Chaos reigns in Basra

Competing Islamist groups and their militias are contributing to the lawlessness--with help from Iran. And the "restrained" security offered by British troops has done nothing to put a stop to the confusion.

One western diplomat in Baghdad, who visited Basra recently, said the militias were becoming increasingly involved in the lucrative smuggling trade, controlling the ships that trade not only in contraband oil, but in sheep, dates and araq, an aniseed-flavoured spirit. ...

"Iran is said to be everywhere," he said. "Sending in weapons and funding and planning attacks to make life as uncomfortable as possible for British troops."

There are also real problems with the way Basra is run. In May, the police chief of Basra province told The Guardian he trusted only 25% of his officers. Half were secretly working for militias, and some were carrying out assassinations. Militiamen loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were kidnapping police not part of their group, occupying offices, and arresting Iraqis said to be violating Islamic law. "They kidnapped me and my five-year-old son because we did not display a picture of Sadr in our car," said Faris Husseini, a shopkeeper. "It's like being back under Saddam."