PRODUCER: Renee Horne
CAMERAMAN: Dudley Saunders/Reuters
PRETITLE: 40 SECONDS
"WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH FROM ELEMENTS THAT WANT TO KILL US"
[TITLE "THE BUSINESS OF WAR": SHOT OF COFFIN]
SCRIPT:
[NAT SOUND: 3 SECS... shot of STATUE OF mary]
VOICER:
[shot of men and women praying in church;]
No matter your religion, no matter your race or even nationality youre a target.
Today a catholic family mourns the loss of their two children.
They were only seven and four years old.
The two died in a bomb blast in Baghdad.
[shot of women crying]
[shot of priest saying prayer]
Iraq has been a secular state for decades although many religions are practised here.
[shot of coffins leaving the church...]
[nat sound church bells]
[shot of women falling outside church]
Across the country prayers are offered for a conflict-free Iraq. But the funerals go on daily events
[nat sound.... man crying......]
[shot of women falling on coffin]
More than one hundred civilians die every day from attacks, crossfire and bomb blasts.
[nat sound THREE gunshots.....]
Since the war was officially declared over in May last year, six South Africans have been killed another four injured.
[nat sound.... keep your weapon straight.....]
[nat sound gun...]
Despite this there's still a massive influx of South Africans into Iraq.
South Africa has the fourth largest security contingent here many former members of the old SADF. But there are also South African contractors in Iraq pilots, engineers and technicians.
As many as 4000 South African could be working here earning upto thirty thousand dollars a month.
But doing business in Iraq means you could be arrested once youre back home.
[GRAPHIC ]
[TITLE: GETTING TO IRAQ]
[GRAPHIC/MAP]
To get to Iraq, many South Africans fly to Cairo or Dubai. They then take the route through Jordan where no visa is required. To enter Iraq you only need a valid passport.
[shot of Maruis Van der Riet putting on a bullet proof;]
South African, Marius van der Riet is an ex South African Defence Force member. The United States awarded him a 150 million dollar contract to rebuild the Iraqi media network.
He has a team of sixty South Africans overseeing the project. Hes also recruited a massive South African security contingent.
UPSOUND MARIUS VAN DER RIET We have a logistics contract and within that logistics contract we have to do procurement international we ship everything into the country and then we warehouse it. And then we ship it to all the different sights in Iraq. Because we are supporting an organization called the Iraq Media Network and through that we are making sure that all the hardware, equipment we make sure that they have it.
[visuals ...nat sound ... Shot of Iraqi TV IN BLAST]
[TITLE: MARCH 2003: GULF WAR 2]
[nat sound of bombs;]
[voicer to begin after second bomb;]
On March 19 2003, the United States with its coalition of the willing invaded Iraq.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
They set about bombing radio and television stations.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
The aim was to cut all communication links so as to paralyse Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard.
Iraqi TV - Saddam's propaganda machine - was destroyed.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
[shot of next day communication stations destroyed]
Twelve other communication stations were also blasted.
UPSOUND: Iraqi engineer: there was only a concrete structure here...only stay everything is out.
[nat sound...tractor/bulldozers]
[200/THE NEW IRAQ]
Conflict inevitably brings out the dogs of war.
After the invasion, there was a scuffle for the lucrative business contracts. Many South Africans moved in.
[nat sound... ]
UPSOUND PIET We have got about 32 stations all over. We have a newspaper downtown that is on circulation right now. It is iraq managing all the sight and creating news and entertainment. For example this sight out here was literally a bomb sight. And we had to clear that and start building and rebuild that sight. We had to recreat the Iraq media from ground zero.
Hamied Saied/Chief Engineer Before 2003 there is only one TV in Iraq and there is two channels but it is still one TV programme. But now we have many channel and there is local channel and international channel and that makes a change for us.
[nat sound .... shot's of television screen Al Iraqi]
But setting up the network costs lives.
More than eight men working for Reeds Incorporated died this year. They were all Iraqis.
[nat sound...]
