Return to Mosul

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0:00:01 > 0:00:04In other words, we're doing what we can with the money

0:00:04 > 0:00:06available, but asking for more at some stage is not

0:00:06 > 0:00:07being ruled out.

0:00:07 > 0:00:08Hugh Pym, BBC News.

0:00:08 > 0:00:10Now its time for Our World.

0:00:10 > 0:00:12Mosul, Iraq's second city, home to over a million people

0:00:13 > 0:00:15and the scene of the greatest victory of the so-called

0:00:15 > 0:00:16Islamic State.

0:00:16 > 0:00:21Allahu Akbar.

0:00:21 > 0:00:25In just four days, IS fighters managed to seize this entire city.

0:00:25 > 0:00:28It was a national disaster for Iraq and declared the start

0:00:28 > 0:00:41of the self-styled Islamic State.

0:00:41 > 0:00:43Almost three years later and Mosul has once again

0:00:43 > 0:00:44become a battleground.

0:00:44 > 0:00:46The Iraqi forces have regrouped and are now fighting back.

0:00:47 > 0:00:50Street by street they are moving closer to capturing the city,

0:00:50 > 0:00:51but the threat of IS remains.

0:00:51 > 0:00:54I am BBC journalist Bashir Al-Zaidi, born and raised in Mosul.

0:00:54 > 0:01:08Today I am returning home.

0:01:08 > 0:01:12I want to find out what life is like in the city

0:01:12 > 0:01:14and how people have coped with the past two-and-a-half years.

0:01:20 > 0:01:26And the question, whether the Iraqi military that collapsed only a few

0:01:26 > 0:01:42years ago can really bring lasting security to the city?

0:01:42 > 0:01:44It has been over ten years since my last visit.

0:01:44 > 0:01:49I grew up on these streets with my 11 brothers and sisters.

0:01:49 > 0:01:55It's a weird feeling to come back here after all these years.

0:01:55 > 0:02:05My hometown is now effectively split into two.

0:02:05 > 0:02:08I am in the East, which was recaptured a few months ago,

0:02:08 > 0:02:14but just across the river in the West fighting continues.

0:02:14 > 0:02:15It's quite different.

0:02:15 > 0:02:16It's quite difficult.

0:02:16 > 0:02:33There's no house.

0:02:33 > 0:02:34That's my primary school.

0:02:34 > 0:02:35It's like...

0:02:35 > 0:02:37I couldn't sleep last night really.

0:02:37 > 0:02:38I was just feeling this moment.

0:02:38 > 0:02:45It looks quite strange.

0:02:45 > 0:02:48Most of the buildings in the centre of the city are damaged.

0:02:48 > 0:02:51It is clear that anybody who still lives here doesn't feel

0:02:51 > 0:02:58safe enough to come out.

0:02:58 > 0:03:03This is me on the left with my oldest friend Karim.

0:03:03 > 0:03:07Growing up we were inseparable, but staying in touch whilst he lived

0:03:07 > 0:03:11under IS was nigh on impossible.

0:03:11 > 0:03:17I am here to pay him a surprise visit.

0:03:17 > 0:03:33I have no hair, I lost my hair.

0:03:34 > 0:03:34Hello.

0:03:34 > 0:03:37Hello.

0:04:15 > 0:04:18For the first time I meet his kids and it soon becomes clear this

0:04:18 > 0:04:22family didn't escape the violence.

0:04:22 > 0:04:26And Karim also tells me everything that has happened.

0:04:50 > 0:04:53To hear my best friend tell me he initially welcomed the idea

0:04:53 > 0:04:56of overthrowing the government is a real shock, but his

0:04:56 > 0:05:10support was short lived.

0:05:50 > 0:05:53For the past two years, Karim has been living in fear.

0:05:53 > 0:06:06His own life has been in danger.

0:06:06 > 0:06:09Walking home one evening, he was stopped here

0:06:09 > 0:06:12at the checkpoint.

0:06:24 > 0:06:27Like so many people here, Karim's experience of living under

0:06:27 > 0:06:40IS has changed his life for ever.

