So much for a troop withdrawal this summer for UK forces in the area. Even in an area that was once considered calm, the situation is in decline. Al-qaeda is not the problem, but the local insurgency with battling militias is definitely a big problem. How will The Poodle spin his way out of this?
The Shia-dominated southern sector of Iraq, where Britain has 7,200 soldiers, has experienced mounting unrest in recent months, with violence being blamed on sectarian rivalry, militias as well as rival tribal groups.
One group has openly threatened to halt the country's oil exports. More than 100 people were killed in May, including nine British soldiers in the deadliest month for British troops since the 2003 invasion. The Defence Secretary, Des Browne, has said the number of attacks against coalition forces in southern Iraq rose to 103 in April from 36 in January.
