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a free media dog r t v dot com. on the road to bass for this morning the u.s. army is beginning to withdraw from iraq. in december twentieth after nine years of occupation the last american troops are finally leaving the country. every car got in it but it was the only way to get it members of the iraqis anger towards the departing innovators who once dreamed of being liberators their departure resembles abandonment and escape despite the optimistic speeches. do you sleep. a.

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april twenty twelve and i'm back in iraq and so on the border with turkey. i have an appointment this morning with khaled and his taxi. family the united states said they would make a democracy out of iraq in the heart of the arab world but iraq i see today is a country on the brink of chaos torn between three groups kurds sunnis and shias. it is a country divided a stranger to peace that i'm about to cross a taxi ride to the heart of iraqi history. from the hole in the north of travel down through l.b. let's cook. tikrit volusia baghdad babylon.

and. a road map of the iraqi tragedy. serve obviously i'm delighted the americans have finally left iraq that's why i feel we're rock is a very happy not to see it or hear any more enough was enough the americans occupied us so we hate them like they lean here in iraq they killed in creating the conditions for chaos they are responsible for the whole tragedy because we were living in peace and they came to destroy our country and also brought all of us out of. my journey begins on the mountains of iraqi kurdistan. an army of two hundred thousand soldiers called peshmerga watch over this rather particular region of the country. was. my first stop is an l.b.o.

the capital of iraqi kurdistan is the only region of iraq today that is seeing peace and an economic boom the miracle of be made possible by the discovery of oil . on kurdish territory. for a long time dominated by baghdad and saddam hussein kurdistan dreams of achieving autonomy. the first customer the first passenger on our trip is a member of the new kurdish parliament. but just you know in iraq we can say that oil has always been a curse. but today in kurdistan that's changing. foreign oil companies are coming here to work with. the revenues are finally being used for reconstruction whatever it's a huge difference for us as in saddam's times we never benefited from the oil money

or would he have any of this that i don't know that yet either he went so it's quite simple we could spend for we're iraqis and where i think they're very rapidly as soon as we have been able to create a stable basis for building a country ninety nine percent of people will vote for independence with. no one to one or the people who want their own country a country called kurdistan are looking at it as that they want their own passport but there's no kurdish one i spoke to could stand. a land of shepherds kurdistan is discovering well through its oil a nightmare for baghdad which had long controlled with the resources and riches. without driver khalid we had east towards the mountains along the border with

a round. driving through abandoned villages i feel like i'm visiting some a trace. passenger ahmed is a survivor today he's on a pilgrimage paying tribute to the dead. my school. sally as i don't know so i started in one thousand nine hundred eight during the allen national a military campaign waged by saddam against the kurds my village was completely destroyed. and that some of the inhabitants would be ported to southern iraq and locked up in the terrible new grass on one prison counter. that. many women children and men were nasa created and thrown into mass graves we have. now got. the kurds have always dreamed of independence saddam hussein decided to eliminate

the problem once and for all. his cousin to go down in history as chemical ali was in charge of the repression. on march sixteenth one thousand nine hundred eight his helicopters dropped bombs loaded with toxic gas over kurdish villages. one hundred thousand civilians were killed and three thousand villages were raised the kurds rebellion was crushed. here in the villages the peshmerga who didn't built up supply. anyone opposed to saddam could seek refuge here. so the regime began by attacking the villages for saddam burning gassing and destroying the villages meant controlling kurdistan. lunches like

a homage to the victims on the menu adama stuffed vegetables prepared by a mad wife. a sunny like saddam hussein my driver khaled is. he didn't know or didn't want to know the terrible truth. look i'll show you the house where i was born yeah here on this hill where we're sitting is like a memorial to the village as it was before the tragedy it was here that the villagers came together every evening to talk to play backgammon and listen to the radio. i leave a comment to mourn and commemorate his loved one. we continue towards the east and kirkuk the former capital of kurdistan today on iraqi territory. so what if that god be praised i'm not scared when the region was under american control i was afraid about it but as soon as the iraqi police and army took over things got much better if the americans didn't know the region they were afraid and

trigger happy that they didn't hesitate to fire at anyone who approached them as a passenger foreigner anyone. on this road has seen a lot of drama how many times do the americans shut down iraqis here for no reason gotta go. through the windscreen the first iraqi checkpoint appears it's time to lower the camera and film or discreetly. that. the soldiers here are regularly targeted by armed groups and are also quick to shoot what to do and about the attacks and kidnappings are frequent in the area. and there is no checking our identity an itinerary takes too long hours. to that last we can hit the road again a road that is more than dangerous. to be honest no one took this road before al-qaeda basically all the terrorists control the region and everyone is afraid of

