Did Britain make a secret pact with Mahdy Army?

Amina Anderson
Al Jazeera
Thursday, Aug 7, 2008

The British army made a secret deal with the Mahdy Army which kept UK forces out of the Basra clashes last March, leaving Iraqi forces to fight alone, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The Iraqi army launched a major offensive in the southern city of Basra against the Shia Mahdy Army in March this year. British army officials had described the operation as “Iraqi planned, led and executed.” But from the beginning, it was clear that things have gone out of the Iraqis’ control, and many wondered why the British were so slow to support Iraqi troops.

According to an article on the BBC, the resistance by Mahdy Army fighters was much stronger than had been anticipated. Yet British forces were only deployed from Basra’s airport into the city after six days of fighting.

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The Times says the British decision to keep their soldiers out of action was dictated by a secret pact with the Mahdy Army. The newspaper described the deal as a pre-arranged “accommodation,” explaining that under its terms, no British soldier could enter Basra without the permission of Defense Secretary Des Browne.

The Defense Ministry rejected the report, claiming that the only reason British involvement was limited during the Basra offensive was to ensure the operation was perceived by residents as Iraqi-led.

But closer examination of the British relationship with the Mahdi Army in Basra shows that such an agreement could have been possible.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Military intelligence sources told the BBC that the British have been talking to the Mahdy Army for several years.

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