Wednesday, April 9

Trying to bring order to Basra

For instance, in their first official act to try to establish order, British offficials said they had been in contact with a local sheikh, whom they would not name, to help form a council to begin to administer the city.But in interviews across the city, people said today that that would be a disaster.

"All the sheikhs in Basra were friends with Saddam," said Dr. Riva Kasim, a general practitioner in Basra General Hospital. "All the time Saddam gave money to them, and they watched as he would cut someone's ear who did not join the military or cut off someone's tongue who spoke out against the military."Although he did not know what sheikh the British had in mind, he said it did not matter. "All the sheikhs and tribal leaders are bad," he said.As he spoke alongside the Shatt al-Arab waterway that cuts through Basra, a crowd of about two dozen men quickly formed. They all agreed with the doctor."First, we want to thank the British and American army for giving us our freedom," said Abdul Aziz al-Salami. "But, if they put these people in power, there will be a revolt."



Baath party members remain in Basra

Some people have remarked that the blog looks weird - posts running way off the screen. I've done nothing to do the template in weeks, so I don't know why that is happening. Please post if you see a problem. I just republished everything, so let's see if that works.

From the BBC Reporters' Log

I want to talk to you about my favourite Saddam statues, in anticipation they may not be here for much longer. One of my favourites a moody looking Saddam on a tall plinth. And there are tiny little models of Mrs Thatcher, George Bush Senior and the President of France, Jaqcues Chirac cringing at his feet. This is a memorial to what the Saddam regime called the American occupation of Kuwait - the first Gulf War. Now I imagine that will probably come down pretty soon. There's another one by the telephone exchange saying "Saddam on the phone". They tend to be themed, these things.


For the idiots out there who have been pontificating for months that Pope John Paul II is an foolish, unrealistic appeaser who turns a blind eye to human suffering, take a look at what Michael has posted today.