REPORTER: Along with a small group of Australian journalists I'm boarding the HMAS 'Newcastle', an Australian frigate about to set sail from Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf.
We've been invited by the US Navy to take a tour of Coalition forces working the maritime front of the war in Iraq.
As we steam towards Iraq, the crew begin preparations. It takes a day's sailing to get to the area the Australians are here to defend.
From the bridge we can see one of two oil platforms that are the economic lifeblood of Iraq and the reason the Australians are here. These oil platforms alone provide more than 80% of Iraq's current GDP.
CAPTAIN TREVOR JONES, COMMANDING OFFICER HMAS NEWCASTLE: I think logically the best way to cause trouble for the Iraqi Government would be to disrupt a critical flow of cash that is important to that nation-building exercise, so it would be a key strategic target for the terrorists to disrupt the flow of that oil through either one of those terminals.
To see what's involved in this high stakes operation, I join the helicopter crew of the 'Newcastle' on one of their regular patrols.
In a massive operation involving American and Australian ships, patrol boats, and helicopters the coalition has set up what they call a ring of steel around the oil platforms. They monitor to make sure no vessels get within 3,000 metres of these valuable structures. The problem is though, this is a busy area for Iraqi fishing dhows and cargo vessels.
From the bridge, Captain Jones has spotted an unfamiliar ship just outside the ring of steel. A boarding party is preparing to leave the 'Newcastle' to check out a vessel.
REPORTER: So what's happening?
SAILOR: We've queried a vessel that's up north, and, pretty much, we've gotta ask, a high figure, bravo oscar, permission to board.
Every vessel has to be monitored, last year insurgents used an Iraqi fishing dhow filled with explosives to try and attack an oil platform. They failed, but three US sailors were killed.
As the boarding party heads off to check out the vessel, we the media must follow from a distance - we're told for security reasons.
SAILOR: We're just crew security. The crew of the vessel we are boarding, keep them in one place, keep them occupied for a little, while the rest of the crew do a sweep of the ship.
REPORTER: How do you keep them occupied?
SAILOR: Just look mean and nasty. Just the presence of the shotgun is probably enough to scare them off.
But in a situation where the majority of boats are really just fishing, the Australians also play good cop.
SAILOR: You're never going to be happy when 14 armed people come on board your vehicle. The best way we can deal with it is get on board introduce ourselves by first name, shake his hand, have a chat about what's the weather like, and issues, try and put him at ease.
REPORTER: Is that an approach you always try and take, winning hearts and minds approach?
SAILOR: Yes, definitely. Since the war, we've been trying to show the Iraqis that we are here to help them.
On a small American boat, we're venturing inside the ring of steel to visit the biggest and most valuable oil platform, Al Basrah.
We're met by members of a specialised American navy squad that's permanently stationed here. They provide the last line of defence against any vessel that breaks the exclusion zone.
Chief Master at Arms, Corey Kazura, says while a boat filled with explosives is the main threat, he's also worried about the tankers that dock here.
COREY KOREZA: We're worried about possible infiltration of the crew. There are security measures in place to mitigate that.
Can you give me an example of how you would mitigate that?
COREY KOREZA: We check the crew lists against known terrorists or wanted, suspected terrorists.
Working alongside the Americans is a platoon of Iraqi marines who've been trained by the coalition. The plan is for the Iraqis to eventually take full control of security here.
REPORTER: Do you see a day when you will be able to walk away from here and leave it completely under Iraqi security?
COREY KOREZA: That is still in the works. The first group are supposed to be certified in mid-November, as for a final turnover date, I can't speak intelligently about that because it changes from day to day, it's still in flux.
Filling up with oil pumped directly from Iraq's oil fields, these tankers can hold around 2 million barrels of oil each, worth around $120 million dollars, rich pickings for the new Iraqi Government.
With the oil flowing uninterrupted, it seems like the work of the coalition here in the Gulf is a success story, in a war that elsewhere seems like a horror show.
Corey Kazura thinks the success of mainland Iraq is directly linked to his work here.
COREY KOREZA: As of right now, the government of Iraq, the sovereign nation of Iraq, the government is fledgling, it's brand-new, its like a newborn that's just started to crawl. If the insurgents are successful in attacking this platform, if we fail in our mission, the country of Iraq will fall, and be back where it was, 10, 20 years. It will take that long for them to get back to where they are now, if we do not do our job.
REPORTER: So that's a pretty big responsibility on your shoulders?
COREY KOREZA: Yes ma'am.
After three nights at sea we're about to head into Iraq itself. We'll be making the journey with an Iraqi patrol boat, the 'South Star'. The Iraqi Navy was decimated during the war, rebuilding it is a crucial task for the coalition. The 'South Star' is one of five new Iraqi patrol boats now conducting regular patrols on its own. The captain tells me they've already had remarkable success in ridding this waterway of piracy.
IRAQI CAPTAIN: Any thief not coming, they know Iraqi patrol boat and coalition shoot him and not coming.
As we approach Iraq we're reminded of just what this country's been through in the last two decades. This debris is a result of the Iran-Iraq war of the '80s, the first Gulf War of '91, and, of course, the most recent war.
We arrive at Um Qasr, Iraq's most important port, and the home of the new Iraqi Navy. The foreign coalition forces here are the British. As we head into the heavily guarded British camp where we'll be staying the night, the midday temperature is around 50 degrees. Still, not to hot for a group of British marines who are using their Sunday to soak up the sun.
Every night a joint briefing session is held between the Iraqi and British Navies. The mentoring process includes adapting to that famous British military precision, in this case about the time of sunset. At the same meeting the British discover the Iraqis have changed a patrol schedule.
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK, COMMANDER BRITISH NAVY, UM QASR: The most challenging thing is to help the Iraqis how to plan, coordinate their operations. It sounds straightforward to those of us from coalition forces but to a brand-new organisation, its extremely challenging.
REPORTER: When do you think you'll be able to walk away and the Iraqi Navy will not need any assistance?
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK: I think there's a big job still to be done for the next year or so, and when there are new boats, both offshore support boats and new patrol vessels have arrived, we will be able to step back.
There's been no problem getting recruits for the new navy. On a recent recruiting drive for 200 marines, more than 800 applied.
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK: I think it's a very attractive job. I've likened it to the navy of Nelson's age in the UK, where you got better pay than you would, had you been outside the navy, you’ve got better medical support, better food and better accommodation, and the same applies here in Iraq.
It's a job not without risk though. Like elsewhere in Iraq, insurgents target those who align themselves with the coalition. When Lieutenant Wesam Mohammed returns home to Baghdad, he doesn't tell people what he does down south.
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED, IRAQI NAVY: I'm frightened about my family.
REPORTER: What do you think might happen, if you tell people you work for the navy?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Maybe shoot me or shoot my family.
REPORTER: Why will you continue in your job?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: I believe no one can protect Iraq like Iraqis, can not anyone protect Australia like Australians, that's the reason.
REPORTER: You think it's your duty to do this job and protect your country?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Yes, yes of course. I can get the money from another job, but I challenge the terrorist and didn't fear from them, and joined the new Iraqi army.
It's not just people the coalition is investing in here. Millions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure and equipment, like these brand new boats donated by the UK. There's also a bit of recycling going on.
REPORTER: So what's this one?
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN, BRITISH NAVY: This is one of the Alfour Class patrol boats that was in service before the last conflict, and we repositioned it on the bottom of the river. Since that time, we've, ah...
REPORTER: You repositioned it?
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN: It was sunk during the last conflict. Since that time they've got dredging equipment, and it's waiting here to be refurbished. It was’nt on the sea bed for that long and we know it works 'cause it was working a couple of years ago.
It's one of those strange ironies of war - fixing up things you broke, like this dry dock, or synchro lift.
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN: The synchro lift was bombed during the war and is in a bit of a state, so now we got contractors in to clean it up and put back in the working parts that we knocked out. I think it's only fair.
REPORTER: Do you think this area has improved since the war, whats it like since before the war? Has it improved here in Um Qasr?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Improved, yes, but not on all of the level, some not improved others not. The military improved - the devices. But the civilian needs, not improved.
A contingent of British land troops has arrived to take us on the final leg of our Iraq tour. We're travelling by armoured convoy to Basra, a two-hour drive that stretches into the night. The next day we head out from the British camp.
We're going out on patrol with the Third Battalion Parachute Regiment. Before we hit the road, Sergeant Peter White - or Ginge as he's known - briefs us on the threat of an improvised explosive device, or IED.
SERGEANT PETER “GINGE” WHITE, 3RD BATTALION PARACHUTE REGIMENT: Should we come under threat from IED, in every instance we try and drive through it. If the vehicle is immobilised or the driver is hit, try and get into cover and my vehicles will deal with it as I see fit.
We're heading out to the border between Iraq and Iran, to check out the new Iraqi Border Enforcement Force. The British land operations in the south have been touted as something of a success, with few attacks here compared to around Baghdad. According to the British, progress is being made in handing over security to the Iraqis.
This is just one of 50 border posts set up by the British that is now being run by the Iraqis themselves, a success, but not without its frustrations.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: The training side of things is done to be honest, we had some problems when we initially got here. We expected too much of them, we expected them to be of the standard of the British soldier, and to be quite honest, that's not going to happen, ever.
But for Iraqi forces they consider themselves to be a border denial force, they were not proactive. Obviously doesn't take the brains of archbishop to work out that if people across the river can see the border police here, they are not going to cross the river.
We've introduced them to mobile patrolling, we've had limited success, some success. It all depends on how much sleep they've had during the day, as we'll see later on.
We're taken to meet Abdullah, who oversees the fort. This fort has been set up to stop smuggling between Iraq and Iran, but strangely Abdullah tells us he hasn't seen any smugglers. When we ask Sergeant White about this later, he tells us that Abdullah is a known supporter of Moqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr is a radical Shi'ite cleric who's calling for an immediate withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: The problem you got there is Abdullah has recently been moved down from fort 50, because one of the shifts he was involved in down there, were blatant Moqtada al-Sadr supporters, and when we first arrived, three months ago they were blatantly quiet hostile to us. So I put this in my patrol report and it filtered down to the right people and they moved him, they've dispersed this shift.
We're told Moqtada al-Sadr is popular in this area.
REPORTER: Does it create a problem for you guys?
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: Not really, at the moment we are kind of tolerated, they put up with us because they sort of have to. When we first got here, before we let them know what were about, showed them our authority, a lot of them had Moqtada al-Sadr ring tones on their telephones, chanting and stuff, and video phones, footage, stickers. When we first got here they must have thought we just got off the boat because they were trying to get us to acknowledge Moqtada al-Sadr was a good man, trying to test their luck, you know.
And this question of ultimate allegiance arise again. At Sergeant White's suggestion, he brings forward another member of the Iraqi Patrol Post for us to interview.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: This is Hussein here, he's one of the lads who works on the shifts, like former Saddam army if you like.
Sergeant White has told us that during the war Hussein was a prisoner of war of the British, but is now happily working with them. But to everyone's surprise, Hussein makes the allegation that he was mistreated by American forces.
HUSSEIN, (TRANSLATION): The American forces were tough, they treated us badly. They were hitting us with guns. Sometimes they beat us.
We are told this can't be true.
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL, BRITISH LAND FORCES, BASRA: He was never held by the Americans, he was never dealt with by the Americans, he was in this area which was completely British, there were no Americans.
REPORTER: Why's he saying that about the Americans then?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I think they just like to spin a yarn. Some people just like to spin a yarn, no matter what country they come from. He has never had a experience with the Americans.
REPORTER: Are you sure about that?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I'm quite sure.
There was no way to independently verify if Hussein was telling the truth. But we did notice that he was very conscious of the fact his Iraqi colleagues were listening in on the interview, perhaps he was playing to what he sees as the real and lasting power here, Iraqi nationalists like Moqtada al-Sadr.
Uncertain loyalties are just one of the problems the coalition faces as they to rebuild Iraqis' armed forces.
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: As I'm sure you saw today, there are lots of problems and the frustrations showed with the Parachute Regiment, as they tried to make progress. However, they are making progress, albeit slowly.
Political pressure in all the coalition countries to set a firm timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is growing by the day. Everyone I spoke to on this trip says it will happen but they don't know when.
REPORTER: Can you conceive a day where Brits can walk away and things will be fine?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I don't think any country is fine. I don't think we will walk away and it will be perfect, but it will be in a lot better position then when we started. And yes, we will go at some stage.
We've been invited by the US Navy to take a tour of Coalition forces working the maritime front of the war in Iraq.
As we steam towards Iraq, the crew begin preparations. It takes a day's sailing to get to the area the Australians are here to defend.
From the bridge we can see one of two oil platforms that are the economic lifeblood of Iraq and the reason the Australians are here. These oil platforms alone provide more than 80% of Iraq's current GDP.
CAPTAIN TREVOR JONES, COMMANDING OFFICER HMAS NEWCASTLE: I think logically the best way to cause trouble for the Iraqi Government would be to disrupt a critical flow of cash that is important to that nation-building exercise, so it would be a key strategic target for the terrorists to disrupt the flow of that oil through either one of those terminals.
To see what's involved in this high stakes operation, I join the helicopter crew of the 'Newcastle' on one of their regular patrols.
In a massive operation involving American and Australian ships, patrol boats, and helicopters the coalition has set up what they call a ring of steel around the oil platforms. They monitor to make sure no vessels get within 3,000 metres of these valuable structures. The problem is though, this is a busy area for Iraqi fishing dhows and cargo vessels.
From the bridge, Captain Jones has spotted an unfamiliar ship just outside the ring of steel. A boarding party is preparing to leave the 'Newcastle' to check out a vessel.
REPORTER: So what's happening?
SAILOR: We've queried a vessel that's up north, and, pretty much, we've gotta ask, a high figure, bravo oscar, permission to board.
Every vessel has to be monitored, last year insurgents used an Iraqi fishing dhow filled with explosives to try and attack an oil platform. They failed, but three US sailors were killed.
As the boarding party heads off to check out the vessel, we the media must follow from a distance - we're told for security reasons.
SAILOR: We're just crew security. The crew of the vessel we are boarding, keep them in one place, keep them occupied for a little, while the rest of the crew do a sweep of the ship.
REPORTER: How do you keep them occupied?
SAILOR: Just look mean and nasty. Just the presence of the shotgun is probably enough to scare them off.
But in a situation where the majority of boats are really just fishing, the Australians also play good cop.
SAILOR: You're never going to be happy when 14 armed people come on board your vehicle. The best way we can deal with it is get on board introduce ourselves by first name, shake his hand, have a chat about what's the weather like, and issues, try and put him at ease.
REPORTER: Is that an approach you always try and take, winning hearts and minds approach?
SAILOR: Yes, definitely. Since the war, we've been trying to show the Iraqis that we are here to help them.
On a small American boat, we're venturing inside the ring of steel to visit the biggest and most valuable oil platform, Al Basrah.
We're met by members of a specialised American navy squad that's permanently stationed here. They provide the last line of defence against any vessel that breaks the exclusion zone.
Chief Master at Arms, Corey Kazura, says while a boat filled with explosives is the main threat, he's also worried about the tankers that dock here.
COREY KOREZA: We're worried about possible infiltration of the crew. There are security measures in place to mitigate that.
Can you give me an example of how you would mitigate that?
COREY KOREZA: We check the crew lists against known terrorists or wanted, suspected terrorists.
Working alongside the Americans is a platoon of Iraqi marines who've been trained by the coalition. The plan is for the Iraqis to eventually take full control of security here.
REPORTER: Do you see a day when you will be able to walk away from here and leave it completely under Iraqi security?
COREY KOREZA: That is still in the works. The first group are supposed to be certified in mid-November, as for a final turnover date, I can't speak intelligently about that because it changes from day to day, it's still in flux.
Filling up with oil pumped directly from Iraq's oil fields, these tankers can hold around 2 million barrels of oil each, worth around $120 million dollars, rich pickings for the new Iraqi Government.
With the oil flowing uninterrupted, it seems like the work of the coalition here in the Gulf is a success story, in a war that elsewhere seems like a horror show.
Corey Kazura thinks the success of mainland Iraq is directly linked to his work here.
COREY KOREZA: As of right now, the government of Iraq, the sovereign nation of Iraq, the government is fledgling, it's brand-new, its like a newborn that's just started to crawl. If the insurgents are successful in attacking this platform, if we fail in our mission, the country of Iraq will fall, and be back where it was, 10, 20 years. It will take that long for them to get back to where they are now, if we do not do our job.
REPORTER: So that's a pretty big responsibility on your shoulders?
