0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting
0:00:06 > 0:00:10The British Army in 2017 finds itself in uncharted territory.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12RADIO CHATTER
0:00:12 > 0:00:14They've not been at war for three years.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16RAPID GUNFIRE
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Yeah, move!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23After controversial campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26there's a political reluctance to put boots on the ground.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Afghanistan has taken an horrendous toll on our regiment,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34absolutely horrendous.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37You will struggle to find anyone who hasn't lost a friend.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40PROTESTORS CHANT
0:00:40 > 0:00:43There's also widespread opposition to military intervention.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50The Army's budgets are under increasing pressure.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55They could go and manoeuvre without firing ammunition,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00it saves you 2 million of the 3.8 that you hope to save.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02The British Army is smaller than it's been
0:01:02 > 0:01:04probably since Cromwell's day,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and I would want to look myself very closely in the mirror
0:01:07 > 0:01:09if I felt that there was a risk of the Army being sent to do something
0:01:09 > 0:01:12that it wasn't properly prepared to do.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13GUNFIRE
0:01:14 > 0:01:17But now, with the rise of the so-called Islamic State...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23..the threat of a new Cold War in Eastern Europe...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25RAPID GUNFIRE
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Wait!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30..and famine and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34..the British Army have to play a new role
0:01:34 > 0:01:36in a deeply unstable world.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39How many patients do you usually see a day?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41700 to 800.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Filmed over 18 months,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48this series takes us into the heart of the British Army...
0:01:49 > 0:01:52How many Russians are across the border? 100,000 odd?
0:01:52 > 0:01:53Yeah, a lot.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56..through the eyes of the rank and file...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59No-one else has operated in Estonia before.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01This is completely different from Afghanistan
0:02:01 > 0:02:03and Iraq.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05..and the leaders.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- General. How are you? - Good to see you.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Very nice to see you, too.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13We see the challenges of fighting wars when we are not at war.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18The days of going out and fighting the enemy, such as Isis,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21for reasons above our pay grade, that doesn't happen any more.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26In this episode, the Army return to Iraq,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28where they have a bloody history.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31Can we just search you?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34About three weeks ago we met a bloke that was fighting us in Basra.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Only cos his family got killed by the British
0:02:36 > 0:02:37that he decided to fight us,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39so I can see his side of the story as well.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Now, they are helping the Iraqis defeat so-called Islamic State.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Since the Mosul battle started, how many vehicles
0:02:49 > 0:02:51have you managed to take, damaged from the front line,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53fix them, and get them back up to the front line?
0:02:59 > 0:03:01As the battle for Mosul begins...
0:03:03 > 0:03:06..we are with the regiments operating behind the front line.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11One of the Iraqis, his family was being held by Daesh, and they were
0:03:11 > 0:03:14threatening to hurt his family if he didn't shoot one of us.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17One of the ways we look at it
0:03:17 > 0:03:21is to be charming to every single person that we meet and work with,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23but to always have a plan to kill them.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Can the Army face off their enemies, find lasting peace,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and avoid being drawn into costly new wars?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49THEY COUNT IN THEIR LANGUAGE
0:03:55 > 0:03:57HE GIVES ORDERS
0:04:05 > 0:04:08British soldiers from 1 Rifles regiment
0:04:08 > 0:04:10are in northern Iraq.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14They have just weeks to train a group of Kurdish recruits
0:04:14 > 0:04:17to fight the so-called Islamic State,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19known locally as Daesh.
0:04:23 > 0:04:261 Platoon, listen in, listen to me.
0:04:27 > 0:04:3025-year-old Lieutenant Jamie Robertson
0:04:30 > 0:04:32is on his first overseas operation.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Quite simply, the main aim is to train them
0:04:36 > 0:04:38to be able to defeat Daesh.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It is definitely a very different tour for a lot of people.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Particularly a lot of the guys that have been to Afghanistan before,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45it's taken a while to adjust.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Thanks very much, sir.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49We train to fight,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51that's our bread and butter, that's what we do.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55So, to then take that and pass it on to someone else
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and let them do the fighting definitely was strange,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59I think initially, for a lot of people.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00ROLL CALL
0:05:02 > 0:05:08When the so-called Islamic State captured Mosul in 2014,
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Ibrahim Diab was a student.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Now, he's in charge of a new regiment, called the Green Eagles.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Many are civilians,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19with little or no combat experience.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Do you think the urban stuff in the buildings,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27is that more useful than some of the countryside,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28rural stuff we were doing?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49This is probably the most likely formation you're going to use.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The Green Eagles are part of the Kurdish Peshmerga,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57a mixture of Christians, Kurds and other Iraqi minorities.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So if you'll stand up...
