Britain's Prince Charles paid a surprise visit to British troops in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Sunday. As Kirk Troy reports from Baghdad, the morale-boosting trip came amid new attacks against coalition troops.
Prince Charles greeted British troops in Basra wearing a camouflage uniform in the first royal visit to Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. He mingled with British soldiers in a heavily guarded palace that now serves as the British military headquarters in Iraq.
Prince Charles flew into Basra amid tight security and journalists traveling with him were not allowed the report on the visit until after he had left the country.
Prince Charles also met with the U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer and Britain's top civilian official, Sir Jeremy Greenstock during the five and a half hour visit. He then flew to Iran where he met with President Mohammed Khatami before going to the earthquake devastated city of Bam.
There are currently around 8,000 British troops in Iraq and 58 of the country's soldiers have died since the war began last year.
Meanwhile, one American soldier was killed and three were injured in two separate attacks on Sunday. A U.S. army statement said the attacks were both roadside bombs targeting military convoys.