Inside Moqtada al-Sadr's Notorious Army

• published: 23 Jun 2014
• views: 101330

Rebel Stronghold (2004): They're now fighting the ISIS extremists approaching Baghdad from the north, but in 2004 Moqtada al-Sadr's militia were a major threat to US forces. Subscribe to Journeyman for more: http://www.youtube.com/journeymanpictures For downloads and more information visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=17838 It's a breeding ground for the armed Shiite opposition in Iraq. A place where government officials can no longer go and US soldiers come under daily attack. An American Humvee lies in flames, destroyed by a suicide bomber. Nearby a woman, blinded in the assault, begs for news of her mother. As people stop to help, snipers open fire, killing one Iraqi guardsman and wounding another. It's just one of five car bombings in Baghdad occurring on this day. Sadr city has become a war zone with US forces and their Iraqi National Guard allies fighting the Shiites. High levels of unemployment and a deterioration of living conditions have fuelled the insurgence. "I go out from the morning until the afternoon looking for work and I can't find it," complains Wassim. Like many residents, he's angry that the Americans have not delivered on their promises and has turned instead to Sadr's Mehdi army. "You have seen the rubbish on the streets. There is no water, the gutters are overflowing. Only the Mehdi army is cleaning it." With squalor and unemployment providing fertile grounds for insurgency groups, hopes of a peaceful resolution look slim. ABC Australia - Ref 2491 Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.