0:05:59 > 0:06:01All groups that have been brutally targeted
0:06:01 > 0:06:04by the so-called Islamic State.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Obviously, there's a lot of openings in an urban environment.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10If someone steps out with a machine gun, it can hurt a lot more people.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17They're not always a regular force that have been trained before.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20They're taxi drivers, they're local farmers
0:06:20 > 0:06:23that on the weekends have volunteered to come out and fight.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25They might have owned an AK for the last 30 years,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27but never been taught how to use it properly.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Taking someone that's got absolutely no experience and knowing
0:06:30 > 0:06:34in five or ten weeks' time they're going to be going to the front line
0:06:34 > 0:06:35and they're going to be fighting,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and it's our responsibility to put them in the best stead for it,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41yeah, that is challenging.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Keep the spacing like that.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49The Green Eagles need training but no motivation to fight.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52All the IEDs are marked, so stop walking on glass
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and patrol like you normally would, OK?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01In 2014, the so-called Islamic State,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04IS, swept across Iraq,
0:07:04 > 0:07:05seizing a third of the country.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11An international coalition, including Britain,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15targeted their strongholds with air strikes, weakening their grip.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20But IS still controlled the city of Mosul,
0:07:20 > 0:07:21home to 1.5 million people.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28To defeat IS, Mosul must be liberated.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Would he mind telling us how he lost his family members?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Was that in the fighting?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08HE TRANSLATES
0:08:14 > 0:08:16- REPORTER: - The headlines this morning.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Iraqi forces have launched an offensive against fighters
0:08:19 > 0:08:22from the Islamic State group to recapture the city of Mosul.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28At first light, they advance on so-called Islamic State.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31Zero hour had finally come...
0:08:33 > 0:08:36..bringing an offensive that could decide the fate
0:08:36 > 0:08:40of the extremists and ultimately of Iraq itself.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07With the battle for Mosul underway, General Jones,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11the deputy commander of an international coalition
0:09:11 > 0:09:12of 69 countries,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and the most senior British Army officer in Iraq,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20is travelling to ensure the Kurdish Green Eagles will be ready to fight.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23All right, guys, great to see you. Thanks very much.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Nice to see you.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Everything with Daesh is done in a calculated manner.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42As the Iraqi Security Forces advance towards Mosul,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Daesh caused that damage and destruction,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and the oil wells have been burning ever since.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52They know that smoke reduces the effectiveness of our surveillance
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and our strikes and makes our lives harder.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58In Mosul, we can absolutely guarantee
0:09:58 > 0:10:00that today there will be beheadings going on.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02There will be people being thrown into burning oil pits.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04You know, this is a brutal, brutal regime.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Liberating Mosul is a vital stage in the defeat of Daesh in Iraq.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30The hard yards in retaking Mosul
0:10:30 > 0:10:32is being done by the Iraqi Security Forces.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33We're not doing the fighting.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38We're here to support them with advice, and then on the ground
0:10:38 > 0:10:40provide them with air support and surveillance.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Shape the battlefield.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Set the conditions for the Iraqis when they attack,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49identifying enemy positions in advance and striking them.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It might take a little longer than it might if we were doing it,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but it lays the ground for a far more lasting solution
0:10:57 > 0:11:00cos they are the ones who have liberated their country,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02and I think that is very powerful for the future.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12- Hello, Jamie, how are you? - I ain't bad.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- All OK?- Yeah, good to see you.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16And you. What's happening?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19So, what we've got, this is one of the platoons here which is going
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- through defence lessons.- Yeah.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- They kind of go for a more medieval style of...- Defend the fort.- Yeah.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- Absolutely. - Hold the walls and hunker in.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35What they initially did was just line everyone on this berm.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38So we are trying to teach them that if you can stop them further ahead
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and have this as the last line, it's that buffer, it creates time,
0:11:41 > 0:11:42- creates space.- Absolutely.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And what level of experience have these guys got?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47It's a big mixture.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The role of the British Army is very different
0:11:54 > 0:11:56to the last time they were here.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04When allied forces overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06they were initially welcomed as liberators.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But liberators quickly became occupiers,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and the Iraqi population turned against them.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21179 British soldiers were killed in action.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Iraq has been torn apart by sectarian violence since,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30a situation IS has exploited.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The British military, I think it's fair to say,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38would feel they've got some unfinished business.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43I think there was probably a degree of frustration as to the outcome.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Was it nested to the very best political strategy?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49That is for others to comment upon.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I guess what I would say is that
0:12:51 > 0:12:54because of the way this campaign has been fought,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I would hope that the government of Iraq and Iraqi security forces will
0:12:57 > 0:13:01have a kind of credibility, an authority,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03that wasn't there previously.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Jamie, thank you very much. I will... I shall see you later on.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Thank you.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18This new role for the British Army leaves them in an uncertain position
0:13:18 > 0:13:21against an enemy who has a hatred of the West.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31A week into the battle for Mosul,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33IS launched numerous attacks
0:13:33 > 0:13:35in towns across Iraq.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37THEY SHOUT
0:13:46 > 0:13:50One attack is in Al Anbar province, western Iraq.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The region was once a base for Al-Qaeda.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Now it's a stronghold for IS.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07250 British soldiers
0:14:07 > 0:14:08from 4 Rifles regiment
0:14:08 > 0:14:10have been sent here
0:14:10 > 0:14:12to protect a strategically important
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Iraqi airbase at Al Asad.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21The route we're going to take is we are just going to dismount,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23we're going to walk through the abandoned tubes,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25all the way along, through the running track,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27down by the cinema,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and drop down into the IF Sec-4 HQ.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37That's clear, mate, that's us clear of you.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Yeah, so you can move forward if you want.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47During the last Iraq war,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50thousands of American troops were stationed at Al Asad.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54They had a nickname, Camp Cupcake,
0:14:54 > 0:15:00cos it had all the sort of...all the luxuries that you get back home.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04So, for the Americans, it was actually a really good posting.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06But it's obviously not like that any more.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09As you can see, there's an outdoor pool.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Up further down there, there's like a stadium with an athletics track.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15There's all sorts of stuff here, really.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It would have been nice to have that now,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19especially in the summer, with the swimming pool.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The base covers 25 square miles.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Its size makes it difficult to defend.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The main thing for us is to keep vigilant, not let yourself get lax,
0:15:30 > 0:15:31not let your guard down.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36DISTANT EXPLOSIONS
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Lance Corporal Steve Smith fought against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48But the British Army's role here is very different.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51They can't leave the base or actively seek out the enemy.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Once Mosul is done, the question
0:15:55 > 0:15:57we've really got to ask ourselves is,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01what are Daesh going to look at doing next?
