HISTORY'S HOT SPOTS: The Iraq War - Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

This programme looks at the drastic failures whilst fighting the insurgency in Iraq and looks at what’s being done to turn that around.

A new counterinsurgency strategy began to take shape at the end of 2004, when U.S. commanders consulted counterinsurgency experts and reviewed successful counterinsurgencies in history.

Now the top priority is to handover the fight to the Iraqis by training them and advising them in the field. However, the progress in turning the fight over to the Iraqis has been slower than the Coalition originally hoped.

The Iraqis also recognised the need for a new strategy so they formed the Special Police Commandos, a tough new paramilitary force. They have been very effective, but, many say, at the expense of human rights.

Finally we look at the progress of combined American and Iraqi forces from late 2004 through the autumn of 2005 including all the major operations in Mosul, Samara, Baghdad and Tal Afar.