venturing out on this road today we feel a bit safer at getting there but it. the constant road blocks me now two hundred kilometer journey takes eight hours. night has fallen when i reach her coke and the sky is lit up by flast tanks the city floats on a vast sea of oil for centuries pilgrims came here to gather around the eternal flames. the kurds would dearly love to reclaim the city the former capital of baghdad is unwilling to lose such a profitable treasure. one term to a majority of kurds today is a mix of turkmen arabs kurds and christians. a pound a cake. so

i went to. this morning's plant is a ram occurred in africa who can kurdistan's independence he would pay with his own blood. has to become part of curse standing and that it's vital that we are bonded by blood to go to suited them but them they can kill us and shoot at us but he won't change anything we are linked to kurdistan let them in syria we mean we cannot live outside of kurdistan it would be like dying. my brother we invite you to a restaurant. i cannot let you go without inviting me i am a kurd and hospitality is a custom with us. you can continue your journey after the meal. i swear before god i want to come to the restaurant with me you are welcome when you're. away of

course. for khaled it's time to pray. and for us to eat. as we enter the village a few peace men appear as an escort. i would say to watch as they say to protect us . and so i pay for everyone's meal as a kind of friendly tax. was. it said that kirkuk could be one of the world's richest cities it is certainly one of the most dangerous. but discreet an ordinary heroine saima who is a kurd investor are opposed and fortune in the opening of a private school a generous act which has attracted envious attention don't let just me i'm terrified that so little. if i did the day after not fact was broadcast still to promote the school to physio and so i got

a telephone call i would you know bored enough to join. the solo and hobby hello up out of the hello how do you know why nothing at hobby fit is simple. a man introduced himself as a member of a terrorist organisation shifted and demanded money. and my colleagues were terrorized through. the night close to school for a month and then i said we have to open it again we can't just give him. we have to work still life has to go on. to say neither the terrorist nor anyone else can stop me from working as a mystical only god is the master of my destiny. i guess i'm.

just saying. they all told me my language and all but i will only react to situations i have read the reports so i'm likely to push the no i will be dead stick to comment on your latter point please a gadget or carry out a car is on the docket no god. no more weasel words. when you have a direct question are you prepared for a change when you when you should be ready for a. freedom of speech and a little down to freedom to crush it. shark seals are born oh right on the ice fields of the white sea. throughout the twentieth century the poles were hunted for their snow white furs. russia imposed a ban on this trade and hunters have since been replaced by tourists but will these

pups stay safe forever. saving seals on our team. when we reach must to the second biggest city in iraq it has been locked down by the army. the previous night two bombs went off in the suit. i have to negotiate with the military chiefs for three hours before they let me in. across what appears to be a dead city and yet today mosul is in party mode. highness my name is ahmed on about i'm a law student today is a festival the university day that's why we can see all the troops they're here to protect us. the situation is very difficult the country is undergoing

a wave of anonymous attacks and assassination of a do it my dream is quite simple i just want to live in an iraq that's safe and pete it's a magnificent country mustn't forget that it was once respectfully known as mesopotamia the land between two rivers i dream of peace. but peace seems impossible. to americans have gone but now kurds shias and sunnis battle for control of the city even the mosques are under military protection the internet in killing goes on in the name of allah. a leave muscle with no regrets. this road fraught with danger can also hold certain surprises and. stops to help a friend. in iraq one can run out of petrol. it's hilarious we have the world's second biggest oil reserves and we're short of petrol and gas. were reduced to filling up on the black market at exorbitant prices. common sense would suggest

that petrol was available in quantity and free perhaps not free but not too expensive anyway and what. john. as soon as we arrived on the outskirts of tikrit saddam hussein's former stronghold where arrested by the police i have the feeling we were expected. after a few hours of questioning were put under house arrest in a hotel and forbidden from going out. and the situation eases the following afternoon when we're granted two hours of freedom but we're still under close surveillance.

the next man who joins us in the taxi is in mourning his name's feel he's a journalist and he lost his best friends just two days ago. but god will save iraq . sorry. he had to draw yet they want to make iraq a wretched country at the not be. glad when they assassinate the best among us the terrorist who kills a journalist like my colleague at the news channel who kills a religious man in economic or teacher certainly doesn't do it for religious reasons it's obvious he does it mostly for money because our religion does not tolerate all these crimes the only motive for these crimes is money and they're ordered from outs. to kill our best people that any of us. in the city center the mosque still bears the name of the man who built it was saddam hussein. idealist come to pay

a final homage to his murdered friend. who also on april second twenty twelve. a holiday in a journalist for a local t.v. station was killed instantly when his car exploded. was until. i a relaxing evening along the banks of the tigris overseen by the palace of the local hero sadam. saddam was always surrounded by members of his own tribe and many here miss the man who built a sunni state much to their advantage. they came in just for the americans didn't come here to look for weapons of mass destruction nor to hunt down saddam hussein they came to rob us and to kill us asian iraq it was a unified country but at the moment when they arrived at the americans that triggered divisions by creating ethnic conflicts just you know this very well. they

