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Britain blames baghdad blackout { April 4 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2508423 http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2508423 Britain Blames Baghdad Blackout on Iraq Fri April 4, 2003 07:16 AM ET LONDON (Reuters) - Britain on Friday blamed Thursday night's power blackout in Baghdad on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and denied that its lengthy siege of the southern city of Basra was a sign of weakness. The power outage cut the lights in Baghdad overnight and came as British forces continued to attack Iraqi forces fighting in the port city of Basra. "There was no way that...a stray weapon could take out the whole of Baghdad's power system. It almost certainly is the fact that Saddam himself, or the regime, has turned the power off in Baghdad," Britain's Chief of Air Staff, Sir Peter Squire, told a news conference. Britain said it had restrained its use of firepower in Basra and had "contained" remaining Iraqi forces fighting within the city, which has been besieged since the early days of the U.S.-led war that began on March 20.. Britain's Minister for the Armed Forces, Adam Ingram, said the goal of UK forces was to mop up remaining Iraqi resistance and return full electricity and water supplies to Iraq's second city of 1.5 million people as soon as possible. "Our restraint should not be interpreted as weakness, rather, it is a sign of care of a commitment we have made not to harm Iraqi people," he told the same news conference. Ingram said water availability in Basra was now running at about 60 percent and that once the town was secured the restoration of water supplies would be a priority. British forces said they killed eight Iraqi militiamen on Friday in a street battle on the edge of Basra. The invading forces had hoped Basra's Shi'ite Muslim majority might rise up against forces loyal to Saddam, a Sunni Muslim, as they did in 1991 after the Gulf War. But that rebellion was crushed after hoped-for U.S. support never came and analysts say locals are too unsure of the future to risk another uprising. Instead, British forces have adopted a tactic of incursions into the city to try to target Saddam loyalists and gunmen.

baghdad-push-apr-5 outskirts-baghad 1400 iraqis killed Baghdad airport heavy fighting { April 4 2003 } Baghdad fall days away Britain blames baghdad blackout { April 4 2003 } Can remove chemical suits Capt.1049740793.topix_iraq_us_war_ans101 [jpg] Carpet bombing karbala Eyewitness battle baghdad { April 8 2003 } Heatwave challenge facing troops { April 1 2003 } Huge explosions baghdad power out { April 3 2003 } Iraqi tv radio off air { April 8 2003 } Lights out special forces go in { April 4 2003 } Not taken any iraqi town Power off baghdad { April 3 2003 } Power out can disrupt water sewage disease Push within 19 miles { April 2 2003 } Republican guard destroyed near baghdad Republican guard to block advance { April 2 2003 } Significant republican guard Thrust into central baghdad { April 7 2003 } Us forces take baghdad airport Files Listed: 21

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