British troops may have to retake Amara

Around 500 British troops are on standby to go into Amara to retake it from militia, only two months after the region was transferred to local forces.



The test here is apparently whether or not the British-trained Iraqi forces can handle the situation in Amara, which would allow a larger phased withdrawal due to the UK no longer being 'needed', or whether the British are going to have to re-occupy Maysan province because the Iraqis can't handle it - in which case they're stuck.

According to this article the violence has ended and the militia dispersed by request of Al-Sadr, and the Iraqi police are back in control.

The official said the Iraqi army reports that police have returned to most of their stations that were attacked, except for those damaged in the fighting.

A British military spokesman, Maj. Charlie Burbridge, denied that "rogue" forces took control of the town. He said the situation had been defused.

"In the end, it was the Iraqi police force and army who moved together to deal with the situation, and they dealt with it reasonably well," said Burbridge, who said gunmen had dispersed.

www.cnn.com...

I don't know if the British troops are really need to re-take the city, but the report could be wrong.