Exit strategy

Panorama: Exit strategy BBC One, Sunday, 30 January 2005 at 22:15 GMT

As Iraq holds historic elections, Panorama presents a major film examining the state of Iraq today. Will the elections put the country on the road to peace - or push it deeper into war?

Reporting from Baghdad, in his first Panorama since the award-winning In The Line Of Fire, BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson presents a compelling and powerful overview, drawing on his 25 year knowledge of Iraq.

Click here to download or view a transcript of the programme

Are the insurgents really crushed after Falluja - or is the resistance actually growing in strength? What do ordinary Iraqis think about the conflict and anarchy which is damaging much of the country? And just when will the United States and Britain exit Iraq?

John Simpson in Iraq. Image by Mark McCauley

John Simpson observes first hand the violent struggle between the Coalition and Iraqi insurgents, as he sees a convoy come under murderous attack. He speaks with the politicians, soldiers and ordinary Iraqis who are trying to shape the country after Saddam's fall.

He analyses the rapid growth of the insurgency in Iraq, now estimated by some senior Iraqi and Coalition figures to be 200,000 strong, and identifies some of the key players and tactics which are proving so damaging.

And he questions the United States and UK governments and their critics, on Iraq's future. Panorama follows a grieving family driven from Fallujah, and now trying to rebuild their lives.

For this major film John Simpson interviews some of the most important political players in Iraq today.

And he also speaks with the military leaders - from US forces, NATO and the young Iraqi army - about the struggle for a secure future for the country.

Can a peaceful Iraq emerge from this election process? And can the United States and its allies - whose presence is now resented by many Iraqis - secure an exit strategy, or is the US here for the long-haul?

Production team:
Reporter: John Simpson
Producers: Chris Woods, John Thynne
Editor: Mike Robinson
Deputy Editors: Andrew Bell, Frank Simmonds