Basra is getting ugly

The BBC is reporting on a British attack on an Iraqi prison in Basra that freed two British soldiers who had been arrested by Iraqi police. Earlier, two British armored vehicles had been firebombed by an angry mob. Also, NYT reporter Fakher Haider has been found dead in that city, where last month American journalist Steven Vincent was also murdered.

It looks like Vincent was on to something when he wrote about how the security forces in Basra were being infiltrated by members of extremist militias.

Update

Today's UK Telegraph has more on yesterday's events in Basra.