destroyed everything and then they left but they are not been in reality they're still here they make people think they've gone but they're still present their aim is to create discord in iraq with oh my god this is all good. as we leave tikrit we come to a village the heart of saddam hussein's kingdom where he was finally caught. on december fourteenth two thousand and three saddam was captured at dawn in his hideout in a farmyard a miserable rattle two meters underground. disheveled and distraught he surrendered to the american forces. in his possession with two kalashnikovs and seven hundred fifty thousand dollars.

by. now there are no taxis a gas guzzler and we need more petrol. but it was here. we seek out the black market a parallel business which fills the coffers of a few politicians civil servants and terrorist groups to. the oil money benefits everyone apart from the iraqi people. not. enough of. the temperature hits more than forty degrees on the machines a cool down with a hose. for the men it's time to wash and pray before sitting down for a meal. that

surprised by my presence but soon opened up. for the sunny customers the whole affair was an american manipulation. mover preferred the idea kuwait plays a key role in the arab world and. the americans use the country to trap saddam of like them fearing i mean how did the horde they set the bait up and he took it up obviously it was a prearranged ambush. it's time to leave and head for lucia khaled doesn't like stopping for too long. kidnappings are frequent here and for the criminal gangs everyone has a price probably include ing me. the killing in the kidnappings may be motivated by political or religious convictions but increasingly simply for profit.

i've lost count of the checkpoints along the way but the controls this morning seem interminable. i don't know who this fever victory sign is aimed at as we finally enter the ravaged city of fallujah. and. joe was the scene of one of the most violent american offensives of the. a g.i. summerlee killed youngsters and whole families here jani. kalisch recover . but they blew up cars and caused a lot of fatalities. is the most ravaged city in iraq of them annoy. i guess that's the american cancer allergic to. the heat is unbearable and the motor is overheating

the local grocer helpless to cool it. he's a man driven by anger he experienced the battle of fallujah at first hand and how there was watch i am what they are you call a democracy now it's quite simply about killing and stealing our wealth our lands were burnt from the effects of the white phosphorous bombs and now our children are gone disfigured. that they're not what they are so beloved all the god living with us go and see the hospitals and you'll see mothers throwing away their babies deform the by all the chemical weapons that's how i'm the only way that i could know if there is justice in the world bush will have to answer for his war crimes and crimes against humanity he claimed iraq had weapons of. mass destruction but where were they these weapons. before let me although i do know that there was a killer using the white phosphorus bomb while i'm alone one thought and not even the mosque was safe from his barbarity when i look at the ruined minaret when i'm

not that's bush's democracy and the job of them about the other bullshit i be at. on november seventh two thousand and four a deluge of iran and fire rained down on the city of two hundred mosques. to die it was a last stronghold for the al qaeda mujahideen. twelve thousand marines three hundred tanks and one hundred also helicopters were launched against. the biggest urban battle in iraq was under way. the american victory was total the casualty figures speak for themselves one hundred american soldiers were killed and on the iraqi side it's estimated there were between four and five thousand victims most of them civilians.

the battle left a city in ruins where death continue to take its toll. and their offensive it's thought the u.s. troops used white phosphorous bombs and depleted uranium weapons banned by all international conventions. so i want a new passenger is not administrator at the general hospital. since the battle of fallujah ended has kept records of the children. and with congenital malformation it's iraq for him there's no doubt the americans were responsible for this tragedy .

for me the administrator's office becomes an empty chamber of horrors. the war is far from over in fact it's still going on for the stigmata rivera and there are only two thousand and five we know to expect crease in genetic malformations a new born baby. photos only show a tiny part of the reality just for the month of january we recorded forty three cases.

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the civilized world produces more foods and it needs. well people die of hunger in other countries. millions of victims every year. we're a meal is the most of the trade. is flood or droughts to blame. it was a bad year without a train that we couldn't find anything with didn't want to move there was great hunger and some. as it did help comes too late and with good intentions. diplomacy and business honesty.

tens of thousands of enraged the turks fill the streets of istanbul demanding the government immediately resign with crowds further angered by the no holds barred police crackdown. the mood turns ugly in frankfurt as the euro zone's financial capital becomes a battlefield between furious protesters and baton wielding officers firing tear gas and pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd. the mass rallies in support of bradley manning kick off in the u.s. global protests are also to be held before the court martial begins on monday to determine whether the american soldier will have to spend the rest of his life in prison. and now it's time to come to the numbers are financial show prime interest is next right here on alt.