The clashes that happened Tuesday evening in Basra between Iraqi demonstrators and British forces showed the great difference between US and British forces in dealing with Iraqi citizens. 

Iraqis saw British soldiers on TV trying to hold back the demonstrators who hurled stones at them, without firing a single shot, forming a sharp contrast with the US troops.

The British troops boasted that they knew how to deal with Iraqis and that was the secret behind the relative calmness in southern areas.

Some analysts say that the British, who invaded Iraq in the early 20th Century and continued on good terms with the governments of the royal era for almost half a century, have the experience to deal with clans, religious figures and politicians in Iraq.

In the past months, the Americans have asked British officers to give lectures to their forces and prepare training courses in how to deal with Iraqis without teasing them.

The humiliating behavior of the American soldiers in the raids on houses, search of men and women, has aroused feelings of hatred among the Iraqi people.

Dozens of American soldiers were killed in attacks in Baghdad and other cities to the north and west of the capital, where more than 130,000 soldiers were stationed.

In contrast, the situation in Basra which is patrolled by about 10,000 British soldiers, is relatively quiet.

The most violent clash for the British forces took place in major city near Umara, 370 km south of Baghdad, which led to the killing of six British soldiers.

Nevertheless, the British leaders at the area managed to settle the issue with local residents and peace was restored to the neighborhood.

Tuesday's events resulted in the injury of 13 British soldiers, but a British spokesman said that he did not think any of the soldiers' lives was endangered.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2004)