>> Sreenivasan: AN UNEXPLODED

ROCKET LANDED CLOSE TO A

MILITARY BASE HOSTING U.S.

TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ TODAY.

THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE,

BUT THE ATTACK WAS THE LATEST

TARGETING THE AMERICAN MILITARY

PRESENCE IN THE COUNTRY.

ABOUT 2,500 U.S. TROOPS REMAIN

IN IRAQ AS PART OF THE

MULTINATIONAL COALITION FORCE IN

THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS.

IT'S THE LOWEST U.S. MILITARY

PRESENCE THERE IN TWO DECADES.

AND WHILE ISIS HAS LOST

TERRITORIAL CONTROL, THE THREAT

OF A RESURGENCE REMAINS IF THE

MILITARY WERE TO PULL OUT

ALTOGETHER.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT LEILA MOLANA-

ALLEN, AND VIDEOGRAPHER ADRIAN

HARTRICK, WERE GRANTED ACCESS TO

TRAVEL TO BASES ACROSS IRAQ THAT

STILL HAVE A U.S. PRESENCE TO

FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND

WHAT THEIR FUTURE PLANS ARE.

>> Reporter: TOUCHING DOWN AT A

KURDISH BASE IN NORTH IRAQ,

COALITION SPECIAL FORCES ARRIVE

TO PROVIDE TACTICAL TRAINING.

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THIS BASE

WAS FULL OF AMERICANS.

BUT NOW, LIKE OTHERS ACROSS

IRAQ, IT'S BEEN HANDED BACK TO

LOCAL FORCES.

THIS IS WHAT THE FOREIGN TROOP

PRESENCE IN IRAQ NOW LOOKS LIKE:

TRAINING, EQUIPPING, ADVISING."

NO COMBAT TROOPS" HAS BECOME

THE TOP LINE IN EFFORTS TO WALK

THE DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPE OVER

TENSIONS THAT U.S. TROOPS STILL

REMAIN IN IRAQ 18 YEARS AFTER

THE INVASION.

EARLIER THIS YEAR THE AMERICAN

MILITARY COMPLETED AN AGREED

REDUCTION TO 2,500 TROOPS

COUNTRY-WIDE.

NOW THEY'RE IN TALKS TO WITHDRAW

ALTOGETHER.

THEIR STATED MISSION IS TO

DEFEAT ISIS.

WHILE THE GROUP NO LONGER HAS

ANY TERRITORY, THEIR SCATTERED

REMNANTS ARE STILL A THREAT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN

RIGHT NOW IF THERE WAS A FULL

DRAWDOWN?

>> THE DEFINITE RISKS ARE AN

ISIS RESURGENCE POTENTIALLY.

THE ENABLING CAPACITY THAT THE

COALITION PROVIDES IS REALLY

ESSENTIAL TO THE IRAQI SECURITY

FORCES AND THE KURDISH SECURITY

FORCES.

>> Reporter: COLONEL DAVID

WILLIAMS IS THE CHIEF COALITION

LIAISON WITH KURDISH FORCES IN

THE NORTH.

THE COALITION HAS PROVIDED

INTENSIVE TRAINING FOR YEARS TO

THE PESHMERGA, THE KURDISH

SECURITY FORCES, EQUIPPING THEM

WITH HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY GEAR

AND, SOME SAY, HELPING THEM TURN

A MOUNTAIN MILITIA INTO A WELL-

HONED AND MODERN FIGHTING FORCE.

THEY DO THE SAME FOR THE IRAQI

ARMY; THE COUNTRY'S TOP COUNTER-

TERRORISM FORCE WAS FOUNDED BY

U.S. SPECIAL FORCES, AND

MULTIPLE BRANCHES OF THE

SECURITY FORCES HAVE BEEN

TRAINED BY THEM; WHILE THE

PANDEMIC ENDED IN-PERSON

TRAINING, THE REGULAR EQUIPMENT

HANDOUTS CONTINUE.

THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT SAYS THE

COUNTRY'S ARMED FORCES, WHO WERE

SWIFTLY OVERPOWERED WHEN ISIS

SWEPT THROUGH MUCH OF IRAQ IN

2014, ARE NOW READY TO FIGHT THE

COUNTRY'S MULTIPLE SECURITY

THREATS ALONE. OTHERS AREN'T SO

SURE.

PESHMERGA GENERAL SIRWAN BARZANI

HAS WORKED HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE

COALITION FOR YEARS.

HE SAYS LOCAL FORCES COULDN'T

MANAGE IN A YEAR WHAT FOREIGN

FORCES CAN DO IN A FEW DAYS.

THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT HAS NOW

REQUESTED A FULL WITHDRAWAL OF

THOSE FORCES HERE, HOW DO YOU

FEEL THAT WILL AFFECT THE

SITUATION IN WIDER IRAQ?

>> WE NEED THE COALITION, WE

NEED THEM, AND IF THEY LEAVE WE

WILL FACE TOO BIG A PROBLEM WITH

THE TERRORISM.

>> Reporter: AS FOR THE ONGOING

TERRITORIAL DISPUTE BETWEEN

IRAQI KURDISTAN AND THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT, THE WIDELY-HELD

FEELING AMONG KURDS THAT THEY

DESERVE MORE SUPPORT IN RETURN

FOR FIGHTING ISIS HASN'T GONE

AWAY; FOR KURDISH FORCES IN THE

NORTH WHO SEE THE AMERICANS AS

THEIR STRONGEST ALLIES, A

COMPLETE DRAWDOWN WOULD BE THE

WORST CASE SCENARIO.

SO, YOU DO FEEL THERE'S BEEN

ENOUGH SUPPORT FROM YOUR ALLIES?

>> NO.

OF COURSE, NOT ENOUGH.

THEY DO GIVE SUPPORT, BUT IT'S

NOT ENOUGH.

>> Reporter: AFTER ISIS LOST ITS

TERRITORIAL CONTROL, MANY OF THE

REMAINING FIGHTERS SCATTERED,

AND WENT TO GROUND ACROSS IRAQ,

TAKING THEIR IDEOLOGY WITH THEM.

THE COUNTRY'S HOSTILE INTERNAL

POLITICS HAVEN'T MADE TACKLING

THAT ANY EASIER; THE TERRITORIAL

SQUABBLES HAVE CREATED

UNGOVERNED AREAS THAT FLEEING

INSURGENTS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE

OF.

COLONEL NAWROOZA HAS FOUGHT WITH

THE PERSHMERGA FOR THREE

DECADES.

SINCE 2018, HE'S WATCHED OVER

THIS PEAK IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR

MAKHMOUR, SOUTH OF THE KURDISH

CAPITAL, ERBIL.

>> THESE BASES MARK THE END OF

PESHMERGA TERRITORY.

OVER THERE BY THE VILLAGES IS

THE IRAQI ARMY.

IN BETWEEN IN THE MOUNTAINS IS

ISIS, WHERE THEY HIDE

THEMSELVES.

>> Reporter: HE AND HIS MEN

WATCH FROM HERE AS IRAQI FORCES,

SUPPORTED BY COALITION AIRPOWER

AND INTELLIGENCE, DO THEIR BEST

TO ROOT THEM OUT.

A RECENT TWO-WEEK CAMPAIGN,

"OPERATION READY LION," TARGETED

THIS AREA, KILLING AT LEAST 30

INSURGENTS AND DESTROYING OVER A

HUNDRED HIDEOUTS.

THESE RAIDS AND OTHERS LIKE THEM

ARE CAREFULLY PLANNED AND

COORDINATED HERE AT THE BAGHDAD

INTELLIGENCE HEADQUARTERS KNOWN

AS THE SHARK TANK.

>> THEY RUN ALL THE I.S.R., THE

DRONES FOR SURVEILLANCE, THEY

RUN STRIKES, AND INTELLIGENCE.

