Aiyeee!

For more than two years now our American media has been telling us just how peaceful the British-occupied areas of Southern Iraq are. Held out as especially docile was Basra, a predominantly shiite city.

Well, if our media would manage to report as the British media has the actual events of the last few days that meme would obviously explode.

British troops were struggling to maintain control in Basra last night after the city exploded into bloody violence following the alleged killing of an Iraqi policeman by a British soldier.

Two British servicemen, dressed in civilian clothes, were held at Basra's main police station after the incident. Outside, rioting began as the city threatened to descend into anarchy.

Last night, British forces used up to 10 tanks - supported by helicopters - to smash through the walls of the jail and free the two British servicemen. John Reid, the Defence Secretary, later confirmed they were back with UK forces.

Around 150 prisoners were said to have escaped during the assault, which was condemned as "barbaric, savage and irresponsible" by Mohammed al-Waili, the provincial governor. But the Ministry of Defence disputed the claim, saying that the release of the soldiers had been "negotiated".

I love that...the release of the soldiers had been "negotiated".

Here is a scene from the culmination of those negotiations...