The Wild West of Iraq: A Bank Robbery in Baghdad | Josh Bates | Ep. 403

The Team House

dee takos

History, Government, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.7 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2026

⏱️ 149 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We sit down with Josh Bates to discuss his experience as a Marine infantry officer during the invasion of Iraq, from the initial push north to the chaos of Baghdad after the regime collapsed. He breaks down the realities of urban combat, leadership under pressure, and the breakdown of order that fueled the early insurgency. We also discuss how those experiences shaped his career and led to writing The Baghdad Shuffle.
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Intro music by https://www.youtube.com/user/RemixSample
"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 Start
01:10 Growing Up in Hawaii & Marine Family Background
05:18 9/11 and Entering the Marine Corps
07:27 First Combat: Seizing Iraq’s Oil Infrastructure
10:55 Fighting Through Southern Iraq
15:07 Entering Baghdad & Urban Warfare
18:50 Looting, Crime, and Collapse of Order
23:08 Policing Baghdad & Early Occupation Chaos
27:15 Najaf, Elections Fallout & Rising Insurgency
34:15 The Wild West Phase of Early Iraq War
45:50 Platoon Leadership & Combat Culture
1:05:30 Transitioning Roles & Leaving the Platoon
1:20:45 Intelligence, Counterintel & Career Shift
1:35:30 Writing The Baghdad Shuffle
1:50:15 Lessons from Iraq & How the War Changed
2:05:00 Final Reflections & Closing

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Transcript

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