"Al-Sabah, Iraq's semi-official paper reports on the continuing problems between the city council of Basra (south) and British forces. The council just rejected a proposal to grant British companies any investment opportunities in the oil sector, perhaps in favor of a counter proposal submitted by the Russians.

Hakim al-Mayyah, a member in the Basra city council, told the paper that "the people of Basra do not want to see British forces in the streets of their city, therefore we cannot accommodate Britain's wish in oil contracts," citing the absence of a law regulating the work of foreign companies in the country."
Abbas Kadhim