So I'm off to Basra in southern Iraq to hang out with the British Army. Basra province, once a sideshow in this drama, has become a main act in recent months. Iranian influence is on the rise. The Shi'ite militias exert increasing control while Iraqi government authority wanes. Attacks on coalition forces are at an all-time high and casualties have skyrocketed. But it's not all bad news. The Brits have just turned over two provinces to Iraqi control, with more pending. I'll be filing from Iraq whenever I can. Wish me luck.
--David Axe
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