A LOT OF THE STRIKE REQUESTS A

LOT OF TIMES INITIATE WITH THE

PARTNER, SO THE PARTNER COMES TO

US AND SAYS WE HAVE THIS INTEL,

CAN YOU STRIKE IT?

>> Reporter: BRIGADIER GENERAL

RYAN RIDEOUT HEADS UP THE

COALITION'S MILITARY ADVISOR

GROUP IN IRAQ.

HE SAYS THE PARTNERSHIP OF

FOREIGN AIR POWER FOLLOWED BY

LOCAL BOOTS ON THE GROUND IS NOW

WELL-PRACTICED.

>> IF WE BOMB AT NIGHT, THEY'LL

COME NEXT DAY AND DO A GROUND

CLEANSE.

WITH THE MAKHMOUR OPERATION, IT

WAS REALLY ABOUT A SUSTAINED

OPERATION OVER TIME, THAT BROKE

THE BACKS OF THE FORCES OF THOSE

GUYS HIDING IN THERE, SO THEY'D

LITERALLY RUN OUT OF FOOD, RUN

OUT OF WATER.

>> Reporter: THE COMBINED FORCES

HERE SAY THAT DESPITE DOZENS OF

ONGOING ATTACKS THE FIGHT

AGAINST ISIS IS NEARING ITS END.

BUT EVEN AS ONE THREAT REDUCES,

AN EVEN MORE UNPREDICTABLE ONE

HAS EMERGED.

THIS YEAR HAS SEEN DOZENS OF

ROCKET ATTACKS AT BASES ACROSS

IRAQ, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE

AND KILLING TEN U.S. CONTRACTORS

AND LOCALS CAUGHT IN THE CROSS-

FIRE.

THE BASES ARE COVERED WITH BOMB

SHELTERS AND BLAST WALLS

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN.

THE TROOPS ARE WELL DRILLED IN

HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES INSIDE

THEIR BASES, RATHER THAN OUT IN

THE FIELD.

SO FAR NO AMERICAN TROOPS HAVE

BEEN KILLED IN THE ATTACKS; THE

WHITE HOUSE HAS WARNED THAT IF

EVEN ONE WERE, THAT WOULD MARK A

MAJOR ESCALATION. MEANWHILE, ALL

THEY CAN DO IS STAY ALERT.

>> THIS IS WHERE YOU COME,

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE, AND

WAIT FOR THE ALL CLEAR.

>> Reporter: WE'VE ENDED UP

SPENDING RATHER A LOT OF TIME IN

BUNKERS LIKE THESE.

IN THE WEEK THAT WE'VE SPENT

WITH U.S. FORCES, THERE WERE NO

FEWER THAN SIX THREATS CONFIRMED

SERIOUS ENOUGH TO SOUND ALARMS

AT BASES WITH A U.S. PRESENCE

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND AT LEAST

THREE OF THOSE RESULTED IN

ACTUAL STRIKES.

IT'S NOT JUST ROCKETS THEY HAVE

TO CONTEND WITH NOW, BUT DRONES

RIGGED WITH EXPLOSIVES, WHICH

CAN BE MUCH HARDER TO TRACK AND

PROTECT AGAINST.

PRIVATE DAWSON HAD BEEN HERE

JUST A MONTH WHEN THE FIRST

DRONE ATTACK HIT HIS BASE IN

ERBIL.

>> IT'S ONE OF THOSE FIGHT OR

FLIGHT THINGS, IT KIND OF JUST

KICKS IN.

AND THAT WAS THE FASTEST I'VE

EVER RUN IN MY LIFE, I'M NOT

EVEN GOING TO LIE TO YOU.

I MEAN, I WAS, FORREST GUMP,

JUST GONE.

>> Reporter: THEY BELIEVE

THEY'RE BEING TARGETED BY

ELEMENTS OF THE FRAGMENTED LOCAL

SHIA MILITIAS, KNOWN AS THE

HASHD SHABI OR POPULAR

MOBILIZATION FORCES, WHO SINCE

AMERICA'S ASSASSINATION OF

IRAN'S TOP MILITARY COMMANDER

QASSEM SOLEIMANI IN BAGDHAD

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO HAVE BEEN

PUSHING TO GET THEM OFF IRAQI

SOIL.

