Army briefing: British forces in Iraq believe they have found the body of Ali Hassan al-Majid, otherwise known as "Chemical Ali", military commander, cousin of Saddam Hussein and alleged perpetrator of the gas attack which killed 5,000 Kurds in Halabja, Northern Iraq in 1988. Deaglán de Bréadún, in Doha reports
The British forces commander, Air Marshal Brian Burridge, said al-Majid appeared to have been killed while meeting other senior Baath Party leaders at a house in Basra. "We've recovered some bodies but positive identification is ongoing," he told journalists at US-British command headquarters in the capital of Qatar. He added that local sources were saying "that's the man".
Commenting on the situation in Basra, he said: "We will try to maintain a sense of law and order."
Recalling a rebellion by Shia Muslims in the area during the last Gulf War which was fiercely repressed by the Iraqi regime, he said: "There are undoubtedly people who will wish to settle scores from that stage - now we'll try and stop them doing that."
He warned of "difficult days" ahead. "We must proceed carefully to reduce the risk to both the civilian population and to our own forces. This all takes time."
Looting by some elements was almost inevitable. "There is a release of pent-up annoyance and hatred against the Baath Party and the Baath regime."
He said British forces were still expecting some resistance from what he described as a "hard core" of Baath Party members. "The 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment are in the process now of sweeping the old town in Basra which is a myriad of narrow streets and winding alleys and this has to be done on foot," he said.
Speaking at a US briefing earlier, Brig Gen Vincent Brooks said the Iraqi regime still retained some military capacity. "Even though the coalition has disrupted much of the regime's ability to wage war and its command and control systems, the regime retains some capability."
Commenting on the situation at Baghdad Airport, he described how allied control was being consolidated: "Tunnels were found beneath it, some of these tunnels were large enough to accommodate automobiles."
He said the allies had distributed over 40 million leaflets, and the number continued to increase every day.
"One example is a recent leaflet that was distributed, warning the Iraq people, or advising them, really, to not carry weapons so that they're not perceived as forces defending the regime."