At the time they were trying to rebuild satellite stations across the country.
[nat sound...]
For a foreigner, merely crossing a street could mean death or kidnapping. To keep workers safe, its essential to deploy a massive security contingent.
Kirsten Wilkins/Human Resources Manager: South African One of the South African women here its not really as dangerous as I thought it would be because the security guys that we work with are so professional. Even though I am part of the team I am treated like a VIP, they are such gentlemen.
[NAT SOUND]
The South Africans have come under fire on many occasions while trying to reach this construction site.
The militants who attacked them accuse the South Africans of spreading American propaganda through the media networks.
The South Africans have encountered another problem. A few days after the war, squatters moved onto the sites - and refused to leave.
Marius/van der Riet Iraq is known around the world as probably one of the most dangerous places in the world. We are here to assist and to work but you must have security around you at all times. Your day to day task first you look at security your moves first you look at security. Anything moving to your sight you check security.
[NAT SOUND.. afrikaaners showing men how to shoot]
[TITLE: THE TRAINING]
To help protect their team, the South Africans have started to train Iraqis.
[nat sound in various areas;]
These are the latest recruits now part of the South African security contingent. This is the first time theyre being taught how to use guns.
More than six hundred Iraqi's will eventually make up the Facilities Protection Unit. It's a special unit tasked with protecting many different foreign companies. The men will protect construction sites, hotels, water and electrical plants as the Multi-National Forces have their hands full.
Mustafa Laith/FACILITIES Protection Services They are helping us with experience and we are very glad and this is what we know and they treat us with respect. They treat us in the very good way.
Marius Van Der Riet In the beginning the collition force was responsible for everything around them. Their tasks got different so they cant be expected to drive around iraq helping a contractor to go to the construction of the sight so we have to protect ourselves. We are just helping them to know how to defend themselves in their own sight. We train them in discipline we train them with the use of the weapon they have, in how to stand guard what to look for.
But teaching Iraqis how to use guns could mean violating South African law The Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Prof Tomas Housan/International Law Expert Nobody wants private violence. Not nationally not internationally, the only people that are allowed to use force are the Defence force and police force. So the act is very broad so we try to capture all possible activities that could lead to this problem of using of private force. So they are breaking the law because they dont have a license or rather obtained a license. There is a general exemption for humanitarian or medical service. But providing of security services, building for security services or training of individuals for that service or advising people for that service you do need the license and the law is very broad approach and your fine or imprisonment can be from zero to endless.
Mosuia Lekota/Defence Minister;South Africa Most of those individuals are people who left the SANDF at the time of retaliation. Their participation in thearters of war in fact. Its in conflict with the foreign military act. If we are able to identify them they will have to be arrested.
Prof Tomas Housan/ International Law Expert There are of course thousands from former SANDF and there are also thousands from Umkhonto and other liberation armies that would probably believe that they havent been reintergrated. That somehow the system has not allowed them to come back and live a normal life.
[nat sound .......Iraqi National Guard protecting streets....]
US troops are training the Iraqi National Guard but South Africans are also training them covertly and the police.
There are also South Africans handling sniffer dogs looking for explosives. None of them agreed to talk to us on camera.
These guns -for-hire are accountable to no nation and subject to no international laws.
Of Van der Riet's 150 million dollar project, the US requires him to spend at least 25 percent on security. He chooses to use South Africans.
Maruis van der Riet Imagine is SA that you would drive around in a vehicle protecting a client and have weapons sticking out of windows .
Dunnet Theunissin/South African We are contributing to this country and its a work opportunity, its a great challenge. The Iraq now know that we have come a long way. There is a notorious connotation that they have to the terrorists that is not correct and that is because of the military. We are doing civilian work and that is as far as it goes. I might use the arms to protect myself because of the dangerous situation here.
[NAT SOUND ..SHOT OF MAN PREPARING A BRAAI]
Despite the justifications, if these men come back to South Africa and if theyre caught they will be in for a serious legal grilling.
ENDs HERE.
