Iraqi army fears insurgents outside walls of base (Reuters)

TAJI, Iraq (Reuters) - For the new Iraqi army being trained by American troops in the safe confines of Taji military base, it's a jungle out there.

So much so that they fear setting foot outside.

"We're all afraid. I can't go outside the base wearing these military clothes," says Sergeant Abbas, listing colleagues who have fallen victim to relentless insurgent attacks in the dusty towns and highways north of Baghdad.

"We all know soldiers who notice people photographing them with mobile phones and being followed," says the Shi'ite Muslim from Amara in relatively calm southern
Iraq.

He does not give his full name for fear of reprisals.

Training the new Iraqi army is essential for U.S. plans to bring troops home over the next year. But for the moment the 15,000 Iraqis at Taji are glad they rarely have to venture outside in military attire.

Semper Fi