in hopelessly inadequate conditions. We join them on patrol.

A group of soldiers crouch down beside their car. It's morning in Baghdad. Already 27 soldiers have been wounded in a three hour battle with the resistance. As attacks like this show, the insurrection in Iraq is far from over. The new police force is regarded by many as an American proxy. "America uses Iraqis to strike Iraqis," complains Moqtada al-Sadr's spokesman, Abdul Hadi Al-Daraji. The police are seen as an easy target and their stations come under daily attack. Many officers lack even uniforms and arm themselves with weapons confiscated from rebels. This lack of resources forces them to rely on the Americans for back-up. But working with the US endangers them further. As one Iraqi soldier explains: "Whenever foreign forces are present, our post gets attacked."

Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures