quote:BASRA, Iraq (CNN) -- British commanders said it appeared a popular uprising against the ruling Baath Party was under way in Basra as British troops and tanks were maneuvering under the cover of darkness near the southern Iraq city.
Juliet Bremner, a correspondent with the British network ITV with troops outside the city, said the commanders told her they had seen groups of 40 to 50 citizens at various locations on the streets and that British forces had taken out an Iraqi mortar that had been firing on the apparent protesters.
quote:Earlier Tuesday, British forces repelled a battalion-size counterattack in Basra.
They also seized a top Baath Party official -- a move meant to inspire a popular uprising, said Col. Chris Vernon, British military spokesman in Kuwait City. 20 Iraqi militia members were killed in the raid, Vernon said.
"Whap, we're in. Whap, we're out, and 20 of them are gone," Vernon said.
quote:Coalition forces have begun trucking water from Umm Qasr, now under British control, to Basra. The International Red Cross said 40 percent of Basra's water supply has been restored, according to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart. Once coalition forces better secure cities north of Umm Qasr, such as Basra and Nasiriya, they will start delivering food, Renuart said at U.S. Central Command briefing in Qatar.
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
I'd give the news 24 hours to age if I were you. I've heard so many different things that it's difficut to believe anything that is reported on the same day.
I did hear something on the radio about them capturing a top Baath Party official. They didn't mention the anti Baath uprising.
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
Just heard of the uprising from a second source.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
That's funny....the British AIDING an insurrection for once.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
"Topic: Sir, the People are Revolting!"
Yes they really are disgusting, but we need them for getting votes. :-)
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
CNN military guy, Gen.Clark I think it was, said that they really didn't know what was happening in Basra. It looked like there was a revolt, someone else said may be just Chaos.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
I would imagine a revolt would cause chaos, but, then again, so does getting invaded, for whatever reason. It is still odd that the Iraqi mortar fire is aimed in a direction other than that of the Brits, not bad for the Brits of course, but still odd.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :