Kirkuk’s anti-terrorist police ride around in battered pickup trucks, keeping a nervous lookout for the bombers that have killed scores of their colleagues. With the American military eying an exit from Iraq, the force has become a central player in a seemingly intractable conflict over land and oil.
I accompanied the officers as they carried out overnight raids in pursuit of an insurgent cell linked to al-Qaeda.
- Six-page spread (3,500 words) from Kirkuk for Financial Times Weekend magazine, June 2009. (Available for free after registration.)
- Five-minute audio slideshow from Kirkuk for Financial Times website, June 2009. (Available for free after registration.)
Photographs by Kamaran Najm/Metrography
Neil Arun 