The Death Squads

The torture and slaughter of Iraqi civilians is reaching unprecedented heights with estimates of up to 655,000 dead. Night after night death squads rampage through Iraq’s main cities. In Baghdad, up to a hundred bodies a day are dumped on the streets. Often they’ve been tortured with electric drills. Yet those doing the killing have little to do with al Qaeda or Sunni insurgents. The majority of the killings are carried out by Shia death squads who want to turn Iraq into a Shia state aligned to Iran.This shocking film investigates the links between the death squads and high-ranking Shia politicians. It reveals how the Shia militia that these politicians control have systematically infiltrated and taken over police units and even entire government ministeries. It investigates how these units are closely linked to the death squads, indeed they often are the death squads. And the killers act with impunity — there’s little investigation into their activities.

45 min 25 sec (Explicit content )

Warriors of the French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion has long been the stuff of adventure and romance. The March or Die heroism of Beau Geste’s comrades against the Arabs in North Africa or being the foreign soldiers sent to do the dirtiest and hardest work for France.

Joining recruits leave behind their pasts – ordinary or shady – and begin anew as legionnaires, the toughest of French soldiers.

In Warriors of the French Foreign Legion the Discovery Channel takes cameras into the modern Legion and while weapons and enemies have changed, the outcome hasn’t as one in 10 legionnaires will die during their five-year tenure.

For the Legion is still France’s first resort in nasty situations and, as the soldiers themselves say, they are sent because if they die “it’s only foreigners”.

More than 100 nationalities still form its ranks although once they are accepted their only family is the Legion.

Discipline and training is brutal and from the interviews it seems that old hands will do almost anything under orders.

Warriors of the French Foreign Legion is an excellent look at the modern fighting force, although it doesn’t go into enough early history – such as the Crimea or North Africa – for my liking. That is, after all, where the legend was born.

50 min 1 sec

Special forces Royal Dutch Marines

50 min 13 sec

Special forces British S.A.S.

49 min 54 sec