[TonyInOhio]

Didn't the New York Times tell us this morning that the inhabitants of Basra loved Saddam?

[general_re]

Lemme just shout out here - this can only have been made possible by the famed "Desert Rats" and their actions against the Baathists in Basra over the last day or so, and even now, it sounds like they're preparing to move in, in support of the insurgents.

A big 'ol hearty freeper "Thanks!" to the Desert Rats, who may very well have triggered the beginning of the end here...

[SodiumWarthog]

Dear Shiites,

Sorry for leaving you in the lurch last time. We paid too much attention to the U.N. then. Fortunately, we're ignoring them this time so feel free to deal out a little payback. If you'd rather not exchange gunfire with these thugs yourself, just tell the closest British Marine where they are and he'll have it seen to.

Signed,
Your Coalition friends.

[Fury]

I know this - the British soldier on Sky news is not pulling any punches. He taking reporter's questions and promptly slapping them upside the head...

[Enterprise]

Laughing, laughing, laughing! Good ol' Brits. Stirring up the Shiite and here comes the long awaited bloodbaath against the tyrants! LET's ROLL!!!

[AmericanMade1776]

THE REVOLUTION HAS STARTED....YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[Fury]

Just announced that Iraqi troops dropping mortars on protesters in Basra.

British artillery determining source of mortar fire and returning fire.

Large explosion from a bomb has occurred in/around Ba'ath party headquarters in Basra.

[VOA]

to our UK friends and the freedom fighters of Basra, all I can say is:

GO MAN GO!!!

as Major General Colt (played by Carroll O'Connor, may he rest in peace) screamed
at reports of what he thought was a "breakthrough" in the movie "Kelly's Heroes".
(Hope some other Coalition members get a piece of this action!)

[Minty]

This is awesome. Thank you, Lord!

[Fury]

Now reports of fighting further spreading in Basra between Iraqi regulars/irregulars and local inhabitants. Termed a "popular uprising".

US air support supporting the British.

Artillery has been fired it Iraqi positions for past 45 minutes.

[Fury]

Iraqi and Ba'ath forces being engaged with direct tank fire.

[kattracks]

Nothing on the wires yet, but this from Sky News online:

ANTI-SADDAM RIOTS IN BASRA Rioting is taking place in Basra by locals opposed to Saddam Hussein, reports say. Iraqi troops are reported to be firing on the rioters.

[Grampa Dave]

How will the Islamofacist Peter Jennings handle this story tonight?

[kattracks]

More-

ANTI-SADDAM RIOTS IN BASRA

Rioting is taking place in Basra by locals opposed to Saddam Hussein, reports say.
Iraqi troops are reported to be firing on the rioters.

British forces are firing on Iraqi positions which are trying to crush the civilian uprising.
Reporter Richard Gaisford said intelligence from the city suggested that local people had indicated they would welcome the Allied forces but were in fear of Saddam loyalists.
"Now it seems they have had the courage to stand up to Saddam Hussein and his regime and they will be supported by British forces," Gaisford said.

[b4its2late]

Hey Saddam....... Shiit Happens.

[Fractal Trader]

.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Fractal Trader]

is this a completely accurate report? I demand to see the official records. Where are those graves, anyways. Where are the gravestones?

[Fury]

UK Army is now being reported to have captured a Ba'ath party official is Basra.

More airstrikes occurring.

[kattracks]

From FOX News

Report: Shiites Uprising Against Saddam

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar ? The Shiite majority in Basra has started a popular uprising against Saddam Hussein's forces, Sky News reported Tuesday.

Iraqi forces are reportedly firing at the Shiite protesters, who have the support of British troops in the area.

In an about-face, British forces said Tuesday they have decided to move against militia fighters who have prevented them from securing the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

Previously, coalition forces said they wanted to avoid urban combat in Iraq's second-largest city.

The decision to declare parts of Basra "military targets" came after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian crisis in the city and said "urgent measures" had to be taken to restore electricity and water.

British forces have surrounded the city and secured its airport but have continued to face pockets of resistance, including members of Saddam Hussein's elite Fedayeen paramilitary force. On Monday there were artillery exchanges throughout the day.

"We're obviously assessing the situation before we commence operations to take out the non-regular militia which seems to be set to opposing our taking of the objective," said Group Capt. Al Lockwood, spokesman for British forces in the Persian Gulf.

With 1.3 million people in Basra, "we need to secure the city for the inhabitants and to ensure that their basic necessities in life are taken care of, and obviously that the necessary humanitarian aid, medical facilities are restored as quickly as possible," he said.

British military officials had said several days ago that they would prefer to negotiate surrenders with enemy troops rather than move into Basra itself to secure it. But with resistance continuing, they apparently concluded that something more decisive was necessary.

It was not clear if British forces would move into Basra itself. They have said they wanted to avoid urban combat for as long as possible.

Basra is Iraq's main seaport and lies in southern Iraq's oil-producing region. It is a mostly Shiite city; a 1991 uprising by Shiite Muslims in Basra was crushed by the Iraqi military during the Gulf War.

A British military spokesman said Basra itself was a military target. But later he said only parts of the city -- regime and military infrastructure -- were now so designated.

In a separate attack on militiamen loyal to Saddam, members of Britain's 7th Armored Brigade captured a member of the Baath Party in nearby Az Zubayr on Monday night, the spokesman said. The goal of the operation was to "separate the party members from the military," the spokesman said.

Also in Az Zubayr late Monday, a soldier with another British unit was killed. It was the second combat death for Britain.

Also late Monday, 25 Iraqi armored vehicles, including a number of T-55 battle tanks, were destroyed after British forces called in air support over the al-Faw peninsula, the spokesman said. The Iraqis were firing mortar rounds and artillery.

[AmericanMade1776]

Basra is Iraq's main seaport and lies in southern Iraq's oil-producing region. It is a mostly Shiite Muslim city; a 1991 uprising by Shiites in Basra was crushed by the Iraqi military during the Gulf War.