Liberated from Saddam Hussein and handed to the militias, is a common view of what the British military has achieved in Basra.

Many residents said that militias have tightened their grip in Basra since the last British troops pulled out of the city in September, after months of relentless attacks. They accuse Shiah militias, including the Mahdi army of Moqtada Sadr, of a campaign of intimidation and violence, particularly against women.

Mafia-style turf battles bring further bloodshed, partly competing for a slice of the oil revenues flowing through the city. More than 40 women have been killed in the past few months, according to Basra’s police chief — most shot dead by unidentified gunmen. Extremists linked with militias are widely blamed.

Violence involving British forces — which cost many lives — has dropped dramatically since the British left their last remaining base in the city, in Saddam Hussein’s former palace. But violence against Iraqis goes on.
Yet Basra was once known as a more tolerant and liberal place, where strict Islamic codes were not as strictly enforced. Now carefully-stencilled warnings, in red paint, have appeared on walls across the city — threatening any women who go out without hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

Much appears normal in Basra though. Although power and basic services are still patchy at best, markets are busy. Streets hum with traffic, with Iraqi security forces patrolling.

The police chief has taken the lead in trying to combat the attacks on women. But he’s a target too — assassins have tried to kill him several times. And those forces — trained by the British — are still widely mistrusted by Basra residents, especially the police. Many complain of endemic corruption and say it is simply the militia in different uniform — so deeply infiltrated into its ranks are militia supporters.

British commanders say Iraqi security forces have made great progress and are ready to take full over in the province. They also say militia influence is not as great as claimed. It is perhaps telling that Moqtada Sadr’s supporters in the city say similar things.

A frequent complaint is that the British let things slide, allowing militias to gain strength with their low-key “soft-hat” tactics in the early days of their occupation. It’s gone from berets to bombs, as the situation deteriorated year by year. After the deaths of more than 170 servicemen and women since 2003, many believe Britain is now simply cutting its losses.

Their influence will decline further as they hand over responsibility for the entire Basra province to the Iraqis this weekend — likely to be the last major event in the progressive British pullout from the south. Next spring, troop numbers will fall to just 2,500 — little more than a token force for such a large local population.

The Mahdi army deny they are behind the attacks on women, but also question the reports. The reality is that no-one is sure who is behind these killings, with so many shadowy groups and factions competing for power. Saddam’s tyranny may have gone, but this is not the liberation the British promised when they first invaded.


The New York Times