Fight Or Flight: Can Iraqis Do The Job?

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The Iraqis at Camp Eagle say the pressure on them is almost unbearable. When they return home at night, many are threatened with death; some battalion members believe their comrades leak information. On a patrol with the Americans through Sadr City's teeming thoroughfares, the hostility the Iraqis face from their neighbors is inescapable. "People keep insulting me," an Iraqi conscript named Abdullah tells a U.S. sergeant. "Can I shoot them?" The sergeant tries to calm him, explaining that the rules of engagement do not permit the use of deadly force against hecklers. At this point, Adnan, 37, former explosives specialist in the Iraqi army who is one of the platoon sergeants for the battalion, intervenes. "Cool down," he tells Abdullah. "Just remember that everyone here hates us, and keep on with your work."

With so much of Iraq in danger of sliding out of its control, the U.S. will need to maintain cooperation from Iraqis like those in the 306th Battalion if it is to have any chance of restoring order. Raied, the battalion's executive officer, says, "We will continue to support the U.S. troops until June 30. We want to see if they keep their promises." The U.S., in turn, is staking its hopes for stability on Iraqis like Raied and Sergeant Adnan, who was one of two members of his company who turned up after the April 4 fighting started, despite the threats. "I don't like it when someone tells me what I can and can't do with my life," he says. But the dilemma for him and his U.S. bosses is that his determination to stay with the U.S. has put his life in even greater danger. A couple of days ago, someone slipped a death threat under his door. With his next paycheck, Adnan plans to buy a new gun. --With reporting by Simon Robinson/Baghdad and Mark Thompson/Washington