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Are they going to look at coming...
0:16:02 > 0:16:04infiltrating more into this area?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Are they going to become more of a small insurgency in different towns?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12As-Salaam-Alaikum.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's easy to identify a uniformed enemy,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17but the minute they stop becoming uniformed
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and start fitting in with the local population,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22that's when it is a trickier task.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35Before 4 Rifles arrived, Al Asad was under constant attack from IS.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37DISTANT VOICES
0:16:37 > 0:16:38GUNFIRE
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Hello!
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Hello!
0:16:57 > 0:16:58SHOUTING
0:17:00 > 0:17:02GUNFIRE
0:17:06 > 0:17:09They infiltrated them, and I believe they sort of...
0:17:09 > 0:17:12..sort of moved around the buildings,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and that's why we are doing patrols like this, is to monitor what...
0:17:15 > 0:17:19..to get used what buildings are in use,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and then when buildings start getting used again,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24we can start asking why.
0:17:34 > 0:17:40Hundreds of Iraqi National Army soldiers are stationed at Al Asad.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41THEY CHANT
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Their job is to cut the flow of IS fighters
0:17:46 > 0:17:50crossing the Syrian border 100 miles away
0:17:50 > 0:17:51and joining the fight in Mosul.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The coalition has brought in heavy artillery
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and state-of-the-art surveillance equipment
0:18:05 > 0:18:07to protect the Iraqi army.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Belt-fed weapon, four-round bursts, supposedly high calibre,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19so the only ones that it could be are a PK or a DshK,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21and 5,900 mils from 73.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25There is now no freedom of movement
0:18:25 > 0:18:29through that corridor from the south, from the north,
0:18:29 > 0:18:30anywhere down towards Baghdad
0:18:30 > 0:18:33or up towards Mosul without us
0:18:33 > 0:18:35being able to get eyes on it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The idea being that we now constrict them
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and then push them into a single location,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42push them back towards the Syrian border,
0:18:42 > 0:18:47clearing Iraq of all Daesh activity and fighters.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Uh, centre, so...
0:18:51 > 0:18:52Any kind of movement.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56We are still in a hostile environment
0:18:56 > 0:18:58where anything can happen,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02so things can change, you know, at a snap of a finger.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04All the guys just need to be ready.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21General Jones oversees the coalition's strategy
0:19:21 > 0:19:22to liberate Mosul.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26OK, team.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Hello, sir.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Hi, team. Who's briefing?
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Seven weeks into the battle,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Iraqi forces are now fighting inside the east of the city.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- The biggest progress of the day is on the core axis.- Yep.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41You had forces that were right here,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45had a foothold secured in the southeastern portion of Mosul.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Any other developments that I need?
0:19:47 > 0:19:49There's been a number of VBIEDs.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50We've seen about eight today.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54One was up on CTS forces, the others were focused on the advancing forces
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- in the south.- So that advance on the hospital had seven VBIEDs
0:19:57 > 0:19:58- against it?- Yes, sir.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Vehicles they use for these assaults, brutal weapon.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The Iraqi Security Forces are pretty terrified of them.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Daesh's industry of war is on a very significant scale,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21and it requires explosives on a very large scale.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26A very well fabricated platform,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28perfectly designed for the job they're there for,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32which is to get an explosive device at speed down in amongst
0:20:32 > 0:20:33the Iraqi Security Forces.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43IS have launched over 200 VBIED attacks in the first
0:20:43 > 0:20:4551 days of the battle for Mosul...
