The battle came after allied jets and British artillery ... They had been spotted by helicopters as they emerged from Basra early last night.

"The British now control Basra and US forces will control Baghdad within days. Commanders said the Battle of Basra was on the threshold of moving into a new phase within the next 12-24 hours.

The resulting report, Ali Hasan Al-Majid and the Basra Massacre of 1999, provides evidence that one Iraqi official responsible for the gross human rights violations in that campaign is Ali Hasan ...