Basra is getting wild about Harry

By SALAAM RADHI OUFI
INSTITUTE FOR WAR & amp; PEACE REPORTING
BASRA, Iraq -- The news that Britain's Prince Harry will be accompanying his unit when it deploys to Iraq later this spring has set this southern Iraqi city abuzz.
While there continues to be concerns that insurgents may attempt to target the third in line to the British throne, most Iraqis here appear delighted by the prospect of having royalty in their midst and intend to give him a warm welcome.
In fact, after having faced months of public hostility, the prince's imminent arrival is proving to be a major public relations coup for the British army.
Many residents here say they are impressed that the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana is willing to serve in Iraq, especially given that 10 British troops have been killed and 60 injured over the last three months. They also expressed surprise that the British government agreed to his deployment.
Accustomed to seeing the children of their own leaders enjoying lives of privilege and comfort, they are surprised and pleased at the egalitarian approach of a British prince serving in the army like any ordinary citizen.
Nadhim al-Jabri, media manager for Basra regional council, said Prince Harry's deployment to Iraq should be "a lesson to the leaders of the Arab peoples."
Fuad al-Mazni, a member of Basra's city council, said he hopes Prince Harry's arrival will contribute to improving security in the region.
"The presence of a member of the royal family at such a level will (help to) create a secure and stable atmosphere," he said.
High expectations
Even taxi driver Muhammed Jawad has high expectations of the prince.
"This man may tackle the rebuilding of Basra city, working together with us Iraqis," he said.
Not that Harry and his British comrades will have much time to improve the lot of Basra's beleaguered residents. Earlier this year, the British government announced plans to reduce its troop strength in Iraq from 7,100 to 5,500 within the next few months and to have all its troops out of the country by 2008.
Possibly the least impressed by the prince's impending arrival are the followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and members of his Mahdi Army.
"We don't care whether he's here or not," said Mahdi Army member Abu-Ali al-Biaj. "What matters is driving out the occupiers."
More common, however, is the reaction of Anam Tawfiq Abdul-Kareem, a 27-year-old student, who said she hopes the prince's arrival serves as "a transition point towards peace and security" for the city.
Salaam Radhi Oufi is a journalist in Iraq who writes for The Institute for War & amp; Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization in London that trains journalists in areas of conflict. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.