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BAGHDAD (AP) — Attacks against British and Iraqi forces have plunged by 90 percent in southern Iraq since London withdrew its troops from the main city of Basra, the commander of British forces there said. The presence of British forces in downtown Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, was the single largest instigator of violence, Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to Baghdad's Green Zone. "We thought, 'If 90 percent of the violence is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?'" Binns said. Britain's 5,000 troops moved out of a former Saddam Hussein palace at...

The shifting emphasis and resources to secure Basrah was confirmed with the release of the US Department of Defense’s Quarterly Report to Congress on September 18. According to that report, the 12th IA Division Headquarters with headquarters, military police, and signals companies was to assume control of a part of the area of 4th IA Division (Salahadin) and some subordinate brigades as ordered in 2006, but instead those headquarters elements are forming the 14th IA Division Headquarters (Basrah). This is the first confirmed diversion of significant resources to Basrah. The 12th IA Division will not be generated until 2008. Additionally,...

The most powerful authority in Basra is not the British garrison where more than 5,000 British troops have withdrawn behind barbed wire and cement blocks. It is the Iranian consulate where major decisions regarding the city are taken. And it is not difficult to see who is in control of the city’s thoroughfares and residential quarters. The roundabouts, major squares and even some small streets and neighborhoods are decorated with portraits of Iranian religious and political leaders. Basra is perhaps Iraq’s most important province from which most of the country’s oil production and exports originate. Within Basra’s provincial borders, the...

BASRAH — In an upbeat assessment General Ali Hamadi, Head of the Basrah Emergency Security Committee, has voiced his growing confidence in the Province's security situation and the capability of the Iraqi Security Forces as they assume greater security responsibility and moves towards Provincial Iraqi Control. At a press conference held jointly with Brigadier Tim Evans MBE, Commander 19 Light Brigade, at General Hamadi's headquarters, the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre, in the centre of Basra City, General Hamadi praised the significant progress made to date, but admitted more needed to be done. "I will not say to you there is...

Major General J D Shaw CBE, General Officer Commanding Headquarters Multi National Division (South East) (right) meets the Iraqi Ground Forces Commander Lieutenant General Ali Ghaydan (center) and the 10 Iraqi Army Division, General Abdul Lateef Thu'ban (left) at the Headquarters building in Basrah. Ministry of Defence photo by Cpl Ian Forsyth. RLC. BASRAH -- The Iraqi Army division based in Basra has transferred from Coalition command, and is now - for the first time – taking its orders direct from an Iraqi headquarters in Baghdad. The transfer is a significant step toward Iraqi forces taking responsibility for security in...

Workman checks a valve on one of the pumps being refurbished at Basrah/Umm Qasr Water Supply. (GRD Photo) The Sweetwater canal runs 238 kilometers through Southern Iraq. (GRD Photo) Sweetwater Canal pumps are working again. (GRD Photo) Base Camp Adder (Ali Base) Iraq - Cleaner water with a more reliable water supply system will now be available for 2.5 million residents of the Basrah and Thi Qar Provinces thanks to the completion of the Basrah/Umm Qasr Water Supply refurbishment. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow southward and join together to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway and the port city...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 10, 2005) – Iraqi and U.S. government officials announced Aug. 6 that contracts have been awarded for the renovation of 43 Iraqi schools. As part of the Iraq Relief Reconstruction Fund, more than $1.3 million has been set aside to continue a nationwide school repair program. The renovations, scheduled to take about six weeks, will be complete just in time to allow approximately 18,000 Iraqi school children to attend refurbished schools this school year. Repairs include rehabilitating sanitary facilities, and electrical and mechanical systems, as well as structural repairs to schools in Karbala, Dahuk,...

Basrah - After almost 20 years of sporadic flying and finally being grounded, the first Iraqi Airways flight landed at Basrah International Airport June 4 with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region South. The Corps’ goal is to give the Iraqis a functioning civil aviation airport that will allow planes with passengers to land and take off, both domestically and internationally, according to Robert Vanoer, resident engineer for the Basrah Resident Office, Gulf Region District South (GRS).

