BAGHDAD, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid an unexpected visit to the southern Iraqi city of Basra Sunday and met with British soldiers and local leaders.
Blair's aircraft landed at al-Shuaiba military base south of Basra, rather than Basra International Airport, for what appeared to be security reasons.
Coalition sources in Iraq said the visit's focus was on the mission of British troops deployed in Iraq and the British role regarding the reconstruction of the country.
More than 10,000 British troops are deployed in Iraq as part of a coalition force led by the United States.
Basra residents contacted by United Press International from the capital, Baghdad, said the security deployments were not out of the ordinary before or during Blair's brief visit-- his second to Iraq since the U.S. forces overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime in April.
