Brits about to secure Basra?

mike65

Bearing in mind the false starts in and around Basra
in the first week one should be a little sceptical but it seems that the British Army are more in control of Basra than not in control. They are reportedly within 3 km of the centre and the locals are apparently friendly so far.

Interesting to see what the next 24 hrs brings and if it's true wether it'll have any impact on the regime in Baghdad.

From Reuters-

British forces have been encircling Basra since soon after invading Iraq from the south on March 20. They have so far held back from trying to storm Basra, saying they want to avoid major civilian casualties.
At the U.S. and British central command in Qatar, a British military spokesman said the aim was to set up checkpoints within the city boundaries "to reassure the population that we are coming to liberate them."

"There's still a fair way to go but this is another step forward," Group Captain Al Lockwood told Reuters.

British and U.S. officials had hoped the Shi'ite Muslim people of Basra, who have no love for Saddam, a Sunni, would rise up of their own accord against Baghdad.
But Iraq's southern Shi'ites have bitter memories of doing just that after the 1991 Gulf War and being brutally suppressed by Saddam's forces after getting no help from the United States and its allies.

There have been persistent reports of Baathists intimidating Basra residents during the latest war. On Sunday, pro-Saddam militiamen with AK-47 assault rifles opened fire on private vehicles in an attempt to force civilians to fight British and U.S. troops, witnesses said.

As this correspondent drove toward central Basra behind the British column, half a British dozen tanks could be seen along the road with their barrels pointing down side streets where commanders believed Iraqi militiamen had been hiding.

Spent 50-millimeter tank shells were lying around. There were signs of people looting factories in what appeared to be a mixed residential and industrial area.

A mystery that U.S. and British forces are hoping to solve in Basra is the fate of Saddam's cousin and confidant Ali Hassan al-Majid, "Chemical Ali" -- who organized the use of poison gas against Kurdish villagers in 1988.

Mike.

daveirl

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Sand

Theres some great pictures on TV now that I think people have been waiting for, the people of Basra dancing in the streets and celebrating on top of the British tanks which have come to liberate them.

Granted its only one part of Basra but it shows the sort of welcome that there when the terrifying regime is broken - Chemical Ali apparently went off on his merry way to whatever awaits him and the the people of Basra suddenly seem a lot less scared. Hardly surprising given Alis involvement in the warehouse full of the regimes victims the British found not too far away.

Basra could fall fairly easily in the end, the British have reported almost no resistance - just some booby traps and the like. Its apparently possible the most fanatical fighters could have fallen back into the old city which is apparently a bit of a warren, but the Allies can just surround it and starve them out if they have to.

All in all I think the British have given the Americans a good example to follow when attempting to take Baghdad, they need to give them a few hints in how to control a civillian area as well given some of the unfortunate incidents that have been occuring.

Sparks

No offence sand, but Basra is rather large. What we've seen so far is like the gardai saying that dublin is a safe city because you can walk through foxrock at night in perfect safety...

I've just a report on Sky news of the tanks rolling into Basra city centre.
Crowds several deep were lining the streets and road in along clapping and cheering, and not a shot fired.

and meanwhile, the Baath party officials escape the city to the south east in their fancy cars in the direction of Iran
How Ironic!
mm

Sparks

Yes, but I've seen reports on how the British troops are terribly good at winning hearts and minds in Iraq "because of their experience with winning hearts and minds in Northern Ireland".
:rolleyes:

I agree with the assessment in the Business Post today - they'll have a period when people are glad to see them, but if they wear out their welcome, they're going to have to start walking about with full body armour again...

spongebob

Originally posted by Sparks
Yes, but I've seen reports on how the British troops are terribly good at winning hearts and minds in Iraq "because of their experience with winning hearts and minds in Northern Ireland".
:rolleyes:

Which is precisely why the parachute regiment is not being sent into Basra and Neither is the Royal Irish Regiment ....the UDR . They have been left scratching themselves in the desert.