0:20:47 > 0:20:49..killing thousands of Iraqi soldiers.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Unlike past campaigns,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06General Jones can't put coalition troops on the ground
0:21:06 > 0:21:08to solve their problem.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13He is flying to the Iraqi army Forward Operating Base,
0:21:13 > 0:21:14south of Mosul
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and must find another way to help stop the heavy death toll
0:21:18 > 0:21:21of Iraqi soldiers.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26I guess I understand better than most people the true cost of war.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29My father was killed in the Falklands War
0:21:29 > 0:21:31commanding a parachute battalion
0:21:31 > 0:21:34at the Battle of Goose Green and was awarded the Victoria Cross
0:21:34 > 0:21:37for his troubles.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I undoubtedly feel motivated by the values he stood for.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47The world has changed enormously since 1982, but I quite regularly,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49in my professional career,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52refer to him and, in my mind, what he might have done
0:21:52 > 0:21:54in a set of circumstances.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The Iraqi security forces, as they press into Mosul,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13are taking pretty heavy attrition in terms of their vehicles,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14and as Daesh throws
0:22:14 > 0:22:17suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices at them,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21a lot of the vehicles are getting damaged and destroyed.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And if we're going to keep the Iraqis in the fight,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26we need to repair their vehicles, we need to get them fresh vehicles.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33They'll just download here and move...migrate the equipment over.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35And the track vehicles will all get worked on
0:22:35 > 0:22:37just right out in the open, sir.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Very temporary.- Yeah.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43A quarter of the Iraqi army's vehicles
0:22:43 > 0:22:45have now been destroyed by IS.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50General Jones fears the offensive to take back Mosul could be
0:22:50 > 0:22:52in serious trouble.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Aha!
0:22:53 > 0:22:56General, how are you?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- Good to see you.- Very nice to see you, too. How are you?
0:22:59 > 0:23:03General Hassan al-Maliki is in charge of logistic support
0:23:03 > 0:23:05for the Iraqi army in Mosul.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10How does a broken vehicle get from the front line back to here?
0:23:15 > 0:23:19If a Humvee needs a new tyre, do you send the tyre forward,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21does the vehicle come back here, how does it work?
0:23:24 > 0:23:25Since the Mosul battle started,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28how many vehicles have you managed to take damaged from the front line,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31back to Taji, fix them, and get them back out to the front line?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37That is the bit that we've got to work on,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39is see how we can get some of these battle-damaged vehicles
0:23:39 > 0:23:41back forward faster.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48The coalition has spent over 550 million arming
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and training the Iraqi army.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55But even General Jones cannot control how they choose to deploy
0:23:55 > 0:23:57their resources.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02You know, it had that air of
0:24:02 > 0:24:05almost being there for demonstration purposes.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07You know, so people were lined up...
0:24:09 > 0:24:12..to kind of almost show us what great work they were doing,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15but there was kind of no real evidence of work going on.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Is that fair?
0:24:20 > 0:24:24There's less investment going on here than I thought there was.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The next day, General Jones calls a crisis meeting with Iraqi and
0:24:35 > 0:24:36coalition generals.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41He must convince the Iraqis to improve their military planning...
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Very nice to see you. As-Salaam-Alaikum.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46..else the battle for Mosul could fail.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I think the vehicles that we really want to focus on today are probably
0:24:52 > 0:24:57Humvees, those are the key vehicle for the fight for Mosul.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We are now using vehicles that we were keeping
0:25:01 > 0:25:03for after the Battle of Mosul.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06So, at the beginning of a battle, we move at the speed of the fighter,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09but very soon we start moving at the speed of logistics,
0:25:09 > 0:25:10and we are at that point right now.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13So we are very interested in what the plan is to recover the damaged
0:25:13 > 0:25:16vehicles, then repair them, and then return them.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I think what we need to try to help you with is,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45as the vehicles come back down,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47the ones that are really badly damaged,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49leave them at the back of the queue.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We take the ones that are battle-damaged that can be fixed
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and can be got back into the fight in a matter of days,
0:25:56 > 0:25:57those are the ones where I would
0:25:57 > 0:25:59advise we should be putting our effort.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The speed of logistics has to catch up to the speed of the fighter right
0:26:02 > 0:26:05now, and really the momentum in Mosul will depend on
0:26:05 > 0:26:07how quickly we can turn out particularly Humvees
0:26:07 > 0:26:08from the third and the fourth line.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13We always knew that Mosul would be a tough fight, it is a tough fight.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I would say that Daesh are fighting harder than they ever have before.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And they are not giving up easily.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21What we've then got to try and do is help coach them,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23help them refine their tactics,
0:26:23 > 0:26:24and then also look at how we keep
0:26:24 > 0:26:27the Iraqi security forces in the fight.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Any military only succeeds because of its logistics,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and we need to make sure the logistics of sustainment is there,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36so the Iraqis can keep up the fight all the way through Mosul.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41Thank you very much. Shukran.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49Thank you very much. I think reasonably positive, small steps.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02You've had the intelligence that a suspect or someone,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05a vehicle that needs to be searched, somewhat suspicious,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07is going to be passing through this location.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10All these stones, all these represent is a road.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Need to make sure that all your section, however many blokes it is,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16they are not fixated on that vehicle,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18because that could just be just a "come on",
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and you could have enemy around this area here.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23On the ground in northern Iraq,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28IS's VBIEDs are striking fear into the Green Eagles.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35This is the most dangerous threat that the Peshmerga face.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41They are invariably very difficult to destroy and incredibly effective,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and quite simple to make. This one is a Ford F-150 truck.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47They just stick a load of armoured plating on the front
0:27:47 > 0:27:49and then fill the back with explosives,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and then just drive head on into the Peshmerga,
0:27:51 > 0:27:56with a guy in the front that's ready to give his life.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58This is quite a small one.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02We get asked a lot by the Pesh, how do we try to take these on?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04The main thing that we try and do, cos, as you can see,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07the armour on the front, this is where the whole focus is,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11so it is about making the vehicle turn to expose the softer rears.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Always try and make chicanes that they have to manoeuvre around
0:28:14 > 0:28:15to expose the vulnerable points.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19But this really is what strikes fear into the Peshmerga the most,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and quite rightly so.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26It is a very crude, very effective tool against them, and hard to stop.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31British military tactics only go so far.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40IS has an army of volunteers ready to drive the VBIEDs.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47As part of their propaganda, they post the selection process online.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59That was genuine happiness.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01That he gets to be the next suicide bomber.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06It's a hard mind-set to try and understand. The best way to try and
0:29:06 > 0:29:07work out how someone fights,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10to counter it, is try and put yourself in their shoes.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16But obviously, it is very difficult, from our point of view,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18to try and get into that mind-set.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25Daesh have absolutely no regard for the preservation of life,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and to us, the British Army and the Peshmerga here,
0:29:27 > 0:29:29that is fundamental to everything we do -
0:29:29 > 0:29:31we are fighting to protect life.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Ibrahim and the Green Eagles
0:30:03 > 0:30:06will be sent to the front line in a matter of weeks.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Can you raise your hand if you have a weapon with you
0:30:13 > 0:30:15that you can bring in to training tomorrow?