COREY KOREZA: Yes ma'am.
After three nights at sea we're about to head into Iraq itself. We'll be making the journey with an Iraqi patrol boat, the 'South Star'. The Iraqi Navy was decimated during the war, rebuilding it is a crucial task for the coalition. The 'South Star' is one of five new Iraqi patrol boats now conducting regular patrols on its own. The captain tells me they've already had remarkable success in ridding this waterway of piracy.
IRAQI CAPTAIN: Any thief not coming, they know Iraqi patrol boat and coalition shoot him and not coming.
As we approach Iraq we're reminded of just what this country's been through in the last two decades. This debris is a result of the Iran-Iraq war of the '80s, the first Gulf War of '91, and, of course, the most recent war.
We arrive at Um Qasr, Iraq's most important port, and the home of the new Iraqi Navy. The foreign coalition forces here are the British. As we head into the heavily guarded British camp where we'll be staying the night, the midday temperature is around 50 degrees. Still, not to hot for a group of British marines who are using their Sunday to soak up the sun.
Every night a joint briefing session is held between the Iraqi and British Navies. The mentoring process includes adapting to that famous British military precision, in this case about the time of sunset. At the same meeting the British discover the Iraqis have changed a patrol schedule.
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK, COMMANDER BRITISH NAVY, UM QASR: The most challenging thing is to help the Iraqis how to plan, coordinate their operations. It sounds straightforward to those of us from coalition forces but to a brand-new organisation, its extremely challenging.
REPORTER: When do you think you'll be able to walk away and the Iraqi Navy will not need any assistance?
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK: I think there's a big job still to be done for the next year or so, and when there are new boats, both offshore support boats and new patrol vessels have arrived, we will be able to step back.
There's been no problem getting recruits for the new navy. On a recent recruiting drive for 200 marines, more than 800 applied.
CAPTAIN JOHN CLINK: I think it's a very attractive job. I've likened it to the navy of Nelson's age in the UK, where you got better pay than you would, had you been outside the navy, you’ve got better medical support, better food and better accommodation, and the same applies here in Iraq.
It's a job not without risk though. Like elsewhere in Iraq, insurgents target those who align themselves with the coalition. When Lieutenant Wesam Mohammed returns home to Baghdad, he doesn't tell people what he does down south.
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED, IRAQI NAVY: I'm frightened about my family.
REPORTER: What do you think might happen, if you tell people you work for the navy?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Maybe shoot me or shoot my family.
REPORTER: Why will you continue in your job?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: I believe no one can protect Iraq like Iraqis, can not anyone protect Australia like Australians, that's the reason.
REPORTER: You think it's your duty to do this job and protect your country?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Yes, yes of course. I can get the money from another job, but I challenge the terrorist and didn't fear from them, and joined the new Iraqi army.
It's not just people the coalition is investing in here. Millions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure and equipment, like these brand new boats donated by the UK. There's also a bit of recycling going on.
REPORTER: So what's this one?
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN, BRITISH NAVY: This is one of the Alfour Class patrol boats that was in service before the last conflict, and we repositioned it on the bottom of the river. Since that time, we've, ah...
REPORTER: You repositioned it?
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN: It was sunk during the last conflict. Since that time they've got dredging equipment, and it's waiting here to be refurbished. It was’nt on the sea bed for that long and we know it works 'cause it was working a couple of years ago.
It's one of those strange ironies of war - fixing up things you broke, like this dry dock, or synchro lift.
LEIUTENANT MIKA-JOHN: The synchro lift was bombed during the war and is in a bit of a state, so now we got contractors in to clean it up and put back in the working parts that we knocked out. I think it's only fair.
REPORTER: Do you think this area has improved since the war, whats it like since before the war? Has it improved here in Um Qasr?
LIEUTENANT WESAM MOHAMMED: Improved, yes, but not on all of the level, some not improved others not. The military improved - the devices. But the civilian needs, not improved.
A contingent of British land troops has arrived to take us on the final leg of our Iraq tour. We're travelling by armoured convoy to Basra, a two-hour drive that stretches into the night. The next day we head out from the British camp.
We're going out on patrol with the Third Battalion Parachute Regiment. Before we hit the road, Sergeant Peter White - or Ginge as he's known - briefs us on the threat of an improvised explosive device, or IED.
