Bankrolling Basra

Andrew Alderson gave up his high-flying City job, looking for a new direction in life. A member of the Territorial Army, he was called up to serve in Iraq. When he arrived in Basra he was asked if he knew 'anything about finance'. When he said yes, he got far more than he bargained for. He was put in charge of sorting out Basra's Central Bank and told to run a multi-million dollar economy, with jurisdiction over a fifth of Iraq's finances. But Andrew was never quite on Baghdad's radar. While the authorities were working to establish Western-style democracy he was acting as a one-man bank, delivering bin bags stuffed with millions of dollars by helicopter, speedboat and Land Rover. Getting the cash moving again quickly was crucial. His story is one of courage, determination and humour set against one of the most volatile episodes in modern history.