CAMERAMAN: Dudley Saunders/Reuters
PRETITLE: 40 SECONDS
"WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH FROM ELEMENTS THAT WANT TO KILL US"
[TITLE "THE BUSINESS OF WAR": SHOT OF COFFIN]
SCRIPT:
[NAT SOUND: 3 SECS... shot of STATUE OF mary]
VOICER:
[shot of men and women praying in church;]
No matter your religion, no matter your race or even nationality youre a target.
Today a catholic family mourns the loss of their two children.
They were only seven and four years old.
The two died in a bomb blast in Baghdad.
[shot of women crying]
[shot of priest saying prayer]
Iraq has been a secular state for decades although many religions are practised here.
[shot of coffins leaving the church...]
[nat sound church bells]
[shot of women falling outside church]
Across the country prayers are offered for a conflict-free Iraq. But the funerals go on daily events
[nat sound.... man crying......]
[shot of women falling on coffin]
More than one hundred civilians die every day from attacks, crossfire and bomb blasts.
[nat sound THREE gunshots.....]
Since the war was officially declared over in May last year, six South Africans have been killed another four injured.
[nat sound.... keep your weapon straight.....]
[nat sound gun...]
Despite this there's still a massive influx of South Africans into Iraq.
South Africa has the fourth largest security contingent here many former members of the old SADF. But there are also South African contractors in Iraq pilots, engineers and technicians.
As many as 4000 South African could be working here earning upto thirty thousand dollars a month.
But doing business in Iraq means you could be arrested once youre back home.
[GRAPHIC ]
[TITLE: GETTING TO IRAQ]
[GRAPHIC/MAP]
To get to Iraq, many South Africans fly to Cairo or Dubai. They then take the route through Jordan where no visa is required. To enter Iraq you only need a valid passport.
[shot of Maruis Van der Riet putting on a bullet proof;]
South African, Marius van der Riet is an ex South African Defence Force member. The United States awarded him a 150 million dollar contract to rebuild the Iraqi media network.
He has a team of sixty South Africans overseeing the project. Hes also recruited a massive South African security contingent.
UPSOUND MARIUS VAN DER RIET We have a logistics contract and within that logistics contract we have to do procurement international we ship everything into the country and then we warehouse it. And then we ship it to all the different sights in Iraq. Because we are supporting an organization called the Iraq Media Network and through that we are making sure that all the hardware, equipment we make sure that they have it.
[visuals ...nat sound ... Shot of Iraqi TV IN BLAST]
[TITLE: MARCH 2003: GULF WAR 2]
[nat sound of bombs;]
[voicer to begin after second bomb;]
On March 19 2003, the United States with its coalition of the willing invaded Iraq.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
They set about bombing radio and television stations.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
The aim was to cut all communication links so as to paralyse Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard.
Iraqi TV - Saddam's propaganda machine - was destroyed.
[nat sound ....more bombs]
[shot of next day communication stations destroyed]
Twelve other communication stations were also blasted.
UPSOUND: Iraqi engineer: there was only a concrete structure here...only stay everything is out.
[nat sound...tractor/bulldozers]
[200/THE NEW IRAQ]
Conflict inevitably brings out the dogs of war.
After the invasion, there was a scuffle for the lucrative business contracts. Many South Africans moved in.
[nat sound... ]
UPSOUND PIET We have got about 32 stations all over. We have a newspaper downtown that is on circulation right now. It is iraq managing all the sight and creating news and entertainment. For example this sight out here was literally a bomb sight. And we had to clear that and start building and rebuild that sight. We had to recreat the Iraq media from ground zero.
Hamied Saied/Chief Engineer Before 2003 there is only one TV in Iraq and there is two channels but it is still one TV programme. But now we have many channel and there is local channel and international channel and that makes a change for us.
[nat sound .... shot's of television screen Al Iraqi]
But setting up the network costs lives.
More than eight men working for Reeds Incorporated died this year. They were all Iraqis.
[nat sound...]