0:30:15 > 0:30:19SHE TRANSLATES
0:30:22 > 0:30:26The coalition has supplied the Peshmerga with guns and ammunition,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29but all resources are now being used inside Mosul.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39When we first started the training this week,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43about 80% of them had an AK-47 with them,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45but that number has dropped off now and what we've found is that
0:30:45 > 0:30:48whichever member of the family needs it the most that day,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51because they go to the front line, they'll take that weapon with them,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55so we've gone from 80% weapons to about 20-30 now,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57which makes obviously training quite difficult.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59GUNSHOT
0:31:24 > 0:31:27The British Army is walking a political tightrope
0:31:27 > 0:31:29in helping both the Kurdish Peshmerga
0:31:29 > 0:31:31and the Iraqi National Army.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37The Kurds want Mosul to be part of an independent Kurdish state.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Their plan is vehemently opposed by the Iraqi government.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Do you ever fear, you've trained all these different
0:31:48 > 0:31:49parts of Iraqi society,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52that what could happen in the future could be detrimental?
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Yeah, so, I mean, there's an argument that says
0:31:56 > 0:31:59liberating town or city is the easy part.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Easy being relative, you know, it's a tough fight,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03but you know what you've got to do.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06You've got to fight your way through the town and the city.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08The greater challenge that the government of Iraq has
0:32:08 > 0:32:10is what follows.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14What the international community has got to help Baghdad with
0:32:14 > 0:32:16is after Daesh is defeated.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18How you draw society together.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Reconciling communities will be a great challenge.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32At Al Asad, there have been fresh suicide attacks near the base.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35OK, so an update to the enemy picture.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Significant events, so they've received two incidents of incoming,
0:32:39 > 0:32:44one coming from Haditha, which is approximately here,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and another coming from Sagra.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Again, what that's showing is Daesh's will to continue fighting.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53They're willing to hold that ground and fight for that ground.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Of note is two suicide bombers
0:32:55 > 0:32:58that struck Isil positions along Highway 19.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Essentially, one of them was killed before he could detonate his vest
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and the other successfully detonated.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Two friendly KIAs and two friendly wounded.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16B Dock, India 1-0 Alpha.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Permission to enter friendly lines, 2 by 11. Over.
0:33:20 > 0:33:2325-year-old Lieutenant Pete Enriques
0:33:23 > 0:33:27is observing a US Marine mortar team on the outer perimeter.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29India 1-0 Alpha.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36In the last attack on Al Asad, IS infiltrated the base,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38sneaking through the riverbeds.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44The Americans are taking offensive action to prevent another attack.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Fire!
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Fire!
0:33:55 > 0:33:57It goes to show how determined these people are.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02Crawling in five days on your belt buckle, on your chest is...
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I mean, that's pretty grim.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07We do a fair old bit of crawling but I can't have possibly imagined
0:34:07 > 0:34:09doing it for five days.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12By firing the mortars, it sends that clear warning that, yeah,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15we know what you're up to and we know what routes you take in.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18It's a pretty aggressive deterrent to Daesh,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21that if they want to try it again, look, we're here,
0:34:21 > 0:34:22we're not afraid to shoot.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Come and get it if you really want, sort of thing.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Give them some room behind us.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44We signed up to the infantry, we signed up to the Army,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48because we wanted to pick up a rifle and get directly involved.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Having to answer the hard questions that the riflemen are asking,
0:34:52 > 0:34:53because they're intelligent guys,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57having to put a positive spin on why they can't necessarily go out
0:34:57 > 0:35:01into the area outside of Al Asad airbase when they'd like to.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03So, it is frustrating.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06It's an entirely different type of war fighting.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Good morning. Salaam-Alaikum. - Salaam-Alaikum.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Lance Corporal Smith and Rifleman Cockayne
0:35:21 > 0:35:24man checkpoints to search Iraqi civilians who work on the base.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30IS could recruit one of them to launch a suicide attack.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33We're just looking for any signs
0:35:33 > 0:35:36that would indicate someone is not normal.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37It's cold, innit?
