So far this is apparently a single-correspondent story, sort of like the 'Najaf chemical weapons plant' from the other night - the kind of story they wish for so hard that it actually comes into a sort of existence.
>From Agence France-Presse:
The report was aired on the Sky News TV channel in London.
"It appears that the people of Basra have basically had enough of the Saddam regime," the reporter said. [...]
In Qatar a British military spokesman at allied field command headquarters said he could not confirm reports of the uprising.
"I cannot confirm the report," Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Mc Court told AFP. "However, if it is true, then this must support the logic of what coalition forces have been saying all along, that the Iraqi people wish to be liberated from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime." [...]
Sky News is owned by the Australian-US media magnate Rupert Murdoch, who has expressed strong support for the US-led war in Iraq (news - web sites).
>From Reuters:
ITN television journalist Richard Gaisford told the Sky news channel that British troops were attacking Saddam's forces to try to help the reported uprising in Basra.
"We're being told by military intelligence officers with the Royal Scottish Dragoon Guards battle groups that there has been a popular uprising this afternoon in the city of Basra and that, as a result of that, Iraqi troops still based in the city are firing mortar rounds ... on the uprisers," Gaisford said
Associated Press:
Asked about reports of an uprising in Basra, Iraq (news - web sites)'s second largest city, Rumsfeld said that he was aware that Fedayeen guerrillas loyal to Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) were infiltrating the city, and said they represented "a terrorist-type threat" [!! *@%$*] against coalition forces.
Rumsfeld said he had not seen reports of an uprising against the Iraqi regime in Basra.
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