Basra Iraq Controlled By Iraqi Forces

Basra Iraq had an important day today, September 3, 2007.

The last of the British troops providing security in Basra Iraq pulled out there remaining troops, allowing Iraqi security forces to take over today.

Lt. Gen. Mohan al-Fireji, the Iraqi commander in the area, said that the Iraqi insurgents have been told that the British presence is now gone. Each day the insurgents would attack the British forces. Supposedly, they have agreed to stop the attacks now that the Brits are gone.

British troops have slowly been pulling out of the city, allowing mostly Shiite militia to protect the city. The Brits were not forced out.

“Let me make this very clear. This is a pre-planned, and this is an organized move" from the Palace to the Air Station, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said from London today.

It is vital to guard this city because it because it controls an important way to move supplies from Kuwait to Baghdad. It is also in close proximity to important oil fields.

Iraqis who watched the British troops depart actually cheered as they left.

One resident of the city, a man named Rudha Muter, told a reporter, “We are pleased that the Iraqi army are now taking over the situation. We as an Iraqi people reject occupation. We reject colonialism. We want our freedom.”

Another person who lives in the city named Khazaal al-Nisiri said he is confident that the Iraqi security forces will be able to handle guarding the city without help from the British.

The Iraqis living there did not act at all grateful for the sacrifice that the British have made to help them. Apparently they do not recall all of the "good times" they had while Saddam Hussein was in control. They also must have enjoyed the insurgent attacks that their own Iraqi security forces could not stop.

They have moved to the last remaining British base in southern Iraq, Basra International Airport. The Airport base, called Basra Airstation, is located 12 miles away from the city.

This pull-out has been planned by the British for several months and has been approved by the coalition. The Brits have been leaving to slowly turn security over to the Iraqis.

There were no attacks on the final 500 British soldiers as they left the city for the airport base.

Sometime in the fall, the Brits are planning to turn complete control of the whole of Basra Iraq, which is the second largest city in Iraq to the Iraqi security forces. This is the first time since 2003 that a multinational presence has not been in the city.

Basra has two main things going for it that make it important. It controls the oil fields in the south. It also has the only port into Iraq. These make Basra a very important piece of real estate.

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