`Uprising in Basra` - New Variable of War

As arguments on the occurrence of the people`s anti-Hussein uprising in Basra, the largest southern city of Iraq on the 25th proposed, there have been strong disputes over the truth of the occurrence between the two sides of the United States and Britain`s coalition forces and Iraq.

The advancement of coalition forces into Baghdad has been postponed due to powerful resistance of the Iraqi military. Thus, if the public uprising in Basra proves to be real, this can act as a major variable in the war by stirring up other uprisings as well as stimulating the fighting spirit of the coalition forces. For a long time, coalition forces have predicted and anticipate the occurrence of such uprisings within Iraq after the opening of the war.

According to the BBC and Sky News, there was an uprising in the northern part of Basra and the Iraqi soldiers fired cannons towards the demonstrators. Quoting from a military officer outside of Basra, the AFP Communications reported, “tens of buildings in the city were on fire and dead bodies were on the streets.”

England`s Ministry of Defense clarified through an announcement that “upon confirmation of the situation of the Iraqi military firing trench mortars towards their own people in the people`s uprising, the coalition forces confronted it right away and we`ve destroyed Iraqi trench mortars and cannons.”

“Right after General Ali Hassan al-Magid (also called Chemical Ali), cousin and closest relative of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, commanded the execution of a Shi`a political leader belonging to the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party, the disruption of the Shi`a power had been stirred up and an uprising occurred,” the British Daily Telegraph reported on the 26th.

However, through an announcement, Iraqi Information Minister Mohammad Saeed al-Sahaf strongly criticized that the report of the uprising occurred in Basra was a lie announced by the governments of the United States and Britain to weaken the fighting spirit of the Iraqis.

The Arabic satellite broadcasting, al Jazeera, refuted the report of the British press with a report from a special correspondent on site in Basra stating, “The city of Basra is very peaceful and traces of any kind of violence or uprising is not visible.”

The United States is being somewhat careful when talking about the people`s uprising in Basra.

“We haven`t heard anything on it as of now but if the uprising really had occurred, we think very highly of those who initiated the uprising and hope they succeed,” Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said to reporters on the 26th.

In Basra, there was an incident of a people`s uprising with the powers of the Shi`a sect as the principle axis against the political power of Saddam Hussein in 1991 but the Iraqi government firmly suppressed such an uprising.

Jung-Ahn Kim credo@donga.com