Wethinks It's Important to Point This Out

Basra is the de facto capitol of Iraq's oil region. That's why it matters. Being thrown into chaos is make or break for Iraq's economic future, such as it is. And yeah...chaos is definitely what we can call what's going on in Basra.

Basra appears to be paralysed. Local residents say supplies of food and fuel are running low.

A phone call came to the BBC bureau from Timimiyah district - an area of Basra still held by the Mehdi Army.

Water supplies have been cut off because of the fighting, and people have not been able to go out to buy food.

The caller said his father had had a heart attack and had no medication, and that the Iraqi army had raided the local market and taken all the food.

Meanwhile, Maliki has not only backed down from his bravado, but is actually offering cash for weapons to the Shiite militias. As we said - chaos.

Comments

[Pastor Doodah]

He'd need a lot of money. Apparently the Iraqi army defected en masse, with their weapons, to the Mahdi army as soon they arrived in Basra. Democracy was so successful in Basra, you'll recall, that the brave and willing coalitionist British left and *refuse* to return. And still Mad King George lectures us about all the wonderful progress. Hundreds dead? Progress. Firefights all over the country? Progress. No water, sanitation or food? Progress. US forces being used to slaughter political opponents of the puppet government? Progress. Whole cities turned into prisons? Progress.

It's all good, says Mad King George.

[legadillo]

I'm sorry to post off the subject, but this is the funniest thing I've seen since that JibJab video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaGgpGLxLQw

(TinyUrl won't url for me; it'll tiny but it won't url--sorry.)

[Citizen Twenty]

Goddamnit!!
I was planning on taking my family to Basra for summer vacation this year...
Oh well, screw it...I guess we'll just have to just go ahead and holiday in Tibet instead.

Are They Playing Soccer Games?
That's the sign that the surge is working and civil society is beginning to grow. That's a sign normalcy is returning back to Iraq.