0:07:08 > 0:07:12This man and his son say anyone who had the choice has already fled.

0:07:12 > 0:07:16Hearing how desperate living conditions became under

0:07:16 > 0:07:22IS, I wonder, what has happened to my childhood home?

0:07:59 > 0:08:11So the house is occupied by a university teacher.

0:08:11 > 0:08:14They feel nervous talking to the camera, but they told me

0:08:14 > 0:08:17what happened in this street in the past couple of years.

0:08:17 > 0:08:26Actually I was also surprised to hear what they told me.

0:08:26 > 0:08:28There were many IS families here on this street.

0:08:28 > 0:08:32It's an eerie feeling to know many of the houses in my old street

0:08:32 > 0:08:41were occupied by IS militants.

0:08:41 > 0:09:27Ali is the only person I recognise here.

0:09:27 > 0:09:30In this city of over a million people it seems everyone's lives

0:09:30 > 0:09:37has been altered by IS.

0:09:37 > 0:09:40The Mosul I remember is very different.

0:09:40 > 0:09:41Every spring would bring coachloads of tourists.

0:09:42 > 0:09:54The city was full of life.

0:09:54 > 0:09:56But now Mosul is effectively divided in two.

0:09:56 > 0:09:59The eastern half has been recaptured with a fierce battle raging

0:09:59 > 0:10:01for control of the West.

0:10:01 > 0:10:04Thousands on both sides are queueing to leave.

0:10:04 > 0:10:10This is the outskirts of the East.

0:10:10 > 0:10:13These men are waiting in line to obtain security clearances that

0:10:13 > 0:10:18give them the freedom of movement.

0:10:18 > 0:10:27The government says it is important that everyone clears their name.

0:10:27 > 0:10:30Sitting on the side of the road is 18-year-old Salah

0:10:30 > 0:10:31and his only child.

0:10:31 > 0:10:37He has just arrived here with some of the families.

0:10:37 > 0:10:40They are tired and hungry.

0:10:40 > 0:10:42Salah says they have used all their savings and life

0:10:42 > 0:10:53has become unbearable.

0:11:04 > 0:11:08Security is a top priority but the task of stabilising Mosul

0:11:08 > 0:11:14after IS won't be easy.

0:11:15 > 0:11:21There was deep anger aimed at the government before IS arrived.

0:11:21 > 0:11:25Protesters came out onto the streets and the army and police force

0:11:26 > 0:11:33were accused of corruption, sectarianism and abuse.

0:11:35 > 0:11:38The mostly Sunni city had come to hate the practices

0:11:38 > 0:11:43of a Shia-dominated army.

0:11:43 > 0:11:50By the time IS entered Mosul the anger had reached its peak.

0:11:53 > 0:11:55The big challenge now is to restore security

0:11:55 > 0:12:02without reigniting sectarian tensions.

0:12:02 > 0:12:05Today we have joined these agents from the Iraqi National Security

0:12:05 > 0:12:07Service.

0:12:07 > 0:12:11They are about to raid addresses all across Mosul.

0:12:11 > 0:12:14Their aim is to root out IS sleeper cells that have launched attacks

0:12:14 > 0:12:19across the city.

0:12:19 > 0:12:25The plan is to arrest nine suspects in multiple locations.

0:12:25 > 0:12:29As we enter the first neighbourhood, everything looks very familiar.

0:12:29 > 0:12:33Incredibly we have arrived on another street I grew up

0:12:33 > 0:12:35in as a child.

0:12:35 > 0:12:37My friend's house was here.

0:12:37 > 0:12:42And we were sitting there when we played.

0:12:42 > 0:12:45And this was our football pitch.

0:12:45 > 0:12:47We had to seek shelter on the pavement whenever

0:12:47 > 0:12:54there was a car coming.

0:12:54 > 0:12:57Now I hear from children they do not go out that much

0:12:57 > 0:12:59because of the drones from IS.

0:12:59 > 0:13:07I suddenly recognise one of the families.

0:13:07 > 0:13:10Farah says the Christian families living on the street fled

0:13:11 > 0:13:15when IS arrived.

