British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a surprise visit to southern Iraq on Sunday to thank British troops for their part in the war. Blair, whose political fortunes have wavered due to his backing of the war, flew into Iraq's second-largest city by military aircraft from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, where he was on vacation with his family.
| Cheeze. I hope he didn't fly in on a French charter... |
During the daylong visit, he was scheduled to meet military commanders and give a speech to some of the 10,000 British troops stationed in and around Basra. |