Basrah International Airport to Open in JulyAirport considered as first step to return Iraqi tourism December 16, 2004 By BJ Weiner U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Gulf Region District South The airport that never was, at least, not officially. Rumors have it that, in the past 10 years,   Basrah International Airport opened only when VIPs were visiting the country, and people worked at the airport only on those occasions. But, in July 2005, Basrah International Airport will officially open for commercial air and passenger traffic.            “The airport was never really functional,” said Nolan Smith, assistant area engineer for the...

‘The situation in Iraq worsens every day!’ chirp the assorted media pundits whose smartly crafted doom and gloom sells more advertising, increasing the revenues of an industry that seems more intent upon creating more fresh carrion to feed upon than objectively investigating and reporting the facts. In this work they have ample company… Take for instance the reporting of the Iranian news agency, Mehr News, whose recent story claims the US has a policy of "committing systematic sexual abuse against Iraqi civilians" and even celebrates its atrocities on the internet. In the Islamist world in the Middle-East, where grinding illiteracy...

CJTF-7 Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq Release #031224d          A bulletin from Basrah – The Queen’s Royal Hussars in Iraq BASRAH, Iraq – On Dec. 14 soldiers from the Queen’s Royal Hussars are getting ready for a Christmas with a difference in the Iraqi city of Basrah. The Regiment, which includes many soldiers from the Midlands and Northern Ireland, has been in Iraq for just over a month, providing security for vital reconstruction projects and the fragile political process. The regular soldiers, normally based in Germany, have been joined by Territorial Army troops from the Royal Mercurian and Lancastrian Yeomanry and...

CJTF-7 Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Iraq       Release #031224b                    British troops break up tribal feud in Basrah BASRAH, Iraq – Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Light Infantry (LI) in Basrah broke up a major tribal feud after two days of violence Dec. 17. The fighting between the Al Abtut and Al Hamadne tribes ended after a one-hour gun battle that left at least ten people wounded. The dispute began in the Al Hartha area after a disagreement over a compact disc recording in the local market. It quickly spiraled into violence, and within hours groups of armed men were on the...

Headquarters (Multi National Division) South East British Forces Post Office 641 PRESS INFORMATION CENTRE Telephone: 00870 600 322 756 00870 763 665 814 Mobile: 00965 9113350 E-mail: picbasrah@defencemediaops.co.uk Ser No: 6/11 Date of Release: 24 Nov 03 PRESS RELEASE CAR CHASE ENDS IN DRUGS SEIZURE British troops based in Basrah seized drugs worth an estimated $150,000 after pursuing a suspicious car through the city. Six soldiers from A Squadron, 9 th /12 th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) spotted two cars travelling at high speed at around 7.45pm on 23 November and gave chase. One of the vehicles crashed a...

the people at [Electronic Iraq] [al-Muajaha] kindly agreed to host the images for this post and we will put up the post on their site too. I have warned them that I have a lot of images and as the arabic saying goes: wa qad u'thira man anthar - don't blame someone who has already given you a warning. I really didn't have any other choice, the guys at the internet place wanted to charge 66,000 dinars for uploading 1.2megs of images. thats around $50 by today's rate. you should see how people react whenthey tell them how much they...

UK forces fight tank battle south of Basra By Peter Graff ABOARD HMS ARK ROYAL, March 25 (Reuters) - British forces south of Basra have blocked an attempted breakout by up to 50 Iraqi tanks seeking to press southward from the edge of the city, a British naval commander said on Tuesday. Captain Alan Massey of the flagship aircraft carrier Ark Royal said British light tanks from the Queen's Dragoons' Guard and marines from two battalions on the Faw Peninsula had halted the advance of the Iraqi tanks overnight and on Tuesday morning. "They were aided by small helicopter gunships...