0:35:37 > 0:35:40If someone isn't welcoming, there's got to be a reason why.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43The best way to look at it is
0:35:43 > 0:35:44someone that's about to have a fight,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46someone that wants to cause trouble,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48they don't tend to be part of the group.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50They tend to be just on that outside,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53being a bit itchy, being a bit twitchy and basically
0:35:53 > 0:35:55getting ready to strike.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Someone that's going to cause an insider threat is usually the same.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Yes, so it's the AND workers.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06So, literally, 5 through to 11. Over.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13They're just like people back home.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14They're friendly enough.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17I don't have a problem with them.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19I like 'em. They've got good banter.
0:36:22 > 0:36:254 Rifles' role is a delicate balancing act.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31As long as we're here helping them, they're going to be on our side.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36The minute we stop helping them, or the minute we do something wrong
0:36:36 > 0:36:39is when they'll switch and turn against us.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41At the end of the day, this is their country.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43We're coming here. While we're trying to help them,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46you've got to show them respect
0:36:46 > 0:36:50and not treat them like second-class human beings.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Which is maybe the mistake
0:36:51 > 0:36:55that other coalitions have made in the past.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57So, that's a big emphasis, is treating them
0:36:57 > 0:36:59with the proper respect that they deserve.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02And if all else fails, just say Manchester United.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03- They love it.- Love it!
0:37:07 > 0:37:10THEY CHANT
0:37:12 > 0:37:154 Rifles are also training hundreds of soldiers
0:37:15 > 0:37:17from the Iraqi National Army at Al Asad.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25In an area of widespread support for IS,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27this poses a higher level of threat
0:37:27 > 0:37:29than working with the Kurdish Peshmerga.
0:37:33 > 0:37:374 Rifles have intelligence that IS are trying to blackmail
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and turn some of the Iraqi soldiers against them.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- OK, Salaam-Alaikum.- Salaam.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- Ismee Woody.- Woody.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48And today, I'm going to teach you how to search routes.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54As a Guardian Angel, my particular job is to observe the Iraqis
0:37:54 > 0:37:56who are under training,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59just to make sure that they're not going to pose any threat
0:37:59 > 0:38:03to the British or coalition chaps who are delivering that training.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07- We have three types of IEDs. - HE TRANSLATES
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Can anyone name them?
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Captain Tom Legg is the first line of defence
0:38:11 > 0:38:13against an insider threat.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Probably the main threat that we face from the Iraqis
0:38:18 > 0:38:21is actually one of them being coerced, so for example,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24we've already had a situation where one of the Iraqis,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26his family was being held by Daesh
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and they were threatening to hurt his family
0:38:29 > 0:38:30if he didn't shoot one of us.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34At this point, the rear man will work his way, searching up the road.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37He'll reach the marks and he'll make his own mark.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I don't think anyone likes the idea that somebody that you could have
0:38:40 > 0:38:44built up a relationship with could then harm you but unfortunately
0:38:44 > 0:38:46you've got to be aware of it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52One of the ways we look at it is to be charming to every single person
0:38:52 > 0:38:55that we meet and work with but to always have a plan to kill them.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06A further threat to 4 Rifles
0:39:06 > 0:39:09is some of the Iraqi soldiers they are now training
0:39:09 > 0:39:13were their sworn enemies just a decade ago in the last Iraq War.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21Rifleman Adam Barham still bears the scars of that conflict.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26I took a bit of a grenade coming in the back of our wagon.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29And it exploded and it hit me in the side of the head, up the side,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32I've got bits. I've got a bit come out of my nose the other day.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34I don't know if you can see it there.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35When I was in the gym the other day,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37it popped out of my eye and got stuck in my nose.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43About three weeks ago, we met a bloke that was fighting us in Basra,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46so we started speaking to him and he said that he was part of the army
0:39:46 > 0:39:48we were fighting down there. It's a bit weird,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50knowing that he could have been the one shooting at us.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53He said he was sorry for what he did,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55but he was just trying to defend his country.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57It's only because his family got killed by the British
0:39:57 > 0:39:59that he decided to fight us.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01So, I can see his side of the story as well.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16As neighbourhoods are liberated in east Mosul,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19tens of thousands of civilians flee to refugee camps.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Humanitarian planning for Mosul was based on a worst-case scenario,
0:40:44 > 0:40:49where the entire population of Mosul leaves their homes.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53The government of Iraq advice is to stay at home
0:40:53 > 0:40:54so long as it's safe to do so.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Prime Minister Abadi, he's walking a kind of tightrope
0:40:58 > 0:41:00between the risks to the populations -
0:41:00 > 0:41:02do they stay in the city, compared with the risks
0:41:02 > 0:41:05of a humanitarian catastrophe if they come out of the city?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Many are ignoring the government's advice.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21This way? OK.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26General Jones worries the huge numbers
0:41:26 > 0:41:28could overwhelm the Iraqi army
0:41:28 > 0:41:31and divert resources away from the battle.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42I'd very much welcome your thoughts on the situation
0:41:42 > 0:41:44and where we might be going next.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08If we start getting very large numbers of people
0:42:08 > 0:42:09coming out of the city,
0:42:09 > 0:42:15that will very quickly overwhelm the ministry organisations
0:42:15 > 0:42:17but also the international community.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52The eyes of the world is on Mosul and the last thing we want
0:42:52 > 0:42:56is the fantastic liberation of the city by the Iraqi security forces
0:42:56 > 0:42:59to be compromised by the humanitarian situation.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- Thank you very much.- Shukran.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09The Iraqi strategy of keeping residents in Mosul
0:43:09 > 0:43:12is an uneasy compromise for General Jones.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17It means the civilians are at risk from collateral damage.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18Shukran. Very nice to see you.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Yeah, no, it'd be really good to have a quick look.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- The colonel seems a good guy.- He is.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28What you can't do is just look for quick wins, you know,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32think that the retaking a town, a city, is the end of the story.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It's absolutely not. You've got to follow through on it.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37You know, if you look at Mosul, the last thing anybody wants,
0:43:37 > 0:43:38least of all Prime Minster Abadi,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42is for the story of the liberation of Mosul to be overshadowed
0:43:42 > 0:43:44by some kind of humanitarian disaster.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47So, there's a direct correlation between victory on the battlefield
0:43:47 > 0:43:49and managing the civilian population.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57One million civilians are still trapped inside Mosul.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02They are not just at risk of collateral damage.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07IS are holding thousands of them hostage
0:44:07 > 0:44:08and using them as human shields.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15They have executed nearly 3,000 who tried to escape.
