16 July 2007: British Soldiers blamed for Basra Terror

You would think the Iraqi port city of Basra already had enough problems, but now it has now been gripped by a new fear. Locals say the city is stalked at night by giant man-eating badgers; bear-like monsters said to have been released into the area by the British forces.

British troops have been based in Basra since the 2003 US-led invasion overthrew Saddam Hussein, and locals are quick to blame them for almost any calamity that befalls the area.

Iraqi scientists have attempted to calm the public but, amid the confusion and mistrust spawned by the ongoing guerrilla war, the story has spread like wildfire in the streets of the city.

The scientists say the tales are completely exaggerated, though based on fact. There is a local badger that grows to about 30 pounds, but it eats only small animals like hens and rats. These Honey Badgers were resident in the area long before the fall of Saddam, and do not usually threatens humans unless provoked. The scientists say the badgers are being driven into the city by the re-flooding of the marshland north of Basra that was drained by Saddam.