SERGEANT PETER “GINGE” WHITE, 3RD BATTALION PARACHUTE REGIMENT: Should we come under threat from IED, in every instance we try and drive through it. If the vehicle is immobilised or the driver is hit, try and get into cover and my vehicles will deal with it as I see fit.
We're heading out to the border between Iraq and Iran, to check out the new Iraqi Border Enforcement Force. The British land operations in the south have been touted as something of a success, with few attacks here compared to around Baghdad. According to the British, progress is being made in handing over security to the Iraqis.
This is just one of 50 border posts set up by the British that is now being run by the Iraqis themselves, a success, but not without its frustrations.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: The training side of things is done to be honest, we had some problems when we initially got here. We expected too much of them, we expected them to be of the standard of the British soldier, and to be quite honest, that's not going to happen, ever.
But for Iraqi forces they consider themselves to be a border denial force, they were not proactive. Obviously doesn't take the brains of archbishop to work out that if people across the river can see the border police here, they are not going to cross the river.
We've introduced them to mobile patrolling, we've had limited success, some success. It all depends on how much sleep they've had during the day, as we'll see later on.
We're taken to meet Abdullah, who oversees the fort. This fort has been set up to stop smuggling between Iraq and Iran, but strangely Abdullah tells us he hasn't seen any smugglers. When we ask Sergeant White about this later, he tells us that Abdullah is a known supporter of Moqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr is a radical Shi'ite cleric who's calling for an immediate withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: The problem you got there is Abdullah has recently been moved down from fort 50, because one of the shifts he was involved in down there, were blatant Moqtada al-Sadr supporters, and when we first arrived, three months ago they were blatantly quiet hostile to us. So I put this in my patrol report and it filtered down to the right people and they moved him, they've dispersed this shift.
We're told Moqtada al-Sadr is popular in this area.
REPORTER: Does it create a problem for you guys?
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: Not really, at the moment we are kind of tolerated, they put up with us because they sort of have to. When we first got here, before we let them know what were about, showed them our authority, a lot of them had Moqtada al-Sadr ring tones on their telephones, chanting and stuff, and video phones, footage, stickers. When we first got here they must have thought we just got off the boat because they were trying to get us to acknowledge Moqtada al-Sadr was a good man, trying to test their luck, you know.
And this question of ultimate allegiance arise again. At Sergeant White's suggestion, he brings forward another member of the Iraqi Patrol Post for us to interview.
SERGEANT PETER WHITE: This is Hussein here, he's one of the lads who works on the shifts, like former Saddam army if you like.
Sergeant White has told us that during the war Hussein was a prisoner of war of the British, but is now happily working with them. But to everyone's surprise, Hussein makes the allegation that he was mistreated by American forces.
HUSSEIN, (TRANSLATION): The American forces were tough, they treated us badly. They were hitting us with guns. Sometimes they beat us.
We are told this can't be true.
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL, BRITISH LAND FORCES, BASRA: He was never held by the Americans, he was never dealt with by the Americans, he was in this area which was completely British, there were no Americans.
REPORTER: Why's he saying that about the Americans then?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I think they just like to spin a yarn. Some people just like to spin a yarn, no matter what country they come from. He has never had a experience with the Americans.
REPORTER: Are you sure about that?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I'm quite sure.
There was no way to independently verify if Hussein was telling the truth. But we did notice that he was very conscious of the fact his Iraqi colleagues were listening in on the interview, perhaps he was playing to what he sees as the real and lasting power here, Iraqi nationalists like Moqtada al-Sadr.
Uncertain loyalties are just one of the problems the coalition faces as they to rebuild Iraqis' armed forces.
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: As I'm sure you saw today, there are lots of problems and the frustrations showed with the Parachute Regiment, as they tried to make progress. However, they are making progress, albeit slowly.
Political pressure in all the coalition countries to set a firm timetable for withdrawal from Iraq is growing by the day. Everyone I spoke to on this trip says it will happen but they don't know when.
REPORTER: Can you conceive a day where Brits can walk away and things will be fine?
LT. COMM CHRIS “NOBBY” HALL: I don't think any country is fine. I don't think we will walk away and it will be perfect, but it will be in a lot better position then when we started. And yes, we will go at some stage.