The UK army stating the obvious that many of us have been stating for a while now…
Basra could soon rebel, warns Army
The population of Basra could turn against British forces if quality of life does not improve, a UK military commander has warned. Brigadier Graham Binns, commanding officer of the 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats, spoke as doctors warned of a potential cholera outbreak in the southern Iraqi city. As British engineers continued to struggle to restore water and basic services to the city’s 1.2 million people, he said his biggest fear was failing to deliver improvements to infrastructure.
***“There are people who do not wish a long-term coalition or Western presence in Iraq, and they see it as an army of occupation,” Brigadier Binns said. "There is no evidence of them resorting to arms, but there is the possibility, in the longer term, of the use of arms to persuade us to leave rather quicker than we would wish. ***
“We are keen to enter the political process in order to reduce the military presence,” he said. "They are expecting us to deliver. We have just come through the honeymoon period and are in the first flush of marriage. “We’re not at the seven-year itch yet. People are still waving on the streets and we haven’t got to the point yet where people are ignoring us.” He identified four areas which need urgent improvement: electricity supply, water, schools and the political structure. Electricity remains at only 45% capacity, and people who had power before the war now have it only two or three hours a day, said Brigadier Binns.