0:44:22 > 0:44:2650 miles away, 1 Rifles are training the Green Eagles on how to counter
0:44:26 > 0:44:28IS's use of human shields.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Right, clear!
0:44:33 > 0:44:35Particularly in the urban environment,
0:44:35 > 0:44:39it's really important that wherever you look, your rifle looks as well.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40So, when you come through a doorway,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42instead of just looking left and right,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44if you look, your weapon goes.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46At no point do you want to expose the doorway,
0:44:46 > 0:44:47otherwise someone inside will see you.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51This is the most dangerous environment that you can operate in.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Going through buildings. There's so many blind corners.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57It gives massive advantages to the people in there, defending,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59so you've got to be confident, you've got to be sure of yourself.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02The second you hesitate in a doorway,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04or you go round a corner without somebody following you,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06that's when mistakes will happen.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08Not bad. So, now, you're covering this door now, yeah?
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Ibrahim and the Green Eagles have now finished their training.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21They will be sent to liberate Bashiqa, on the edge of Mosul.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25We have become quite good friends.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28Let's go, you'll lose it!
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Every day, when we're training, he's always the first one there,
0:45:31 > 0:45:33immaculately turned out, working the hardest.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Go!
0:45:35 > 0:45:37He's clearly very proud and wants to do very well.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40So, it's going to be slightly strange,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43him going off into the battle and us staying here
0:45:43 > 0:45:46and not necessarily knowing exactly what's going on.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50- Yeah!- Yeah!
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Look, your officer's doing it! Mine's doing it.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13As areas surrounding east Mosul are liberated,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16the coalition and Iraqi army face a new set of problems.
0:46:18 > 0:46:24Each town and a city being liberated out of the east of Mosul,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27absolutely riddled with improvised explosive devices.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29Thousands upon thousands of them.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Everywhere. You open your fridge, it detonates.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36You get in bed, you put your head on the pillow, the pillow detonates.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I mean, there are just IEDs riddled everywhere.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43So, it's going to be a very, very major job to clear those devices.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48Are they essentially their engineers?
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Not always, they can be...
0:47:50 > 0:47:53- Some of the courses that we run, they could be search-aware.- Yes.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56To help clear IEDs from liberated areas,
0:47:56 > 0:48:01British engineers are giving another group of Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers
0:48:01 > 0:48:02specialist training.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06HE SHOUTS IN KURDISH
0:48:11 > 0:48:13So, you can see there, he's checking with his Vallon
0:48:13 > 0:48:17and he's also keeping his head up, looking for anything else in depth.
0:48:18 > 0:48:23Corporal Scott Holloway spent months clearing IEDs in Afghanistan.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26We're using all the experience that we've gained
0:48:26 > 0:48:29within Afghanistan and Iraq before.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32We're bringing all of that knowledge across to the Kurds.
0:48:32 > 0:48:33We are seen as the best in the world,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35so if people want to use our knowledge,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39I would be more than happy to impart what I know onto them.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43We teach them the gold standard, the best way to do everything.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45However, we know it's not always
0:48:45 > 0:48:46going to work like that on the ground.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49So, whether they need to adapt that when they're out there
0:48:49 > 0:48:51is down to them on the ground.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53The man here's doing it spot on.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55So, any tripwire feels, he's doing it correct.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58The other thing he's doing is looking inside the window,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00looking if there's any potential devices.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02HE TRANSLATES
0:49:02 > 0:49:04So, if there's anyone else doing this,
0:49:04 > 0:49:06I want to see you do it just like this man.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11Lieutenant Rashid and his unit have just returned from the front line.
0:49:23 > 0:49:24Was this all found in the same place?