AND IT'S NOT JUST BASES BEING

ATTACKED.

MILITARY CONVOYS BRING VEHICLES,

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT OVERLAND

TO HAND OVER TO LOCAL FORCES.

A LOT OF THAT DIVESTMENT, AS

IT'S CALLED, HAPPENS HERE AT AIN

AL ASAD AIR BASE IN ANBAR.

SO, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU GIVEN SO

FAR THIS YEAR?

>> SO FAR THIS YEAR, SINCE

JANUARY, WE HAVE GIVEN OVER $200

MILLION OF ASSETS.

>> Reporter: IMPROVISED

EXPLOSIVE DEVICES, GUN ATTACKS

AND EVEN ROCKET FIRE HAVE BEEN

USED TO TARGET THE EQUIPMENT AND

DAMAGE IT EN ROUTE, BUT THE

PEOPLE GETTING HURT IN THESE

ATTACKS AREN'T AMERICANS.

>> IT'S IRAQI DRIVERS, WITH

THEIR OWN TRUCKS, IRAQI TRUCKS.

>> Reporter: SO ALTHOUGH THEY'RE

ACTUALLY SEEN AS U.S. CONVOYS

AND U.S. EQUIPMENT, IT'S IRAQI

PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ATTACKED

WHEN THEY'RE TRANSPORTING THAT

EQUIPMENT TO YOU.

>> CORRECT.

SO, THIS IS ONE OF THE VEHICLES

THAT WE RECEIVED THAT WAS HIT BY

AN I.E.D. EN ROUTE.

SO, IT CROSSED THE MOTOR AND

DAMAGED THE BACK BOARD.

YOU CAN SEE MOST OF THE DAMAGE

INSIDE AS IT SHRED THROUGH

EVERYTHING.

>> Reporter: IRAQ'S PRIME

MINISTER MOSTAFA AL-KADHIMI

REQUESTED A FORMAL TIMELINE FOR

FOREIGN TROOP WITHDRAWAL EARLIER

THIS YEAR AFTER MILITIA LEADERS

ISSUED AN ULTIMATUM.

IN THE RUN UP TO AN ELECTION

PLANNED THIS OCTOBER, SOME FEAR

THEIR PRESENCE WILL BECOME EVEN

MORE OF A POLITICAL PLAYING

CARD.

IT'S A COMPLEX LEGACY.

THE MILITARY SHIES AWAY FROM

POLITICS; BUT THERE ARE FEW

IMAGES MORE POLITICALLY LOADED

IN IRAQ THAN AN AMERICAN

SOLDIER.

PARTICULARLY HERE IN FALLUJAH,

SCENE OF SOME OF THE DEADLIEST

BATTLES IN THE MID-2000s, AND AN

EMBLEM OF THE CRUELEST

REPERCUSSIONS OF THE CONFLICT.

TODAY, FAMILIES DRINK COFFEE BY

THE RIVER WHILE THEIR CHILDREN

PLAY IN SAFETY NEARBY, BUT THE

MEMORY LINGERS.

MUHANNAD AL-HADI, WHO WAS JUST

16 AT THE TIME, REMEMBERS

WATCHING HIS LITTLE BROTHER

KILLED WHEN HE SAYS U.S. FORCES

OPENED FIRE ON PROTESTERS.

>> ( translated ): OUR HOUSE WAS

FACING THE SCHOOL WHERE THE

AMERICAN FORCES WERE.

THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO OPEN FIRE-

RELENTLESS AND AIMLESS OPEN FIRE

ON THE CITIZENS, AND WHOEVER

LIVED NEAR THE SCHOOL.

THE AMERICAN FORCES SHOT HIM

TWICE; A BULLET TO THE HAND, AND

ANOTHER ONE TO THE CHEST.