At the time they were trying to rebuild satellite stations across the country.
[nat sound...]
For a foreigner, merely crossing a street could mean death or kidnapping. To keep workers safe, its essential to deploy a massive security contingent.
Kirsten Wilkins/Human Resources Manager: South African One of the South African women here its not really as dangerous as I thought it would be because the security guys that we work with are so professional. Even though I am part of the team I am treated like a VIP, they are such gentlemen.
[NAT SOUND]
The South Africans have come under fire on many occasions while trying to reach this construction site.
The militants who attacked them accuse the South Africans of spreading American propaganda through the media networks.
The South Africans have encountered another problem. A few days after the war, squatters moved onto the sites - and refused to leave.
Marius/van der Riet Iraq is known around the world as probably one of the most dangerous places in the world. We are here to assist and to work but you must have security around you at all times. Your day to day task first you look at security your moves first you look at security. Anything moving to your sight you check security.
[NAT SOUND.. afrikaaners showing men how to shoot]
[TITLE: THE TRAINING]
To help protect their team, the South Africans have started to train Iraqis.
[nat sound in various areas;]
These are the latest recruits now part of the South African security contingent. This is the first time theyre being taught how to use guns.
More than six hundred Iraqi's will eventually make up the Facilities Protection Unit. It's a special unit tasked with protecting many different foreign companies. The men will protect construction sites, hotels, water and electrical plants as the Multi-National Forces have their hands full.
Mustafa Laith/FACILITIES Protection Services They are helping us with experience and we are very glad and this is what we know and they treat us with respect. They treat us in the very good way.
Marius Van Der Riet In the beginning the collition force was responsible for everything around them. Their tasks got different so they cant be expected to drive around iraq helping a contractor to go to the construction of the sight so we have to protect ourselves. We are just helping them to know how to defend themselves in their own sight. We train them in discipline we train them with the use of the weapon they have, in how to stand guard what to look for.
But teaching Iraqis how to use guns could mean violating South African law The Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Prof Tomas Housan/International Law Expert Nobody wants private violence. Not nationally not internationally, the only people that are allowed to use force are the Defence force and police force. So the act is very broad so we try to capture all possible activities that could lead to this problem of using of private force. So they are breaking the law because they dont have a license or rather obtained a license. There is a general exemption for humanitarian or medical service. But providing of security services, building for security services or training of individuals for that service or advising people for that service you do need the license and the law is very broad approach and your fine or imprisonment can be from zero to endless.
Mosuia Lekota/Defence Minister;South Africa Most of those individuals are people who left the SANDF at the time of retaliation. Their participation in thearters of war in fact. Its in conflict with the foreign military act. If we are able to identify them they will have to be arrested.
Prof Tomas Housan/ International Law Expert There are of course thousands from former SANDF and there are also thousands from Umkhonto and other liberation armies that would probably believe that they havent been reintergrated. That somehow the system has not allowed them to come back and live a normal life.
[nat sound .......Iraqi National Guard protecting streets....]
US troops are training the Iraqi National Guard but South Africans are also training them covertly and the police.
There are also South Africans handling sniffer dogs looking for explosives. None of them agreed to talk to us on camera.
These guns -for-hire are accountable to no nation and subject to no international laws.
Of Van der Riet's 150 million dollar project, the US requires him to spend at least 25 percent on security. He chooses to use South Africans.
Maruis van der Riet Imagine is SA that you would drive around in a vehicle protecting a client and have weapons sticking out of windows .
Dunnet Theunissin/South African We are contributing to this country and its a work opportunity, its a great challenge. The Iraq now know that we have come a long way. There is a notorious connotation that they have to the terrorists that is not correct and that is because of the military. We are doing civilian work and that is as far as it goes. I might use the arms to protect myself because of the dangerous situation here.
[NAT SOUND ..SHOT OF MAN PREPARING A BRAAI]
Despite the justifications, if these men come back to South Africa and if theyre caught they will be in for a serious legal grilling.
ENDs HERE.