THE plight of the million or so men, women and children of Basra is one of unimaginable terror.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq they have effectively been held hostage by Saddam Hussein's loyalist thugs.

Camped outside for five days now have been British and US troops, wary of entering the city because of the potential for civilian casualties.

The Coalition Forces' hope all along has been that they could wait until the people of Basra summon the courage to rid themselves of tyranny.

It was a lot to ask of the unarmed people of Iraq's second city.

During the 1991 Gulf War, President George Bush Snr encouraged the population of Basra ''to take matters in their own hands and force Saddam Hussein the dictator to step aside''.

They heeded his call, in the expectation that the United States would come to their aid.

But the US stood by as Saddam's Ba'ath Party militia and Republican Guards sought retribution through brutal beatings and mass executions.

Last night it appeared that an uprising against that reign of terror imposed by the Iraqi regime's henchmen was under way.

This time the US and Britain have a duty to match that overwhelming display of courage with unswerving support.

It is impossible to place too much importance on the fate of Basra to the outcome of the war and the nature of the final peace.

Although the city may not be militarily important in the overall invasion of Iraq, it is still of huge significance.

Inside Basra there is a clear evidence of the scale of opposition to Saddam within Iraq and the scale of the repression imposed by his regime.

By standing by the people of Basra in their time of need, the US and Britain can portray themselves as liberators, not invaders.

Freeing the city from tyranny will pave the way for the influx of humanitarian aid into the country, which may go some way to supporting the contention of George Bush and Tony Blair that the war against Iraq is just.

26/03/2003