Basra is a 'safe zone' no more

We've been here before: Fatal Basra crash sparks unrest Remember this? British tanks storm Basra jail to free undercover soldiers You can refresh your memory about what that was all about here: "Incident" in Al Amarah You've got to love this masterly piece of understated headline writing from the Beeb: Basra is a 'safe zone' no more Two quick points: The tactic has precedents in Northern Ireland, where helicopters were routinely used to avoid the threat from IRA bombs and snipers in "bandit country." - Yes true and the tactic stopped being used when IRA got weapons capable of shooting those helicopters down. "Helicopters are increasingly being used to replace vehicle patrols in the region." - In other words they've completely lost control and they're isolated in their bases. markfromireland