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Their mentality is they've always had a warrior sort of background.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34They're always thinking they want to be the guy
0:49:34 > 0:49:36to plant the flag after it's all done.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Be the hero and the warrior of the day.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42So, they're now actually quite eager to get back out there
0:49:42 > 0:49:44and show what they're made of, really.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Actually, when they leave here,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49they are going to go away and do some pretty scary stuff.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52It's like sending your children off to school.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Happy, but also, at the same time you're thinking,
0:49:54 > 0:49:56"Oh, what could happen in that playground, you know?"
0:49:56 > 0:49:58Anything could happen.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12HE SHOUTS IN ARABIC
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Weeks after Ibrahim left the British Army,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19his Green Eagles regiment helped to liberate Bashiqa
0:50:19 > 0:50:21on the outskirts of Mosul.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Now, Ibrahim must ensure all IS fighters and sympathisers
0:50:54 > 0:50:58have left the town, so residents can return home.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37The battle for Bashiqa was fierce.
0:51:37 > 0:51:3990 Peshmerga soldiers were killed.
0:51:58 > 0:52:03IS hid in a vast network of tunnels to avoid coalition air strikes
0:52:03 > 0:52:05and launch counterattacks behind enemy lines.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11The Green Eagles have begun to clear the tunnels of IEDs.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25The Iraqi army says its troops have seized
0:53:25 > 0:53:27nearly all of the eastern half of Mosul
0:53:27 > 0:53:30from the self-styled Islamic State.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33This morning, Iraqi General Talib Al-Shaghati
0:53:33 > 0:53:35made the announcement
0:53:35 > 0:53:37that the army had accomplished its goals in eastern Mosul.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49It's taken 94 days to liberate half of Mosul.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53The coalition's new role in the war has been controversial.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Independent monitors claim 1,400 civilians
0:54:00 > 0:54:02have been killed in coalition air strikes.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11We will do everything in our power to defeat Daesh,
0:54:11 > 0:54:13kill Daesh in the field of battle
0:54:13 > 0:54:15without causing any civilian casualties,
0:54:15 > 0:54:19but regrettably, in some instances, there will be civilian casualties.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22If we did nothing, there'd be a great deal more civilian casualties
0:54:22 > 0:54:24because Daesh are killing the civilian population
0:54:24 > 0:54:26on a daily basis.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29So, there's no sort of really easy way around this.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38The cost of fighting IS in Iraq has been enormous.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07As the battle for west Mosul continues,
0:55:07 > 0:55:094 Rifles are coming to the end of their tour.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13- Salaam-Alaikum.- Salaam. - How you doing?
0:55:22 > 0:55:24- CAMERA CLICKS - See you later!
0:55:29 > 0:55:32Doesn't matter where you go in the world, Instagram always counts.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38I'm proud to say that I'm out here representing my country.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43While it is frustrating and we want to go out there and find Isis
0:55:43 > 0:55:45and do the job ourselves, if we did that,
0:55:45 > 0:55:47chances are some of the boys might not come home.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53So, it is really good knowing
0:55:53 > 0:55:55we are going to be going home together.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Boss, can you take a photo?
0:56:02 > 0:56:04I'll get one from a bit further back...
0:56:05 > 0:56:07..so I get the whole plane in there.
0:56:07 > 0:56:08That's better.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Ready?
0:56:14 > 0:56:15Got ya.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Al Asad airbase,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22front line of defence against Daesh and a good photo opportunity!
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Armed Forces has changed though, hasn't it?
0:56:29 > 0:56:33The days of going out and finding the enemy and destroying the enemy,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36such as Isis, for reasons above our pay grade,
0:56:36 > 0:56:38that doesn't happen any more.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41I know if you speak to our family, they'd much rather we do this
0:56:41 > 0:56:46than going through building to building in Mosul.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I don't think the public back home,
0:56:49 > 0:56:51I don't think they'd want us
0:56:51 > 0:56:53to have another Afghan campaign, either, would they?
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Nine times out of ten, when you wake up at 3am,
0:56:56 > 0:56:59you don't feel like you're helping anyone back home.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04But when you really think about it, yeah, you probably are.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06The most annoying thing is having a 50-cal
0:57:06 > 0:57:07and not being able to use it.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10It's just sitting there, toying with ya!
0:57:14 > 0:57:17I think the difficulty from a soldier's perspective
0:57:17 > 0:57:20with the sort of campaigns we get involved in today
0:57:20 > 0:57:22is that there's no clean-cut victories.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24It's not like in the Falklands War
0:57:24 > 0:57:27where the flag flies over Stanley and the war is won.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30There's no kind of winning or losing per se.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33And, yeah, that makes our lives harder.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04- GUNFIRE - Move!
0:58:04 > 0:58:09Next week, British soldiers are on the front line of a new Cold War...
0:58:09 > 0:58:10How many Russians are across the border?
0:58:10 > 0:58:13- 100,000 odd?- Yeah, a lot.
0:58:15 > 0:58:16The Russians were pushing an agenda
0:58:16 > 0:58:20that said the Nato troops were arriving and were raping people.
0:58:22 > 0:58:27..defending a country under serious threat of Russian invasion.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30The Estonians genuinely think that an attack is imminent.