The Kids Who Ran Iraq

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.3 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2008

⏱️ 23 minutes

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Summary

After the invasion of Iraq in 2003 hundreds of young American recruits were sent by Washington to help run the Coalition Provisional Authority, the body set up to administer Iraq. The CPA's tenure was widely criticised, as were its staff who, critics say, were simply political appointees with little or no experience relevant to the massive task they faced. Five years on Pascale Harter speaks to some of the so-called Brat Pack of US recruits to find out if they feel proud of what they achieved.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for downloading from the BBC.
0:03.0	The details of our complete range of podcasts
0:06.0	and our terms of use go to BBCWorldService.com
0:09.0	Slash Podcasts.
0:23.0	In April 2003, US troops toppled Saddam Hussein's government
0:27.0	but failed to stop the chaos that ensued.
0:30.0	Looters burned government buildings, dismantled water plants
0:34.0	and power stations causing far more damage than the bombing campaign.
0:38.0	Suddenly America was in charge,
0:41.0	and it needed its own complete administration for Iraq at once.
0:45.0	Would I like to look back and have been part of something
0:48.0	that was an unbelievable success and put Iraqis on a path
0:51.0	to ever greater happiness? Of course.
0:53.0	Am I disappointed that we didn't succeed on that front?
0:56.0	Yes, absolutely.
0:57.0	A frenzy of hiring ensued
0:59.0	and a legion of young American graduates
1:01.0	was recruited to swell the ranks.
1:03.0	Many were under 30, with little or no experience
1:06.0	of the Middle East or of working in a country
1:08.0	recovering from years of dictatorship and war.
1:11.0	These were the kids, who almost overnight
	...

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