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Embedded in Basra's worst slum

Updated on 17 December 2008

By Jonathan Miller

On the day when Gordon Brown visits UK troops in Iraq, Jonathan Miller describes his embed in Hayyaniya, one of Basra's poorest areas.

British troops first entered Basra in 2003, setting up bases at Basra palace, and the main operations centre for Iraq's police, army and border guards, at the Shat al-Arab hotel.

In September 2007 British troops withdrew to a base at the new Basra airport, outside the city.

Channel 4 News spent a day with the army as they trained Iraqi troops in one of the poorest neighbourhoods, Hayyaniya.

Interview: Amyas Godfrey

Jon Snow interviews Amyas Godfrey from the Royal United Services Institute, who as a British Army officer completed two tours of Iraq, one of which was spent training the Iraqi army in Basra.

He went back there as a civilian this summer.

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