TWO BULLETS.

>> Reporter: HE WATCHED AS

12-YEAR-OLD ABED BLED TO DEATH

SLOWLY IN FRONT OF HIS HOME;

THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO COLLECT

THE BODIES FOR HOURS.

HIS MOTHER DIED WEEKS LATER; HE

BELIEVES OF A BROKEN HEART.

AFTER THAT, MUHANNAD HAD TO

RAISE HIS REMAINING FIVE

SIBLINGS ALONE.

BUT OTHERS FEAR A RETURN TO

IRAQ'S DARKEST DAYS AS A LAWLESS

SECURITY VACUUM IF U.S. FORCES

LEAVE FOR GOOD.

RAED JOUMAILY IS THE SAME AGE AS

AL-HADI.

IN 2006 HIS FATHER WAS KIDNAPPED

BY AL QAEDA AT A FAKE

CHECKPOINT.

HE WAS RESCUED WHEN U.S. FORCES

STORMED THEIR HIDEOUT TWO WEEKS

LATER.

>> ( translated ): THAT'S WHY WE

WANT AMERICAN FORCES TO BE

PRESENT IN ALL IRAQI PROVINCES.

SO WE CAN GET RID OF ALL THIS

TERRORISM.

>> Reporter: HIS FATHER WAS

KIDNAPPED AGAIN THREE YEARS AGO

BY A LOCAL MILITIA.

THIS TIME, THERE WERE NO FOREIGN

FORCES TO TURN TO IN THE AREA.

HE BELIEVES IF THERE HAD BEEN,

HIS FATHER, WHO HASN'T BEEN SEEN

SINCE, MIGHT STILL BE WITH HIM.

THOSE WHO WANT THE FOREIGN

TROOPS OUT, SAY ISIS IS LONG

GONE.

THOSE WHO WANT THEM TO STAY, SAY

THE THREAT IS TOO REAL TO BE

ABANDONED JUST YET.

SO, THE U.S. FORCES, THEIR

PRESENCE, ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE?

>> AS LONG AS THERE'S AN

INVITATION.

I DON'T THINK WHAT THE U.S.

WANTS IS A COMPLETE DEPARTURE OF

FORCES.

THE IRAQIS WANT A NORMALIZED

MILITARY-TO-MILITARY TYPE

RELATIONSHIP.

>> Reporter: BUT IS THAT

POSSIBLE WHEN YOU'VE GOT

MILITIAS WHO MANY PEOPLE SAY

HAVE A HEAVY REPRESENTATION IN

THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT YOU'RE

WORKING WITH SENDING ROCKETS AND

DRONES AND EXPLOSIVES INTO YOUR

BASES?

>> THAT'S THE MILLION DOLLAR

QUESTION.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO BE IN CONFLICT

WITH THE MILITIAS, AND IF THEY

CREATE THAT SITUATION, WE ARE

GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THE IRAQIS WANT,

THE IRAQIS WE DEAL WITH ON A

DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.

THERE'S CERTAINLY I THINK A

PORTION OF IRAQIS WHO DO WANT

THAT, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

>> Reporter: AMID THE GLOBAL

POWER-PLAY, THE FRAGILE INCREASE

IN SECURITY IRAQIS CURRENTLY

ENJOY IS AT STAKE.

>> YOU ALREADY HAVE A BAD

ECONOMY, A LOT OF ACTORS PLAYING

IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, VERY EASILY

THINGS COULD DETERIORATE TO A

SITUATION WHERE ISIS COULD COME

BACK.

DISENFRANCHISED PEOPLE WHO ARE

ANGRY IS A RECIPE FOR A QUICK

RETURN OF ISIS.

>> Reporter: OTHERS, THOUGH,

ARGUE THEIR VERY PRESENCE HERE

IS THE TOUCHPAPER THAT WILL

IGNITE FURTHER CONFLICT.

AS TENSIONS CONTINUE TO

ESCALATE, THE TIME FOR A CHOICE

MAY SOON COME.