Saddam faces revolt

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S regime was reported to be under attack from his own people and from coalition forces last night as bombs rained down on Baghdad, and the population of Basra staged an uprising.

The reported uprising in Iraq's second city, Basra, could prove crucial in the battle for control of Southern Iraq. While British military officials confirmed the uprising, Iraqi spokepersons dismissed the reports as coalition propaganda.

Major General Peter Wall, British Chief of Staff at Allied Central Command in Qatar, last night said that there appeared to be an uprising in Basra. He said it seemed to be in its "infancy" and that British troops were "keen to exploit its potential".