Basra residents call for more food

By Keith Harrison
In Basra

The troops were warmly welcomed by some Basra residents

Ordinary Iraqis around Basra claim they have only four days worth of food left and are calling for coalition forces to pull out of their war-torn country.

"Now they have got rid of Saddam, they have no reason to fight against the Iraqi people," said Moaed Abd Alih, a 23-year-old student, amid a crowd of cheering locals.

At a British aid distribution point in Zabiyr he spoke for 300 men, women and children who constantly shouted at him to get their points across.

"We have nothing," he summed up. "We have no power, no work and no lives.

"There is not enough to eat or drink and our money is worthless."

We need the British to pull out now they have got rid of Saddam to let us live our lives in peace

Moaed Abd Alih

Despite recent food hand-outs by the British and the delivery of more than 100,000 litres of water to his town for free yesterday, he insisted: "No-one does anything to help us. The British make things worse.

"The water is not clean. It will make the children ill. What use is that?"

'Thieves'

"When Saddam was in charge we had ordinary lives, now look at us. We have only four days food left, then we will have to go to Basra to find more."

He added: "There are thieves everywhere, stealing cars, tractors, food, water, whatever they can. If we catch them we will kill them but there is no authority any more.

Widespread looting followed the fall of Basra

"We need the British to pull out now they have got rid of Saddam to let us live our lives in peace. We want to rule ourselves."

Another man, who did not want to give his name, tactfully pointed out to a pick-up truck flying a white flag nearby.

"Government, they watch even now," he said.

He then pointed to the wreckage of a burned out car at the roadside and said: "This car was not Saddam's. It was a person's car. Why blow it up?"

However, 2nd Lt Mark Irons of 10 Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, said: "We are delivering food aid but water is the most pressing priority. People are not starving."

From pool reporter Keith Harrison of the Express & Star, Wolverhampton, in Basra.