• Firepower and fear rule on the road to Basra

    Firepower and fear rule on the road to Basra0

    Iraq’s south, once safe, is now fraught with peril for troops Gethin Chamberlain, in Basra, for The Scotsman, 20 April 2004. “ALI Baba,” said the man standing at the checkpoint, drawing his finger across his throat and gesturing to the road ahead. “Ali Baba,” he said, his arms stretched out towards the soldiers imploringly. In Iraq,

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  • Name of al-Sadr hangs over uneasy south

    Name of al-Sadr hangs over uneasy south0

      Gethin Chamberlain, in Basra, for The Scotsman, 17 April 2004 ODAY al-Dibaj clasps the bars of his prison cell, his hair cropped close to his head, his beard neatly trimmed. He speaks fast, and passionately. The people love Muqtada al-Sadr, Dibaj says, because Sadr loves his country and supports all the good people in Iraq.

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