0:13:15 > 0:13:20His family also had to move for their own safety.

0:13:30 > 0:13:38IS have been using small drones to drop big grenades on both

0:13:38 > 0:13:39security forces and civilians.

0:13:39 > 0:13:41Although the damage is usually quite small,

0:13:41 > 0:13:48there is a lasting psychological impact.

0:13:48 > 0:13:51It is not long before the Iraqi intelligence agents track

0:13:51 > 0:13:55down their first suspect.

0:14:16 > 0:14:23SHOUTING.

0:14:23 > 0:14:30The agents learn there are more men in the House.

0:15:00 > 0:15:05Three suspects are rounded up at this address,

0:15:05 > 0:15:11including a teenager.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16A warning shot.

0:15:16 > 0:15:21It seems in this area everyone is treated with suspicion.

0:15:23 > 0:15:28In total, the agents arrest six men.

0:15:28 > 0:15:30They wouldn't provide us with details of their crimes

0:15:30 > 0:15:37but told us it took months to build enough evidence to justify a raid.

0:15:37 > 0:15:41It is difficult for me to see the people of Mosul become used

0:15:41 > 0:15:44to violence on their doorsteps.

0:15:44 > 0:15:47It seems like every street in my hometown has its own

0:15:47 > 0:15:53story of brutality.

0:15:54 > 0:15:59But restoring safety won't be easy.

0:15:59 > 0:16:06Today the army is all too aware of its past reputation.

0:16:06 > 0:16:10I am taking a tour of the city with a field Marshal in charge

0:16:10 > 0:16:17of recaptured areas in Mosul.

0:16:47 > 0:16:49The recapture of Mosul has helped to restore some

0:16:49 > 0:16:51of the army's reputation.

0:16:51 > 0:16:55The Field Marshal says he is relying on this goodwill for the future

0:16:55 > 0:17:04of the city's security.

0:18:17 > 0:18:20A lot is riding on this new-found goodwill towards the army

0:18:20 > 0:18:26and police, but I wonder how long it will last.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32Many people across the city are too scared to talk openly

0:18:32 > 0:18:34about their experiences and views.

0:18:34 > 0:18:38One family who want to speak out are friends from my

0:18:38 > 0:18:42time at university.

0:18:54 > 0:18:58Omar and his mother Aliya have invited me for breakfast.

0:20:23 > 0:20:26Omar might be concerned about the future, but there is one

0:20:26 > 0:20:29thing that brings him hope.

0:20:29 > 0:20:34We are on our way to pick up his two daughters from school.

0:20:34 > 0:20:39Like so many parents he refused to allow IS to educate his children,

0:20:39 > 0:20:43so this is the girls' first week back in school and they are pretty

0:20:43 > 0:20:47excited about it.

0:20:47 > 0:20:55This is overwhelming, it is really overwhelming to see.

0:20:55 > 0:20:59To see the kids are smiling, it is the end of the school day

0:20:59 > 0:21:03for the girls and the boys.

0:21:03 > 0:21:05So they seem jubilant.

0:21:05 > 0:21:08It could be a special moment for the kids here because normal

0:21:08 > 0:21:12life maybe is back again for them.

0:21:12 > 0:21:15A kind of quietness, it is something new for them,

0:21:15 > 0:21:17it is a new start.

0:21:17 > 0:21:22The whole neighbourhood seems energised by the school's reopening.

0:21:22 > 0:21:28I finally meet Malak, Omar's ten-year-old daughter.

0:21:46 > 0:21:51For the past week I have come to understand the relief

0:21:56 > 0:22:01For the past week I have come to understand the relief

0:22:01 > 0:22:08of being free from IS and the new challenges my hometown faces.

0:22:08 > 0:22:13My friends Omar and Karim might be uncertain about what is ahead,

0:22:13 > 0:22:17but seeing these young girls back in school I know there is at least

0:22:17 > 0:22:20some hope for the future.

0:22:57 > 0:22:58Lots of

0:22:58 > 0:22:58Lots of varied