Czech soldiers: operation in Iraq ever more dangerous

Czech soldiers in Iraq say security around their base close to the southern city of Basra has been worsening, with missile and mortar attacks threatening them and their mission. Military contingent commander Jiri Neubauer, whose unit has just completed its 3-month mission in Iraq, told journalists on Tuesday that tension between the different streams of Islam has made Basra the second most dangerous city after Baghdad. The Czech Republic has had a military presence in Iraq since December 2003. A Czech 100-member military police contingent operates as part of a multinational force with Danish and British soldiers.